Hints for Searching on the Internet on Writing a Research Paper The Internet presents a vast number of widely distributed resources covering thousands of topics and providing many options for research in many fields. Often there is so much information that you may not know where to begin. Or maybe you haven't been able to locate what you're seeking.
When you do your search, don't expect something that you found today to be there tomorrow-or even an hour later. If you find material and need it, keep a copy of it. It's not enough to write down the address and plan on locating the site later.
One of the best strategies to find a subject on the Internet is to use a Boolean search. It uses the terms and, or, and not to expand or restrict a search.
Here's how they work:
and or +
If you tell an electronic search tool to look for national parks and pollution alone, it will list all the works having to do with either subject. But if you link them with the word and or + by typing in "national parks and pollution," the computer will narrow your search to only those sources in which both terms appear.
or –
If you link two terms with "or" or a minus sign (-), the search will lead to all sources that contain either term.
not
Using not will also narrow a search. Telling the search engine to look for "national parks not Bryce Canyon," for instance, will lead to all sources about national parks except those mentioning Bryce Canyon.
Relax!
No one is an expert on every facet of the Internet-it's simply impossible. While many people are skilled with the tools and have a good idea where to look for information on many topics, no one can keep up with the information flow. Fortunately, you don't have to understand everything to use the Internet quickly and easily all you need are a computer and the time to explore different paths.
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Great Places on the Web for Writing Research Papers
Below are some useful places to visit on the web as you begin your research.
Note: Every care has been taken to make this list timely and correct. But just as people move, so do Web sites. Since this book was published, the Web site may have moved. In that case, there will be a forward link. If not, use "keyword" to find the new site.
Library of Congress ttp://www. Icweb.loc.gov
Encyclopedia Britannica http://www.britannica.com
U.S. Federal Agencies http://www.lib.lsu.edu/gov/fedgov.html http://www.fedworld.gov
Virtual Reference Shelf http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/virtualref.html
Wikipedia http://wikipedia.org
Reference Desk http://www.refdesk.com/instant.html
Below are some useful places to visit on the web as you begin your research.
Note: Every care has been taken to make this list timely and correct. But just as people move, so do Web sites. Since this book was published, the Web site may have moved. In that case, there will be a forward link. If not, use "keyword" to find the new site.
Library of Congress ttp://www. Icweb.loc.gov
Encyclopedia Britannica http://www.britannica.com
U.S. Federal Agencies
http://www. lib. lsu.edu/gov/fedgov. html
http://www.fedworld.gov
Virtual Reference Shelf http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/virtualref.html
Wikipedia http://wikipedia.org
Reference Desk
http://www.refdesk.com/instant.html
Great Places on the Web for Writing Research Papers
Below are some useful places to visit on the web as you begin your research.
Note: Every care has been taken to make this list timely and correct. But just as people move, so do Web sites. Since this book was published, the Web site may have moved. In that case, there will be a forward link. If not, use "keyword" to find the new site.
Library of Congress ttp://www. Icweb.loc.gov
Encyclopedia Britannica http://www.britannica.com
U.S. Federal Agencies
http://www. lib. lsu.edu/gov/fedgov. html
http://www.fedworld.gov
Virtual Reference Shelf http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/virtualref.html
Wikipedia http://wikipedia.org
Reference Desk
http://www.refdesk.com/instant.html
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Research paper NewsgroupsNewsgroups comprise people interested in a specific topic who share information electronically. You can communicate with them through a listserv, an electronic mailing list for subscribers interested in a specific topic, or through Usenet, special-interest newsgroups open to the public.
These sources allow you to keep up with the most recent developments in your area of research and may also point you to useful information and resources that could have taken you a long time to find on your own.
E-MAIL
E-mail, electronic mail, lets you communicate electronically with specific people. Senders and receivers must have e-mail addresses. There are specific programs that act as "phone books" to help you find the person you are looking for.
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Using Wikipedia in research paper writing
Started in 2001, Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia. Wikipedia is unique because it's written collaboratively by volunteers, allowing most articles to be changed by almost anyone with access to the Web site.
Currently, there are 229 language editions of Wikipedia, 16 of which have more than 50,000 articles each. Wikipedia has more than 5 million articles in many languages, including 1.5 million in English. Wikipedia ranks among the top 20 most visited sites, and many of its pages have been adapted by other sites, such as Answers.com.
A 2005 comparison by the science journal Nature of sections of Wikipedia and the Encyclopedia Brittanica found that the two were close in terms of the accuracy of their articles on the natural sciences. Nonetheless, there are serious issues over Wikipedia's reliability and accuracy, with the site receiving criticism for the following problems:
- susceptibility to vandalism
- bias
- spoof (fake) articles
- questionable information
- uneven quality and inconsistency
- preference for popularity over credentials
- poor writing
- lack of proper sources to legitimize articles
Wikipedia can be a valuable reference tool, but use it with care. Remember that the articles can be written by anyone: 80-year-old Ph.D.'s to 8-year-old cyber geeks. Always verify all research information you find in at least two sources. |
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Using databases in research paper writing A database is a collection of related material stored in a computer in a systematic way so that a computer program can consult it to answer questions. Libraries pay fees to subscribe to specialized databases. You can access these databases in person in the library; increasingly, you can also access these databases for free off-site through the library's portal.
The information in these databases has been vetted, so they provide higher-quality information. A library's databases saves you time, too, because you are not sifting through commercial sites, as you do with a search engine.
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