Library Research Guide |
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If your teacher allows websites as a source, use the search terms you brainstormed earlier to find relevant websites. Remember you will have to cite sources, so be sure to get the full bibliographic information on each website. See Bibliographic Citations for proper format.
Websites require more careful evaluation than books. Books are scrutinized by publishing companies for accuracy, while the World Wide Web allows anyone to post anything, whether it is factual or not. Be especially cautious of personal blogs and sites like wikipedia. Therefore, you must find this information for every site you intend to use for your assignment: the type of domain, i.e., .com, .edu, .org; the author/organization who wrote website; the background of author/organization; the last update, a Bibliography/Reference list, check who is linked to site, and analyze the perspective. If your evaluation of the site’s information is not relevant, reliable, or current, do not use the information.
Video documentaries, radio transcripts, and personal interviews can be great resources. Take good notes and be sure to record all information needed for the bibliographic citation.