Searching the Internet

Searching the Web

1. What will I find on the Web?
   It's hard to say since anyone can publish a web-page of information! Here are some tutorials that will help you to use the Web to effectively find the information that you want.

Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial - (developed by UC-Berkeley) Effective Web Searching Tutorial - Gillian Westera, Curtin University of Technology



2. Which search engine should I use?
   We recommend you try more than one search engine since each one creates its database of webpages in different ways and, therefore, each search engine searches some unique websites as well as many in common. Google and All the web are generally comprehensive. Their interfaces differ so you'll need to try them out along with the online Help and decide which one you like the most.
   
   Alternatively, try a meta search engine - one which searches multiple search engine at a time - but be aware that it will list more "hits" than a single search engine.

 

3. Can I trust the information on a Webpage?
   It is always wise to evaluate anything you use regardless of the source. Books and scholarly journals found in university libraries have had a great deal of scrutiny before being published and another evaluation by the Librarian who decided to add them to the Library's collection. Not always true on the Internet!
   
   Here are some places to look for potential questions to ask yourself when you are reading a webpage to decide if you trust the information. (Note: You can also check other webpages or written sources on the topic to verify the information you have found in a particular website.)
   
   
   • University of Winnipeg
   • Harris, Robert. "Evaluating Internet Research Sources."

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How to cite the books and other resources you used

Your professor may have given you specific instructions on how to write up the bibliography of your paper or footnotes, etc. If not, there are some standard guides to consult. Some may be available at your public library or can be bought from a bookstore. Some websites that describe how to cite books, journal articles, parts of books, websites, etc., are listed below.

• Style Manuals (listing on the Electronic Reference Shelf, University of Waterloo Library)
• APA style (document created by University of Canterbury, Australia)
• MLA style (document created by Purdue Uinversity)