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Google Search Tips
When using a search engine such as Google, place quotation marks around key phrases in your search. This will return more specific and relevant results.
Your search will be more accurate and reliable when you search educational or government websites. Add site:edu or site:gov to your Google search to find reliable research-based information.
Evaluating Websites
Use the following evaluation questions to determine if websites are appropriate for college-level research.
Who?
- Who is the author of this page?
- Are the author's qualifications clearly stated?
- Is the author separate from the "webmaster"?
- Can the author be contacted for clarification?
What?
- What is the purpose of this site?
- What topics are covered?
- What goals/objectives does this resource meet?
- What opinions are expressed?
- What is the context in which the information is provided?
When?
- When was this site created?
- When was it last updated?
Where?
- Where did the writers obtain their information? Are citations included?
- What institution published this? Are they reputable?
- Where can I verify this information?
Why?
- Why is this information useful?
- Why is this page better than other pages on this topic?