how to conduct research on the internet

Conducting Internet Research

Considerations for participant protections when conducting internet research.

If an activity falls under the category of human subjects research, it is regulated by the federal government and Teachers College (TC) Institutional Review Board (IRB). TC IRB has provided a guide to help researchers determine if their activities can be considered human subjects research.

Internet research is a common practice of using Internet information, especially free information on the World Wide Web or Internet-based resources (e.g., discussion forums, social media), in research. This guide will cover considerations pertaining to participant protections when conducting Internet research, including:

• Private versus public spaces for exempt research
• Identifiable data available in public databases
• Minimizing risks when using sensitive Internet data
• Common Internet research approaches

The following information is from an NIH videocast . ( Odwanzy, L. (2014, May 8). Conducting Internet Research: Challenges and Strategies for IRBs [Video]. VideoCast NIH. https://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=13932&bhcp=1 )  

Private Versus Public Spaces for Exempt Research

Federal regulations define a category of human subjects research that is exempt from IRB review as:  

“ Research that only includes interactions involving educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures, or observation of public behavior (including visual or auditory recording) .” 

With regards to online information, if the data is publicly available (such as Census data or labor statistics), it is usually not considered human subjects research. However, if the data includes identifiable information—meaning the data can be linked back to a specific individual—then it may need to undergo IRB review. Additionally, de-identified data pulled from a private source, such as data provided by a company, may also be considered human subjects research.

Public behavior is any behavior that a subject would or could perform in public without special devices or interventions. Public behavior on the Internet, however, is more difficult to pinpoint. Federal regulations indicate that an environment may be private if a reasonable user would consider their interactions in that environment to be private. To help identify public behavior on the Internet, consider:

• Typically, posts on a private or password-protected social media profile or site are not considered public behavior.
• Even if a website is publicly available, the information on the website may be protected by other measures (e.g., community guidelines, terms of use, etc.).
• Sites that require users to pay for access to their content (e.g., purchasing a dataset) are not always considered private, even if the information is behind a paywall.
• Discussions and chats on public forums, news broadcasts, and free podcasts or videos are typically considered public communications. 
• Emails and person-to-person chat messages are often private, rather than public, communications.
• However, institutions may dictate that any activity on their devices (e.g., a company laptop or phone) is subject to review. In these cases, the institutions can limit an individual’s privacy.
• Some websites explicitly state that the interactions on their site are not to be used for research purposes.
• Other sites may not explicitly refuse research activities, but they may require users to be respectful of others’ experiences. Depending on the website, “respect” may have a variety of meanings, including respect of user privacy.
• Expectations of privacy may not always equate to the reality of privacy. 
• For example, individuals may share personal information on an open forum because there is an expectation within the community that other users will respect their privacy. However, the community guidelines may not explicitly state that their website is private.
• Forums and websites directed towards youth may require extra precautions, as the youth may be on the website with or without their guardian’s permission.
• If a user shares media on a private profile, but then that media becomes publicly available through re-posts, the media should still be considered private. It is likely that a reasonable user would expect shares on private profiles to remain private. 
• A site may only be open to certain types of users based on demographics or life experiences (e.g., cancer survivors, support groups for addiction, etc.). In these cases, a reasonable user may expect greater privacy based on the types of users they expect to interact with.

TC IRB will determine whether an Internet environment is private or public based on the IRB protocol submission.

Identifiable Data in Public Datasets

Identifiable data is information or records about a research participant that allows others to identify that person. Names, social security numbers, and bank account numbers are considered personal identifiers  and are protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). TC IRB has a blog posted on Understanding Identifiable Data that further explains the different types of identifiers. Data that includes personal identifiers does not fall under the Exempt category.  

Other types of participant information may include indirect identifiers , such as birthdate, age, ethnicity, gender, etc. Taken alone, these pieces of information are not enough to identify any single participant. However, researchers have shown that certain combinations of these identifiers may identify participants. For example, Sweeny (2000) demonstrated that 87% of the United States population could be uniquely identified based solely on their ZIP code, gender, and date of birth.

It is important to remember that while data may be publicly available, it may still contain identifiable information. In these cases, the IRB will decide the risk to participants on a case-by-case basis. With Internet information, consider these to be possible identifiers:  

Users may include their partial or full name in a username. When collecting usernames from a site, researchers should consider replacing usernames with pseudonyms.

IP addresses are unique identifiers for devices. Researchers should be wary of pairing IP addresses with other information.

Purchase Habits

With the surge in online shopping, individuals’ unique online purchase habits are shown to be possible identifiers. 

Digital Images, Audio, & Video

Photos, audio recordings, or videos of an individual are typically considered identifiable, unless the images or audio are ascertained in a way that protects the subject’s identity.

Avatars or Profile Pictures

Although avatars and profile pictures may not include real photos of the user, it is possible that they were chosen because of a resemblance to the user.

Keystroke Dynamics or Typing Biometrics

The detailed information of an individual’s timing and rhythm when typing on a keyboard is a unique identifier. "Keystroke rhythm" measures when each key is pressed and released while a user is typing. These rhythm combinations are as unique to an individual as a fingerprint or a signature.

Minimizing Risk When Using Sensitive Internet Data 

In cases where sensitive Internet data must be used for research purposes, researchers should take precautions to ensure the safety and privacy of participants. The nature of online research increases risk to participants in some areas. Researchers should develop a plan to minimize risk in the following areas:

• Reduced Participant Contact : when research is conducted over the Internet, researchers have limited or no direct contact with subjects. This makes it more difficult for researchers to gauge subjects' reactions to the study interventions. 
• Researchers should think through multiple possibilities for interventions, debriefing, and follow-up, if applicable.
• Researcher and TC IRB contact information should be presented on the informed consent before beginning the study. This will ensure that participants know whom to contact if they have questions or concerns.
• Breach of Confidentiality: when storing or collecting data on devices connected to the Internet, there is a heightened risk for identifiable participant data to be leaked. 
• TC IRB has published a Data Security Plan  outlining best practices for securing and transmitting data. Researchers should implement these practices as they apply to their specific study.
• In the case of a breach of confidentiality, researchers must file an adverse event with TC IRB.  

Common Internet Research Approaches

The Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections (SACHRP) has provided examples of common Internet research practices. These include elements of research conducted over the Internet. Below are possible examples of Internet research where human subjects may be involved:  

• Existing datasets (secondary data analysis)
• Social media/blog posts
• Chat room interactions  
• Amazon Mechanical Turk
• Social media
• Patterns on social media or websites
• Evolution of privacy issues
• Spread of false information
• Online shopping patterns and personalized digital marketing
• Online interventions such as “nudging"

Increased Internet use for research requires researchers and IRBs to become familiar with Internet research-related topics and concerns. Research submitted to the IRB will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The Institutional Review Board at Teachers College will make the final determination of whether a study requires review. Researchers should email  [email protected] if they have any questions or concerns about their study design and whether it should be IRB reviewed.

Institutional Review Board

Address: Russell Hall, Room 13

* Phone: 212-678-4105 * Email:   [email protected]

Appointments are available by request . Make sure to have your IRB protocol number (e.g., 19-011) available.  If you are unable to access any of the downloadable resources, please contact  OASID via email [email protected] .

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Happiness Hub Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• Happiness Hub
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Computers and Electronics

How to Do Internet Research

Last Updated: May 17, 2024 Approved

Where to Begin

Getting good sources, evaluating for credibility, compiling and saving your sources.

This article was co-authored by Megan Morgan, PhD . Megan Morgan is a Graduate Program Academic Advisor in the School of Public & International Affairs at the University of Georgia. She earned her PhD in English from the University of Georgia in 2015. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 14 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 260,854 times.

The internet has made researching a topic easier than ever before. Instead of making a trip to the library, people with internet access can simply pull up a search engine, type, and click away. But, in addition to making it easier to access information, the web has also made it easier to access misinformation. [1] X Research source [2] X Research source [3] X Research source However, by following some simple rules, you can avoid being fooled or misinformed by a phony, inaccurate, or biased web source.

Quick Guide: Researching a Topic on the Internet

• Select a database or search engine.
• Choose keywords to search for.
• Use advanced search techniques like Boolean operators.
• Look for credible, authoritative sources.
• Find and cite the original source when possible.
• Evaluate sources for credibility.

• You can usually access these databases through your home library’s website. Some academic and universities libraries may require a password if you are accessing them remotely (from somewhere other than in the library itself).
• If you don’t have access to a library, try using Google Scholar for your searches. You can find academic research through this search engine, and Google Scholar will show you where you can find free copies of the articles online.

• Most search engines can be “gamed” by savvy websites in order to ensure their content comes up first. Moreover, each search engine has its own algorithm, and some tailor their results based on your browsing history. So the “top” result on Google will not necessarily be the “top” result on Yahoo, even with the exact same search phrasing. [8] X Research source
• Be aware that simply because you find information online doesn’t make it credible or authoritative. Anyone can make a webpage, and the amount of poor, unverified, and just plain wrong information often outweighs the good stuff online. [9] X Trustworthy Source Pew Research Center Nonpartisan thinktank conducting research and providing information on public opinion, demographic trends, and social trends Go to source To help you sift through the useless stuff, talk to your teacher or librarian, and use library or academic search engines when possible.

• For example, if you are doing research on feminism in China, you might run a search for “feminism AND China.” This will return results that include both of those topic keywords.
• You can use OR to run searches for related keywords. For example, you could search for “feminism OR feminist OR social justice.” This would return results that contain one or more of those terms.
• You can use NOT to exclude keywords from your search. For example, you could search for “feminism AND China NOT Japan.” You would not get any results that included Japan.
• You can use quote marks to search for full phrases. For example, if you want to search for academic performance , you would search for the whole phrase inside quotation marks: “academic performance.” Be aware, though, that using quotation marks will kick out any result that isn’t an exact match. For example, you would not get results about “school performance” or “academic functioning” because they are not worded exactly the way you searched.
• Use specific keyword phrases to locate the most relevant information. For example, if you are looking for information social welfare expenditures in the U.S., you’re more likely to get the results you want by searching for “total yearly amount spent on welfare programs in U.S.” than searching for “welfare,” which would bring up definitions of welfare, types of welfare in other countries, and thousands more results you don’t want. Be aware, though, that you can’t always find information like this -- the more words you enter, the fewer results you’re likely to get.
• Use alternate words or keyword phrases to locate additional research sources. For example, if you are researching “welfare,” consider using “safety net” or “social programs” or “public assistance” in place of “welfare” to find different results. In many cases, your word choice might unintentionally bias your results, since terms like “welfare” are often politically loaded. Using a wider variety of terms ensures that you’ll be exposed to a broader — and therefore potentially less biased — set of sources.

• For example, in your search for “total yearly amount spent on welfare programs in U.S.,” you’ll quickly discover that there are several different public assistance programs, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Use that information to decide which program(s) you’re interested in, and then perform a new (more specific) search, such as “total yearly SNAP expenditures in U.S.”

• Government sources will often have “.gov” somewhere in the webpage. For example, the United States Department of State’s website is www.state.gov. The official website for Australia’s Department of Defence is www.defence.gov.au.
• Websites that end in .edu belong to colleges and universities. However, you do need to be careful with .edu sites, because often faculty and students can run personal webpages that will have the .edu extension, but the information there may not be vetted by the university. [11] X Research source It’s better to find academic sources through an academic database or search engine, like EBSCOhost or Google Scholar.
• Websites that end in .org belong to non-profit organizations. While some of these are highly credible, some are not. Anyone can purchase a website with a .org extension. Check these sites carefully, and don’t rely on them as your sole source of information if you can avoid them. [12] X Research source
• Major news sources such as The Guardian, CNN, and Al Jazeera tend to be credible, but you also need to make sure you’re reading a factually based article and not an opinion piece. Many news sites also have blogs and editorial sites where people can state their opinions, which aren’t necessarily backed up by facts.

• While it’s impossible to view all of the results for most searches, it’s important to view at least several pages of results in order to ensure you’re not missing important information. Because of search engine optimization, if you’re using a regular search engine like Google or Yahoo, the first several pages might contain the links that were most effectively promoted, not the ones with the best information. [14] X Research source

• For example, if you are writing a report on penguins, you could start with the Wikipedia page on Penguins. Scrolling to the References section would show you several peer-reviewed academic journal articles on penguins, along with references to book chapters by academic publishers. Look at those sources for more authoritative information.

• For example, if you’re doing research on changes in welfare expenditures during the past 20 years, there’s no reason to trust a blog, or any secondary source. Most credible sources will note that they’re using data from federal agencies. Therefore, it’s usually better to search for the original government data sources and cite them directly, rather than citing a page that is itself just reporting (possibly incorrectly) the data.
• Citing the original source will also make your own research more authoritative and credible. For example, it is much more impressive to your teacher if you cite an article from the National Institutes of Health (a US government source) than if you cite an article from WebMD -- even if they have the same information. If you can cite the original scholarly research that produced the information you're discussing, that's even better.

• No matter what information you’re seeking, if you can’t find a single official source, it’s advisable not to trust a piece of information until you find identical information on several independent sites. So, for example, if you can’t find an original source for SNAP expenditures in 1980, enter the data you found into a search engine to ensure that the same number is reported on multiple sites and that those sites are not all citing the same (potentially erroneous) source.

• If you’re using an academic database, check out who published the article or book. Texts from prestigious journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine , and books from academic publishers like the Oxford University Press, carry more weight than sources from less-known publishers.
• If you’ve never heard of a source, the first place to look is the “About Us” (or similar) portion of the website. If that doesn’t provide you with a good idea of who’s producing the web page, try conducting an internet search for the site itself. Often news articles, Wikipedia entries, and the like that reference a source will include information about its affiliation(s), ideology, and funding. When all else fails, consider using a web domain search engine to discover who owns the website. However, if you’ve had to go to that length, chances are good that the site is too obscure to be trusted.

• For example, does this person have education in their field? Neil deGrasse Tyson has a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the prestigious Columbia University, so it’s likely that what he says about astrophysics is credible and authoritative (meaning trustworthy and up to date). On the other hand, an amateur star-watcher’s blog will not be authoritative, even if the information is accurate.
• Has the author written anything else on the topic? Many authors, including journalists and academic scholars, have areas of specialty and have spent years studying and writing about these topics. If the author has written many other articles on the same area, this makes them more credible (especially if those articles are peer-reviewed).
• If there is no author, is the source credible? Some sources, particularly government sources, will not list an author. However, if the source you are getting the information from is authoritative -- such as an article on chickenpox from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- the absence of an author isn’t cause for concern on its own.

• For example, if you were writing a research paper on treatments for cancer, you wouldn’t want to use only articles from the 1970s, even if they were published in prestigious academic journals.

• Look for the site’s sources. A credible internet site will cite its sources. A really great site may even link out to the original research articles so you can track them down. If you can’t find any references for the information provided, or if the references are out of date or poor quality, it’s a good sign that your site isn’t reliable.
• Watch for bias. Highly emotional language, inflammatory rhetoric, and informal writing are all signs of potential bias in your source. Most academic writing tries to steer clear of these and aim for impartiality and objectivity as much as possible. If your website uses emotional language like “Manipulative big pharma companies are out to keep you broken and unhealthy to line their own pockets!” it’s a good sign that there is bias present.
• Review each website for grammatical errors and broken links. If the website is credible and reliable, grammar and spelling should be accurate, and all links should take you to the appropriate landing page. Websites with numerous grammatical errors and broken links may be copying their information from another source or may not be legitimate.

• Bibliography entries for webpages traditionally consist of the author of the web article or webpage (if available), the title of the article or page, the name of the site, the site’s web address, and the date on which you accessed the article or page.

• The simplest way to save a webpage as you see it today is to print a hard copy or save it as a PDF. [19] X Research source This will allow you to refer back to the page, even if it's moved or deleted.
• Since a hard copy or PDF version will only be available to you, you should periodically check the links in your research if it is published on the web. If you discover a web page has been deleted or moved, you can keyword search for its new location in a search engine or check to see if it was archived by Archive.org's Wayback Machine, which preserves web pages as they previously displayed. [20] X Research source

• Using the bookmarks feature of your web browser is the simplest way to save sources. Rather than saving every source in the parent “Bookmarks” folder, consider creating subfolders for specific topics. For example, if you’re researching welfare, you might want to create a folder for “Welfare” in “Bookmarks” and then maybe even create more folders within “TANF,” “SNAP,” etc.

• Numerous services and apps have made it possible to sync sources to the cloud, capture images of web pages as they appear on the day you accessed them, add keywords to sources, etc.
• Many of these services, such as Zotero, are freeware created by academics and other open-source advocates. Others, such as Pocket, offer some services for free and charge for others. If you need functions beyond your web browser’s standard bookmarking features, consider using one of these sources to make organizing your sources easier.

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/401/internet-politics.html
• ↑ http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/ZDM/story?id=97336&page=1
• ↑ http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/corrections_dont_go_viral.php
• ↑ http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/reading-and-researching/research-using-internet
• ↑ https://eric.ed.gov/
• ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
• ↑ http://www.ala.org/rusa/resources/guidelines/professional
• ↑ http://www.ipl.org/div/aplus/internet.htm
• ↑ http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/11/01/how-teens-do-research-in-the-digital-world/
• ↑ http://searchengineland.com/guide/what-is-seo
• ↑ http://www.pcworld.com/article/2853698/how-to-save-a-webpage-as-a-pdf-or-mht-file.html
• ↑ https://archive.org/web/

About This Article

To do internet research, look for sources that are credible and reliable by prioritizing information from academics, government sources, and nationally recognized news organizations. The best way to find academic sources is through a reputable academic database like Google Scholar or EBSCOhost. If you’re using a news source such as The Guardian, check that what you’re reading is a factually based article and not an opinion piece. Once you’ve found reputable sources, make sure to back them up either by printing or saving them as PDFs, since web pages can get moved or deleted. For more tips, like how to spot information that is reliable and accurate, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Maika Bovoro

Sep 21, 2016

Is this article up to date?

Coulibaly Mamadou

Mar 18, 2021

Courtney Cantrell

Apr 30, 2017

Rodel Llorico

Sep 14, 2016

Hala Hegazy

Feb 26, 2017

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve

• Writing Home
• Writing Advice Home

Research Using the Internet

• Fair-Use Policy

More and more students are turning to the Internet when doing research for their assignments, and more and more instructors are requiring such research when setting topics. However, research on the Net is very different from traditional library research, and the differences can cause problems. The Net is a tremendous resource, but it must be used carefully and critically.

The printed resources you find in the Library have almost always been thoroughly evaluated by experts before they are published. This process of “peer review” is the difference between, for example, an article in Time magazine and one in a journal such as the University of Toronto Quarterly. Furthermore, when books and other materials come into the University library system, they are painstakingly and systematically catalogued and cross-referenced using procedures followed by research libraries the world over. This process is the basis for the way materials are organized in the Library, and it makes possible the various search functions of the Web catalogue.

On the Internet, on the other hand, “anything goes.” Anyone can put anything they want on a Web site, there is no review or screening process, and there are no agreed-upon standard ways of identifying subjects and creating cross-references. This is both the glory and the weakness of the Net – it’s either freedom or chaos, depending on your point of view, and it means that you have to pay close attention when doing research on-line. There are a great many solid academic resources available on the Net, including hundreds of on-line journals and sites set up by universities and scholarly or scientific organizations. The University of Toronto Library’s Electronic Resources page is one such academic source. Using material from those sources is no problem; it’s just like going to the Library, only on-line. It’s all the other stuff on the Net that you have to be cautious about.

Here are a few basic guidelines to remember:

• Don’t rely exclusively on Net resources. Sometimes your assignment will be to do research only on the Net, but usually your instructors will expect you to make use of both Internet and Library resources. Cross-checking information from the Net against information from the Library is a good way to make sure that the Net material is reliable and authoritative.
• Narrow your research topic before logging on. The Internet allows access to so much information that you can easily be overwhelmed. Before you start your search, think about what you’re looking for, and if possible formulate some very specific questions to direct and limit your search.
• Know your subject directories and search engines. There are several high quality peer-reviewed subject directories containing links selected by subject experts. INFOMINE and Academic Info are good examples. These are excellent places to start your academic research on the Internet. Google , Bing , Yahoo and other search engines differ considerably in how they work, how much of the Net they search, and the kind of results you can expect to get from them. Spending some time learning what each search engine will do and how best to use it can help you avoid a lot of frustration and wasted time later. Because each one will find different things for you, it’s a good idea to always use more than one search engine. For specialized search engines and directories you might also like to try Beaucoup which includes 2,500 + search engines and directories or the Search Engine Colossus International Directory of Search Engines that includes search engines from 230+ countries around the world.
• Keep a detailed record of sites you visit and the sites you use. Doing research on the Net inevitably means visiting some sites that are useful and many that are not. Keeping track is necessary so that you can revisit the useful ones later, and also put the required references in your paper. Don’t just rely on your browser’s History function, because it retains the Web addresses or URLs of all the sites you visit, good or bad, and if you’re using a computer at the University the memory in the History file will be erased at the end of your session. It’s better to write down or bookmark the sites you’ve found useful, so that you’ll have a permanent record.
• Double-check all URLs that you put in your paper. It’s easy to make mistakes with complicated Internet addresses, and typos will make your references useless. To be safe, type them into the Location box of your browser and check that they take you to the correct site.

The following points are guidelines for evaluating specific resources you find on the Net. If you ask these questions when looking at a Web site, you can avoid many errors and problems.

• Who is the author?
• Is the author’s name given?
• Are her qualifications specified?
• Is there a link to information about her and her position?
• Is there a way to contact her (an address or a “Mailto” link)?
• Have you heard of her elsewhere (in class, or cited in your course text or in Library material)?
• Has the author written elsewhere on this topic?
• Who is the sponsor of the Web site?
• Is the author affiliated with a reputable institution or organization?
• Does the information reflect the views of the organization, or only of the author? If the sponsoring institution or organization is not clearly identified on the site, check the URL. It may contain the name of a university (U of T Mississauga’s includes utoronto) or the extension .edu, which is used by many educational institutions. Government sites are identified by the extension .gov. URLs containing .org are trickier, and require research: these are sites sponsored by non-profit organizations, some of which are reliable sources and some of which are very biased. Sites with the .com extension should also be used with caution, because they have commercial or corporate sponsors who probably want to sell you something. The extension ~NAME often means a personal Web page with no institutional backing; use such sites only if you have checked on the author’s credibility in print sources.
• What audience is the Web site designed for? You want information at the college or research level. Don’t use sites intended for elementary students or sites that are too technical for your needs.
• Is the Web site current?
• Is the site dated?
• Is the date of the most recent update given? Generally speaking, Internet resources should be up-to-date; after all, getting the most current information is the main reason for using the Net for research in the first place.
• Are all the links up-to-date and working? Broken links may mean the site is out-of-date; they’re certainly a sign that it’s not well-maintained.
• Is the material on the Web site reliable and accurate?
• Is the information factual, not opinion?
• Can you verify the information in print sources?
• Is the source of the information clearly stated, whether original research material or secondary material borrowed from elsewhere?
• How valid is the research that is the source?
• Does the material as presented have substance and depth?
• Where arguments are given, are they based on strong evidence and good logic?
• Is the author’s point of view impartial and objective?
• Is the author’s language free of emotion and bias?
• Is the site free of errors in spelling or grammar and other signs of carelessness in its presentation of the material?
• Are additional electronic and print sources provided to complement or support the material on the Web site?

If you can answer all these questions positively when looking at a particular site, then you can be pretty sure it’s a good one; if it doesn’t measure up one way or another, it’s probably a site to avoid. The key to the whole process is to think critically about what you find on the Net; if you want to use it, you are responsible for ensuring that it is reliable and accurate.

This page is used with permission of the UTM Library.

Conduct High Quality Online Research: Process, Types, Tools, Tips & More

If there’s one constant in modern life it’s this: research. No matter the topic, it’s imperative that most of us conduct thorough research for a variety of purposes online.

We research products and options when we want to buy something. We research markets and competitors when we want to sell something. We research topics and exes when we want to know or learn something.

We do research on the internet for so many different reasons, it can be hard to think about “online research” as one task—but if you add it all up, many of us spend a lot of time doing research on the internet. So there’s some serious value in understanding how to do that research more thoroughly, accurately, and quickly.

In this article we will cover:

• PROCESS:  The online research process
• METHODS:  Research methods and strategies
• TYPES:  Some of the most common types of research you can do online
• TIPS:  7 tips for better online research
• TOOLS:  Research tools and companies to improve and expedite the research process
• RESOURCES:  35 great internet research resources
• DELEGATING:  How you can delegate your research to a virtual assistant (VA)

The Online Research Process in 6 Steps

Broadly speaking, the typical online research project goes through 6 key steps. While you probably don’t tick off all these steps every time you research something online, following them can help ensure your research is complete, accurate, and useful.

Let’s talk about what those steps are and why each one is worthwhile for just about any online research you do.

1. Choose and define your topic of interest

This first step is where you’ll get specific about just what it is you’re looking for. What’s your end-goal? Why are you conducting this research? What are you hoping to learn or achieve?

For market research, this might be developing a full understanding of the competitors in the space and their positioning. For product research, you might be trying to arrive at the best option for you to buy.

The key is to make a comprehensive list of the research questions you want to answer and the individual items that interest you. This list will help inform where and how you do your research and ensure you don’t wind up with a bunch of information that doesn’t help or interest you.

2. Determine which fields of study you’ll need to look into

This step will help you define and narrow down the type of journals, databases, websites, etc. that you’ll look to for information.

For example, if you’re doing product research and you want to know how valuable existing customers find a given product, you may turn to prominent third-party review websites. If you’re doing medical research, you may look into the relevant medical journals for your topic.

3. See what research has been done and conclusions have been drawn

Step 3 is likely the part of the process you most often associate with “research.” Now’s the time to dig into your research sources, read up on the topic, and look to see how other people have answered the questions you laid out for your research.

The important part of this step is to stay organized and on-task. It’s easy to get lost in all the information, so it’s best to have a clear process and to keep your sources and learnings organized.

4. Evaluate your sources and information

In today’s digital world, this step is even more important than the rest. No matter the topic of your research, you need to take the time to understand and evaluate your sources . Who’s writing about the topic? Why are they interested or invested in it? Do they have anything to gain from what they’re saying?

This step is when you can identify any biases you or your sources have. Think of these biases as gaps in your research—and fill them in with opposing viewpoints and additional information. ‍

5. Determine additional research data collection methods needed and conduct

Whether as a result of biases or something else, it’s not uncommon to find gaps in the research that’s already been done. When that happens, you may consider conducting your own primary research to help fill in those holes in your information.

For example, if you’re missing qualitative market research, you may choose to conduct an online focus group of consumers in that market. For medical research, filling in the gaps might mean conducting an extensive clinical trial. For research into your own customers, on the other hand, it might be as simple as sending out a brief online survey asking for feedback. You can also use online survey platforms to reach a broader base.

6. Organize your full body of research and draw conclusions

Once steps 1 through 5 are finished, you’re ready to start digging into your body of research and drawing your conclusions. This is where you’ll make a final decision on which product to buy or identify where in the market to position your own business, for example.

Online Research Methods & Strategies

When you think about “online research,” what sort of research method do you imagine? Many of us likely think about Googling and reading articles—and that is one method for doing research online. But it isn’t the only one—far from it.

Below are some of the other common online resources for research methods and strategies you can draw on during your research.

Content analysis and social media or social network analysis

Content analysis is the typical web search and read method of conducting research. In this case, you’re consuming secondary research that’s already been conducted and learning from that.

Focus groups

A focus group is when you bring together a group of people to take part in a guided discussion—often this discussion is about their experience with a particular product, brand, political campaign, ad, or TV series/movie. You might picture these happening in-person, but they can also be conducted online using video chat or conferencing software.

Interviews are similar to focus groups—you’re asking real people for very specific information. The difference is that interviews are more often done one-on-one versus in a group. Interviews can also follow a less conversational and more transactional question-answer approach.

Questionnaires and surveys

Questionnaires and surveys share the question-and-answer approach of an interview, but they aren’t typically done live or in real-time. Surveys can be emailed or mailed out to respondents or shared on social media. The respondent completes the questionnaire on their own time and returns it to the researcher when finished.

Web-based experiments

Web-based experiments follow a more regimented and traditional set of processes designed to yield scientifically significant results. There are three main types of experiments:

• Controlled experiments
• Natural experiments
• Field experiments

While the topic varies, many of these experiments can be adapted to take place online.

Clinical trials

Clinical trials are a type of experiment most often done in medical and psychological research. In a clinical trial, the experiment is designed to answer a very specific set of questions. The classic example of a clinical trial is a drug or pharmaceutical trial—designed to answer whether a particular drug affects a given disease or injury.

Online ethnography 

In an ethnographic study, the researcher essentially lives among their research subjects and observes their behavior, social structures, and more. Ethnography is most commonly used in behavioral research like sociological and anthropological studies. Online ethnography simply refers to the method by which the researcher interacts with subjects—online.

Common Types of Online Research

Online research comes in all shapes and forms, but talking about “research” in the abstract can feel a little nebulous. To help you wrap your head around the kinds of online research we’re referring to for our purposes, here are some of the most common types of online research.

Basic Research

Basic research refers to broad studies and experiments done, not to answer a specific question or prove a hypothesis, but to create a foundation for additional studies or experiments.

For example, a study of how caffeine affects the brain would be considered basic research. Its results would increase general knowledge on the topic and likely inspire more specific experimentation.

Here’s another example of what basic research looks like—and how it can often blend into applied research:

• EXAMPLE: via Verywell Mind
• RESEARCH: To start, “researchers might conduct basic research on how stress levels impact students academically, emotionally, and socially.” That might involve content analysis of existing research on the topic, empirical research around students’ moods and performance, and interviews or surveys completed by the students themselves.
• FINDINGS: At the end of the basic research process, researchers have a better understanding of how stress impacts students—but they don’t know why stress has those effects or how to change or solve the effect.
• CONCLUSIONS: Because of that, “the results of these theoretical explorations might lead to further studies designed to solve specific problems. Researchers might initially observe that students with high stress levels are more prone to dropping out of college before graduating. As a result, scientists might then design research to determine what interventions might best lower these stress levels. Such studies would be examples of applied research.”

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research involves studying something using statistical or mathematical techniques and it’s used to understand how often a particular phenomenon occurs. The “quantitative” part of this type of research refers simply to numbers.

Here’s a common example of what quantitative research looks like in action:

• EXAMPLE: via QuestionPro
• RESEARCH: “If any organization would like to conduct a customer satisfaction (CSAT) survey, a customer satisfaction survey template can be used. Data can be collected by asking a net promoter score (NPS) question, matrix table questions, etc.”
• FINDINGS: The survey method above provides “data in the form of numbers that can be analyzed and worked upon.”
• CONCLUSIONS: “Through this survey, an organization can collect quantitative data and metrics on the goodwill of the brand or organization in the mind of the customer based on multiple parameters such as product quality, pricing, customer experience, etc.”

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research , on the flipside, focuses more on observations and non-numerical qualities. It’s used to answer questions about how and why phenomena occur, versus how often.

Here’s an example of what a typical qualitative research study looks like:

• RESEARCH: “A bookstore owner who is looking for ways to improve their sales and customer outreach. An online community of members who were loyal patrons of the bookstore were interviewed and related questions were asked and the questions were answered by them.” 
• FINDINGS: “At the end of the interview, it was realized that most of the books in the stores were suitable for adults and there were not enough options for children or teenagers.”
• CONCLUSIONS: “By conducting this qualitative research the bookstore owner realized the shortcomings and the feelings of readers. Through this research now the bookstore owner can keep books for different age categories and can improve his sales and customer outreach.”

Market Research and Competitive Research

Market research and competitive research refer to gathering information about a particular industry and the companies currently doing business in it. It often involves mapping out the positioning of competing companies or products and is usually done by the companies in the market (or those hoping to be).

Here’s what a typical market research study looks like:

• EXAMPLE: A software company is looking to launch a new product into an unfamiliar market.
• RESEARCH: They conduct research to figure out the features their product will need, what price will be competitive, and where in the market there’s an opportunity to serve an underserved segment of consumers. Research includes basic informational research about competitors, their products, and pricing, content analysis of industry publications, and focus groups with potential customers.
• FINDINGS: The company finds that a small but dedicated segment of consumers in the market have a particular need that isn’t being met by any of the current competitors in the space.
• CONCLUSIONS: They design their product to solve that specific issue and create marketing and advertising campaigns targeted toward only that small niche market.

Customer Research

Customer research is when a business seeks to learn more about their customers (or their competitors’ customers). Often, customer and consumer research are included in the overall market research process we mentioned above.

Here’s what a typical customer research study looks like:

• EXAMPLE: via Hotjar
• RESEARCH: A software company wanted to learn more about what their customers needed from their software, and how they could build a better product and customer experience. They used on-page surveys on their website and some observational research to dig deeper into their customers.
• FINDINGS: Based on their research, the company created in-depth customer personas that exemplified their 3 most common customers, who they are, and what challenges they face.
• CONCLUSIONS: Based on what the company learned about challenges faced by one particular customer segment, they improved a particular feature of the product to improve that customer’s experience. 

Other Common Types of Research

• Comparative research , done primarily in the social sciences, refers to studies that compare a given data set across different geographic locations or cultures. For example, a study may look at the differences in poverty between the U.S. and Canada.
• Medical research can make up a wide range of studies and experiments. The most obvious example is clinical drug trials, which are run to determine the efficacy and safety of new pharmaceuticals. But medical research can also involve observational studies to better understand new diseases and other basic research.
• Legal research most typically refers to two scenarios: 1) finding an answer to a particular legal question or decision that needs to be made and 2) looking for precedent to support a legal argument.
• Product research refers to research done by companies to better understand what their customers are looking for. It can be done during the ideation or new product development phase or to further improve an existing product.
• Empirical research data is collected by observation. In other words, it’s a record of someone’s experience, defined via the 5 senses. For example, an experiment done to figure out if listening to happy music improves subjects’ moods would be considered empirical research.
• Descriptive research is done with the intention of better understanding something. Customer and consumer research are often done in a descriptive way—describing customers and their attributes rather than trying to explain or quantify them.
• Experimental research refers to a more rigid research process than many other research types listed here. In experiential research, researchers follow the research method. They utilize strictly controlled experiments in which one variable is altered and the results either support or refute a specific hypothesis.
• Exploratory research is similar to basic research. It’s done with the goal of better understanding a given problem or phenomenon, and its findings typically inform further research to solve the problem.

Tips for Better, Faster Online Research

Whether you’re new to conducting research online or you’ve been doing it for years, there are always tips and tricks you can employ to streamline, strengthen, and refocus your research process. With that in mind, here are our top tips for conducting high-quality research online.

Know the Information You’re Looking For

With all of the information available on the internet, it’s really easy to get lost. Maybe you end up chasing down rabbit holes or trying to answer new questions every time they arise. Either way, you’re distracted from answering the original questions you set out to.

That’s why it’s so important to get clear about what those questions are, and hold yourself to researching those answers. This is what steps 1 and 2 in our online research process above are designed to help with.

Get Clear About Your Goal for Researching

While similar to the previous tip, defining your goal for research is more action-oriented. When you get answers to the questions outlined above, what will you do with them? All the questions you seek to answer with your online research should serve this overarching goal—helping you make a decision or choose your next course of action.

For example, your goal for travel research might be to choose and book a destination for your next family vacation. For competitive research, your goal may be to identify a niche audience to target within your industry.

Check the Abstract First

If you’re using scientific papers, medical studies, legal reviews, and other academic research, you know you’re in for some dense, lengthy reading. So before you commit to reading anything, check out the abstract first. If you don’t find anything compelling in the abstract, you can safely skip that paper.

Have a System and Stay Organized

As we mentioned before, the internet completely changes the stakes when it comes to research. There’s almost no limit to the amount of research you can do. That’s why it’s vital that you create a system for determining which information you’ll look at, plus how and where you’ll store it. Here are a few suggestions for staying organized:

• Create Google Drive folders to store PDFs and other documents
• Create a designated folder in your Bookmarks to store websites and URLs
• Use a reference management software (like Mendeley ) designed to help organize extensive research
• Delegate the organizing part to a virtual assistant (VA)

Get Started with a Virtual Assistant

Avoid analysis paralysis.

Online research can be incredibly valuable in helping you make informed decisions on a whole range of topics—but it is possible to take research too far, ending up with way more information than you can adequately process. Avoiding analysis paralysis is the only way to ensure your research makes your life easier, instead of the other way around.

Clearly outlining your goals and questions to answer is a good first step in avoiding analysis paralysis. The second part comes down to recognizing when you have enough information to make a decision. Once that happens, it’s usually time to set the research aside and act.

Evaluate Your Sources and Check Your Own Biases

In the time of #fakenews and corporation-funded scientific research, it’s more important than ever to evaluate your sources for online research. To start, just get in the habit of paying attention to who ran the study, wrote the paper, or created an article.

From there, you can look deeper into their objectivity (or lack thereof). Ask yourself whether the researcher has something to gain or lose from the information they’re sharing. Are they interpreting objective information through their own angle? Equally important: how current is the information presented?

In addition to evaluating the objectivity of your research sources, it’s even more important to identify and be aware of your own biases toward the subject matter.

Delegate Research to a Virtual Assistant

Whether you lack the time, expertise, or just desire to conduct thorough online research, there are many reasons to delegate your research to someone else. Online research, in particular, can easily be handled by a virtual assistant ( more on that later! )

Research Tools and Resources to Help with Your Online Research

When the time comes to dive into online research, most of us default to starting with an internet search on Google, followed by trying different search terms and combing through endless search result listings. That’s a fine place to start, but there are also tons of other reputable databases and search engines that can help you get straight to the most accurate and up-to-date research on just about any topic.

Below, we recommend 13 tools that can help you find reputable sources, organize your research, and even conduct your own primary research.

For General Research Articles

• Google Scholar and Google Books
• Library of Congress and LexisNexis
• Project Gutenberg
• Student’s Online Research Guide via AllConnect
• Yale University Research Guides by Subject

Academic Journals

• AcademicJournals.org

For Specialized Research

• Medical: BioMed Central , The Lancet , New England Journal of Medicine , NCBI (Nat’l Center for Biotechnology News)
• Legal: American Law Reports
• Business and industry: Nielsen and Pew Research Center

Online Research Management and Organization

Online research companies.

• 20|20 Research
• Facts ‘n Figures

Virtual Research Assistant Companies

Other great online resources for research.

If you’re looking for more info on various aspects of researching online, here are a few more top-notch resources you can reference.

• For psychological, sociological, and other behavior research: Psychology.org
• For business (market, competitive, and new product) research: QuestionPro
• For market research: Inc.
• To better understand online research and “big data:” Online Research Methods, Quantitative by Hocevar and Flanagin
• On conducting your own survey research: SurveyMonkey
• For legal, news, and public records: LexisNexis online library

Delegating Research to a Virtual Assistant

The advice and resources above are enough to turn anyone into a pro online researcher—but do you really have the time or desire to do your own research online? Regardless of how well done, effective internet research always requires one big investment: time . There’s no getting around the time investment it takes to conduct valuable online research.

Instead of investing that time out of your own busy schedule, you could outsource your online research efforts to a virtual assistant (VA). That way, you get the benefit of making informed decisions without spending days or even weeks wading through abstracts and research articles.

When you work with a Delegated virtual research assistant:

• You can hand-off basic research, competitor and market research, comparative research and more from day one
• You can work with your VA and train them to handle more specialized types of research like medical and legal

In both cases, as your VA gains experience working with you, they’ll get better and better at pulling together exactly the kind of research and insights you’re looking for. Some aspects of research they can tackle include:

• Pulling together research articles and data
• Research annotation and summaries
• Research management and organization
• Various aspects of conducting primary research

How does this work?

We know that delegating something as broad and nebulous as “research” can feel a little foreign if you haven’t outsourced it before. Most of the concerns we hear from people are very quickly quelled by the time savings that come with delegating their research.

That said, if you’re feeling unsure, here are a few of the questions we hear frequently:

How does all this work?

Your Delegated VA is available to you whenever you need them. They can pull together research articles and sources, organize and annotate them, present research summaries and conclusions, and help with many of the tasks involved with conducting your own primary research.

What kind of research can a Delegated VA handle?

Delegated VAs can handle these types of research right off the bat:

• Basic research
• Market research
• Competitive research
• Comparative research
• Data research
• Information research

That said, with a little guidance and training from you, our VAs can take over just about any kind of research you need done.

How will my VA know what information to look for?

Initially, your VA will base this judgment on the information you provide to them. Any information you ask for, they’ll pull together for you. For basic research, they’ll be able to handle most anything you need.

For more specialized research areas (like medical and legal research), your VA may need a little more help from you in the beginning. Rest assured, after a few projects, they’ll be able to handle just about everything you can throw at them.

Can my VA handle next steps after research is done?

If you provide your Delegated VA with the access and information they need to take the next step, they can do that—whether that’s booking a trip based on travel research, purchasing their recommended product, or something else entirely.

How will my VA communicate with me?

Your Delegated VA will communicate with you any way you prefer. If you choose to communicate via Slack, email, phone, or morse code, your VA will work with your preferences to streamline communication.

Wrapping Up

Whether it’s product research, medical research, or something else entirely, conducting thorough and accurate research online takes time—and going without isn’t a great option either.

If you don’t have the time, desire, or expertise to perform your own internet research, you can easily turn the keys over to a virtual assistant. With a little guidance, they can handle a lot more than you may think.

Then, you can spend less time Googling around and more time acting on your research findings.

Glossary of Online Research Terms to Know

Research problem and research question: The central question your research sets out to answer, or the central problem your research sets out to solve.

Correlation: A connection or relationship between two variables.

Causation: A connection or relationship between two variables where a change in one variable creates a change in the other.

Findings: The results and conclusions of your research.

Scientific method: An empirical, step-by-step method whereby hypotheses are formed and experiments/observations either affirm or disprove the hypothesis.

Sampling method: A method for collecting data from a small sample of a given population.

Research methodology: The specific techniques and procedures you use to identify and analyze information about your topic.

Control group: A group within an experiment to which no changes are made in the variable being studied. Control groups are used for comparison to better identify how changes in a variable affect the other group.

Experimental group: The group within an experiment which is changed or manipulated.

Primary research: Data collected directly by you, the researcher.

Secondary research: Data previously collected by other researchers.

Hypothesis: An educated guess or theory about how an experiment will turn out.

Abstract: A brief summary of the contents of a research paper or study.

Bias: Assumptions made without credible evidence, often that skew the ultimate outcome of a study. Bias can be caused by beliefs held by the researcher or by errors in sampling or data analysis.

Kiera's a content writer who works with SaaS and ecommerce companies. Located in Boston, MA, she loves cinnamon coffee and a good baseball game. Catch up with her @Kieraabbamonte or KieraAbbamonte.com.

Start growing your business and reducing overhead with Delegated

1. meet your assistant
, 2. create a workflow
, 3. start delegating
, other resources.

Guide to Time Management Skills

Guide to Email Management

Guide to Scheduling Like a Pro

Loved by top companies and entrepreneurs.

Specialized Tasks

Elizabeth J. Peterson

Thinking Through Philosophy, Culture, and Psychology

A Guide to Using the Internet for Research

This is the second in a series on using the internet as a learning device. You can read part one here and part three here .

We are looking at the best practices for using the Internet for research. Think of the internet as a library; it houses information on every topic you can imagine. It can point you to the best resources on Earth for information or link you to an authority on whichever topics capture your imagination.

The Internet as a Library

This massive library, a place where “reading materials are systematically arranged,” represents the whole of human knowledge, and sits accessible day and night. It can jump-start your research, narrow down sources, challenge your ideas on your topic and questions, and yield a ton of information very easily. In the words of Noam Chomsky, it’s invaluable as a research tool.

However, because the Internet isn’t regulated, anyone can post anything, regardless of it’s accuracy. There is no committee tasked with making sure the internet is a safe and truthful place; we are truly still in the Wild West days of internet usage. You need to develop an incredibly skeptical approach to claims or ideas you discover, and a process to determine their accuracy, to see through bias – the author’s and your own – to separate fact from opinion.

A few questions to start with:

• Is the owner or author’s name and contact information available?
• What kind of sources do they use, and are their conclusions reasonable based on the information presented?
• What sort of proof or references do their posts offer?
• Do they link to research or original documents, to news releases or other blogs?
• Do they link to other pages or offer proof at all?

Then, a few tips to keep in mind while looking for information online:

Be cautious and find out information about the author and their background or qualifications, as well as look at the information they link to or reference in their work. Verify their claims and sources back to the original source or document. You want to be confident in the reliability of a writer’s work.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking breaking news is better. It takes time for details and facts to be validated and a clear picture to emerge. Often, informing yourself with older, established aspects of the subject will equip you to process the newer and more detailed articles and reading you do later.

It’s worth looking at whether the website is updated and links are not broken, so you’re aware that facts or research found there may be out of date. However, not every website needs to be recently written to be accurate, especially when dealing with older, historical figures and facts. I’ve found hobby websites and posts on explorers and other figures through history which were written years ago to be full of facts and quotes which didn’t make it into the summaries on the person. They were simply written in 2012, instead of this year. However, do rigorously check the claims and facts on these older posts and sites.

Keep in mind the role bias can play in writing and reading research. Bias leads us to only seek out news or facts which bolster our beliefs. When doing research, we want to find information which challenges those beliefs, to test them for accuracy.

Most importantly, search with the end in mind. Consider the purpose of your research, as this will dictate the nature of sources to look for. If you’re doing research to come up with ideas, perhaps reading through blogs and websites will supply creative ideas. If you are writing for an academic audience, scholarly articles and peer-reviewed sources would provide a firm foundation for your paper. If you want to know the latest discoveries in current research on a specific topic, news releases and publications will likely point you in the right direction. Sources become more or less convincing depending on your goals.

As I’ve shared in a couple editions of Five for Friday, Wikipedia has significantly improved its quality and the veracity of its sources since its beginnings in 2001. Once a joke among students, and blacklisted by instructors, the “free encyclopedia” has all but reinvented itself. Now, its summaries often inform the search results in the sidebars of internet browsers, and more likely than not, the top search results lead to Wikipedia.

Where once Wikipedia pages were primarily opinion and often false or misleading, now entries are vetted and continually improved. Behind the webpages, a team of over 130,000 monthly editors work to clean up grammar, flag when a source needs to be cited, and discuss the intricacies of perceived bias and opinion.

This increase in standards has positioned Wikipedia to become a serious rival to other databases, like the Encyclopedia Britannica website. Where the Encyclopedia Britannica articles have historically been written by celebrated academics or leaders in their fields, including Nobel laureates and former presidents, Wikipedia allows anyone to edit and contribute. This has been the source of much hesitancy, and in part, contributed to the ribbing visited upon anyone seriously citing Wikipedia in conversation. If anyone can write what they want, how can anything be trusted?

The website requires rigorous validation and quality sources to be cited. There are discussions about bias, opinion, and diversity of experience. This also allows for more people, more debate, and ultimately more consensus on a topic. Britannica have paid their contributors, attracting talent, but therein limiting the number of participants and entries. Wikipedia, with their millions of registered volunteers, attracts writers and researchers because they care about the topic at hand. Perhaps this passion for knowledge is what has allowed Wikipedia to succeed.

Wikipedia is also the more extensive source to start with when researching living people. Wikipedia has made this their calling card, over the years, with updates happening seemingly instantaneously. The Wikipedia article on Elon Musk, for instance, currently sits at over 11,000 words, while the Britannica listing is just over 900 words, though, to be fair they do link to related articles about his businesses.

I’ve found the single most useful feature of Wikipedia to be the “Further Reading” section at the bottom of most entries. This lists books, videos, articles, and other vetted sources on the topic, often from which the entry has been compiled. After familiarizing myself with a summary of the person or idea, I click on this section. It is a wealth of information, listing out biographies, documents available online, and other quality source material which you can then explore and learn from yourself. For example, in my recent research on Marshall McLuhan, I discovered that his family maintains an extensive website with quotes, notable appearances or references to his work, and a full biography and bibliography. I was able to find several quality books and webpages from the single Further Reading one section on McLuhan’s Wikipedia page .

Other Websites

For any topic you can list, there is a blog about it. Blogs and other personal websites can also be very helpful, particularly when they list or link to their source material. Not all websites link to source material; many simply quote other stories without bothering to verify any further. When you are looking for accurate information, you’ll need to take on this work yourself, finding the actual book, study, or interview to which the article is referring. Don’t be content with the fact that everyone else seems to think it’s legitimate; do the work to know for certain that the information is valid.

Encyclopedia Britainnica is a great resource for historical research in particular. The Encyclopedia website is written by professionals, which adds a bit of weight to their articles. Those former Presidents and globally respected leaders write extensively about their interest and sources, which provides the reader with a long list of references to explore.

Scholarly sources are also a great place to gather information. Depending on your topic and the purpose of your research, you may want to focus primarily on these sources. Google Scholar searches through academic articles. The drawback here is that Google searches the entire document, rather than only the abstracts, which may or may not be available to you to view online. You may also need to pay to access the research returned in a search. Many of these studies are rather pricey, averaging $25 for a copy of a single study. If you are a student, most likely your institution has access to many of these databases already. Otherwise, I would recommend going through your public library, and asking which databases they have access to. In either case, ask your librarian and they’ll know how to help you gain access. Google Scholar allows you to refine with Boolean terms, or within a certain time range. This is great for when you are looking for particularly newer research. Their search results also show how many times a particular study has been referenced, and include links to other articles which cite the original study. This is a great place to discover studies on related topics.

JSTOR is an academic library, which hosts books, journals, and other scholarly material. Their search system is more similar to a database search. You can use quotations to search for exact phrases, which will help return more exact results.

For philosophy, and many psychology theories and figures, the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy is an amazing source of scholarly essays on nearly every topic imaginable. They have biographies, thorough examinations of theories and implications of philosophical ideas, and helpful summaries of every major school of philosophy and philosopher.

Other resources to look at are the websites of the Library of Congress and National Archives. Many philosophers, authors, and historical figures have inspired dedicated websites, or even societies, which can also be rich sources of information.

Online courses and podcasts are also great options for learning and finding interesting ideas; they are just more likely take more time. If you want to take a deep dive into a particular topic or find more sources, you could look into a course. I don’t usually use these sources, though, unless I have weeks to devote to the topic.

A more recent discovery for me is lectures on YouTube. The platform has information on just about any topic you could imagine; there are lectures from JRR Tolkien on his Middle Earth epics; obscure history videos sharing lesser known details about historical events; you can hear lectures given by modern thinkers. There are also videos on art history, famous speeches, and any hobby you can think of. Rather than being a platform where we waste time, YouTube can actually be a great source of learning material and research. Recently, I’ve listened to several lectures and debates from Marshall McLuhan, a Canadian philosopher and professor in the 1960s and 70s. His work dealt with the impact of information and media on society and many of his lectures and interviews on YouTube, aren’t available in text or other mediums.

When you look for a video, you’ll want to be specific in your search terms, and look for videos from universities, legitimate organizations, or the estate of author’s (as in the case of Tolkien or McLuhan, for example). You’ll probably also want find a video around twenty minutes; long enough to cover an overview, but not so short you don’t gain any context or information. A great video will also list sources or further study suggestions in the video description for you to continue your research.

Discovering Books

The internet is also unparalleled in discovering books, particularly those which are obscure or older. Books are amazing for research because of the amount of concentrated information they contain. The underrated index and reference sections are gold-mines for finding more books on your topic of interest. Read the index and reference sections of books you enjoyed, or on topics you want to explore more. Go through the bibliography and write down the titles of a couple books to look up and read.

A habit I am working to develop is looking through the reference section of books as I finish them, and choosing at least one title to read next. Every book is written from an amalgamation of the author’s references and experiences, often in the form of dozens of books. While each and every title of inspiration may not be listed, the author will take great care to acknowledge the sources of the material which directly made it into the book. Every piece of writing is the result of cutting out and removing other ideas, references, and information – some of which will interest you. By continuing your reading in related books, you are building a more complete understanding of the topic at hand and how it fits into the larger context of society.

So far as choosing books, I first tend to look at how many times a title is referenced. After getting titles from the bibliography of a book, I’ll usually do an internet search on the topic, then go to Wikipedia to see the references and further reading recommendations.

If the same author’s name keeps popping up, that should indicate to you that their text is widely read and accepted. If Wikipedia lists a title, and that same title has been referenced in a book I’ve read, I usually go to Amazon to look it up. On Amazon, I first look for reported issues concerning the quality of certain editions. I’ll also look to see whether the work has mixed reviews. I’m not looking for high reviews so much as discussion or differing opinions. I tend to gravitate toward ideas with are older and maybe discussed a bit less, in order to widen my perspective on a topic. Reading through the reviews can usually give you an idea of whether their ideas are popular today or not.

There are of course many out of print books and primary sources which exist only in analog form. The internet, particularly Google Scholar, can help to narrow down the topics and ideas presented in these older books.

Round ups of books on specific topics can also be very helpful. Take a general topic, such as “media history” and do an internet search for the best books on media history. From there you can refine, perhaps you want to look closer at yellow journalism and muckraking in the early 20th century. Perhpas you are more interested in the digital revolution’s effects on journalism. Start out general, then use authors names and more specific topics to whittle down the results until you are left with a manageable number of sources.

Get Specific

The internet is the greatest resource mankind’s knowledge has produced. With a simple internet search, you have access to the wisdom of history – from Plato’s cave allegory, detailed and put into striking video – to NASA’s documentation of 1969’s mission to the moon and everything in between. There is no single resource as detailed, and capable of high quality as the internet. However, mixed in with these extraordinary creations and accounts of genius, there are a lot of duds; a lot of mediocre information exists.

No matter how specific your topic is, there are thousands of resources available. The internet is simply too large to function well under general terms. In order to find high quality information, we need to get specific. The internet rewards specific interests.

Putting It Together

While all of these resources are great starting places, they are only that – a place to start. Developing a deep understanding of a subject requires effort and quality material. Note the ideas and titles in your commonplace book, along with your takeaways. When you come across a name or new term, do an internet search and go to the Wikipedia page. Read the summary at the top, and jump to what stands out or lines up with your original reason for the search. Allow your curiosity to lead you to surprising places, and always verify that your sources are reliable. Keep in mind the purpose of your research, whether for deeper personal understanding, an academic presentation, or to familiarize yourself with new ideas. Take your responsibility toward your education seriously, and keep asking questions.

You might also like

How to Start Your Day Calm, Focused, and Ready to Work

Chasing Carrots: Why the Numbers Don’t Matter

Lessons from Year One

How-To Geek

How to research a topic online.

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

5 Things I Never Back Up to the Cloud

7 things you should buy instead of a 4k webcam upgrade, silent computers are worth the effort, here's why, quick links, organize your information early on, start broad and collect a lot of information, decide what's important, and narrow things down, optimize your google search, go further than google, double-check your research, what if you find conflicting information.

Online research is a crucial skill, whether you're working on an academic paper, writing a blog post, or just trying to learn something new about your houseplants. But it's not always easy when you're tackling a complicated or niche topic.

Organizing your information can help you save time, and it can save you from forgetting or misremembering anything that you've learned from your research. You should keep a link to every webpage that you visit from the start to the very end of your research. It's best to write down a little bit of information for each link so that you remember why you saved them and what kind of information that you could take from them. You should also save any PDF's or images related to your research because you can use them as valuable primary sources.

If you need to organize a lot of data across multiple devices, consider using a note-taking app like  Evernote , OneNote , or Google Keep . They're all great for keeping track of web pages, PDF's, photos, and whatever else you need for your big project.

If you're just trying to knock out a short essay or learn something about DIY woodworking, then you probably don't need to grab a dedicated note-taking app unless you already use one. You might find it easier to cut and paste web pages into a Word or Google Doc file and save any PDFs or images to your local or cloud storage drive. Just make sure that you keep your files organized  and take notes for all of your sources.

In the end, you'll probably only use a handful of the links that you save. But if you're publishing a blog post or writing an essay, you need to be able to double-check and cite all of your sources. Otherwise, you might end up creating a lot of extra work for yourself later.

When researching, it's tempting to dive straight into the first exciting thing that you find. But you should try to start as broad as possible. Otherwise, you might miss out on some fascinating pieces of information and end up with a poor understanding of your topic.

That's why you should try to find a lot of information on your topic, more than you think that you'll need. A good way to start broad is to search Google for general terms related to your topic. If you're researching the difference between sunflowers and tulips, then you should learn a bit of information about each flower before going deeper.

Of course, Wikipedia is also a fantastic place to begin your research. You can use Wikipedia to find a lot of general information on your topic, and you can use it to find related topics or primary sources that may be useful as you go deeper into your research.

Once you've collected a broad swath of data, you need to review everything and decide on what to focus. Don't just go for the first thing that sounds interesting to you. Try to find any new relationships between the different pieces of information that you've gathered.

Let's say that you're researching an author, like Mark Twain. You found in your broad research that he was in the Civil War and that some of his stories take place in the antebellum south. On their own, those two pieces of information are boring and hard to care about. But when you put them together, it's clear that there may be a tantalizing relationship that's worth some in-depth research.

It's okay to research a relationship that seems obvious or well-known, especially if you're writing a blog, doing personal research, or doing a rudimentary history paper. But if you want to find something unique, then you need to think about how to narrow your research.

Okay, you're ready to do some more in-depth research. Now what? If you're looking into something that's kind of unique, then you may have trouble finding some good search results on Google.

That's why you need to use some  Google Search Operators  to get the most out of your Google searches. There are a lot of search operators that you can use, and they're all pretty straightforward. But there are a few that are especially useful for doing online research.

If you need to look up exact phrases or names on Google, then you can put them in quotation marks. For example, if you search the phrase "mole people" on Google, then you'll only find pages that contain the word "mole" followed by the word "people."

"Mole people"

The idea of starting broad and then narrowing your search applies to searching the web, too.

For example, if your search for "mole people" include too many results related to New York, then you could use a minus sign to exclude those results. This is what it would look like:

"Mole people" -"New York"

Note that we also used quotation marks around "New York" in that search because we want the whole phrase excluded.

If you hit a point in your research where you can't find any new websites to visit, then you should try to switch up your Google search. Try using variations on the same search terms, and change which Search Operators you're using. Sometimes the slightest change in your search will give you wildly different results.

Sometimes Google's expertise won't be enough for you. If you're working on a full academic paper or writing a deep-dive blog post, then you may need to look through some magazines, academic papers, or old books. You know, "primary sources."

Some websites, like  Project Muse and JSTOR , are an excellent resource for periodicals, academic papers, and other primary sources. You can usually access them through your University or public library. There's also some free alternatives to these websites, like Google Scholar  and SSRN .

But if you're writing a deep-dive on dairy advertisements, then you're going to need to find some old catalogs, magazines, periodicals, and posters.  Google Books  is an excellent resource for this kind of material.

You can also use Wikipedia to find some primary sources. At the end of every Wikipedia article, there's a "References" table. This table tells you the sources for all of the information in the article. If you come across a juicy bit of information while reading a Wikipedia article, then there's usually a small number that links to the reference table.

It's good to look into all of these resources because they usually come up with different results for the same search. They also tend to have built-in advanced search functions, which are useful for topics that are unique or niche.

Once you've completed your research, you need to make sure that all of your information is accurate. You can save yourself a lot of heartbreak by double-checking all of your research before doing any writing.

Go and reread all of your sources, because there's a chance that you misinterpreted what they're saying. Of course, you're not the only person that can misread a source, so it's good to check any citations that you find on a website.

You should also consider how you used Google to research your topic. If you included any bias in your search terms, then there's a chance that the information that you gathered will reflect that bias. Try searching Google with a variety of search terms and  Google Search Operators .

There are also fact-checking websites that you can use to make sure that your information is accurate. Websites like  Factcheck.org  or Snopes  are pretty fantastic; just don't use them as your only fact-checking resource.

Sometimes you'll spend a lot of time double-checking all of your research, and you'll realize that things don't seem to line up. In this situation, it's tempting to stand behind some information that may not be entirely factual. After all, it's a lot easier to go along with inaccurate information than to redo your entire research process.

But you should never write or publish any information unless you're confident that it's accurate. If you run into conflicting information while researching a topic, go back to the drawing board or try to spin the pieces of contradictory information in your favor.

For example, if you find a lot of conflicting eyewitness accounts while researching the Titanic, then you can quickly turn those conflicting accounts into an exciting piece of information. You could even go back and do some in-depth research into who made those eyewitness accounts, and how they shaped the public's opinion on the sinking of the Titanic. Hey, that could be a book.

Image Credits: 13_Phunkod /Shutterstock, fizkes /Shutterstock

• Cloud & Internet

How to Do Online Research

How to do online research? The abundance of online sources for research papers can be overwhelming. Today the problem is not how to find material when doing a research paper but how to work your way through the thousands (or even millions) of pages that turn up in your search. Enter a search word or phrase about a any topic into Google, Bing, or whatever your favorite search engine might be, and in seconds you will be presented with pages upon pages of two-line summaries of articles that contain it. Google and other search engines “weight” the results by putting the most likely matches at the top, but the chore of finding the perfect source to meet your research needs is still left to you.

Searching the Web

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.

Academic Writing, Editing, Proofreading, And Problem Solving Services

Get 10% off with 24start discount code.

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.

Unfortunately, the  internet is not like a library where information has been arranged within an accepted set of rules. It’s more like a garage sale, where items of similar nature are usually grouped together—but not always. As a result, you’ll find treasures side-by-side with spam. And like a garage sale, the method of organization on the web shifts constantly. So how can you search online for information to use in your research paper? There are several different ways, each of them surprisingly easy. Here’s how they work.

Using Search Engines

A search engine is a computer program that finds information stored on a computer system such as the internet. Some search engines have also been designed for corporate and proprietary networks. The search engine allows the user to ask for content meeting specific search criteria and retrieves a list of references that match those criteria.

Search engines that work with keywords help you locate Web sites. You type in a keyword and the search engine automatically looks through its giant databases for matches. The more specific the word or phrase, the better your chances of finding the precise information you need. For example, if you’re interested in a college, don’t use “college” as a keyword. You’ll get millions and millions of responses. Instead, name a specific college, such as “Texas State University.” This will send to you the precise web page you need.

Google is, no doubt, the most used and, certainly, the best-known search engine in the world. The question for researchers who use it and other search engines that scan the entire internet is: How reliable is the information? One thing you need to know when you do Internet research is that anyone can publish anything on the Web. For that reason, it can be very difficult to determine if the articles you find are based on complete, factual, and reliable information. It is not always easy to determine whether the article you are reading makes conclusions based on facts or on other factors, such as advertising or promotion, that account for it being on the Web. E-commerce sites, for instance, are in the business of selling products. Political sites are in the business of selling ideas. The information on them may be what you are looking for but it may also be slanted to promote a particular product, agenda, or point of view. Search engines, such as Google, will find what you are looking for but they cannot evaluate the material to ensure it is acceptable for a research paper.

Google offers a number of specialized look-up features that help you control the search.  Google Scholar , for instance, offers you a quick way to search across many different academic sources, including scholarly articles from academic journals and publishers, professional societies, and university Web sites.  Google News  provides access to 25,000 news sources.  Google Books  offers full-text searches of books, as well as related book reviews and other Web references to the books.

Most web search engines are commercial ventures supported by advertising revenue; as a result, some allow advertisers to pay to have their listings ranked higher in search results. This makes your research more difficult and time-consuming because you have to sift through irrelevant information. Those search engines that don’t charge for their results make money by running ads on their pages.

Utilizing Keyword Searches

Strategies for conducting a successful online research differ according to whether you are accessing publications through the databases of an academic library or using a popular search engine, such as Google. College students are encouraged to conduct their searches through their university’s academic library. University search engines access catalogs of print sources, as well as print publications that are available in electronic format, including CDs, DVDs, and other multimedia resources that are available through the library network. They also provide access to electronic databases of publications that are available only to member libraries and research institutions.

Institutional search engines, such as those offered through your university, high school, or library system typically offer options for online research. These typically include quick look-ups under subject indexes, names of journals and databases, by authors and titles, and by keywords. This multiplicity of search mechanisms and the various resource catalogs and databases needed to access them can be confusing to newbies. A few moments spent with a campus librarian who can orient you to the various search mechanisms can save you hours later.

Simple online browsing can be useful when you do not have access to an academic library. Keywords describe your research paper topic and can be combined in different ways to target and narrow your search. The search engine will look for those words throughout the text of many different articles and deliver a listing of the results in short summaries that can stretch on for pages. The search engine will find all references in the article and the words you are looking for may or may not be together. Using search operators, such as quotation marks around the exact phrase you want to find, and the words and, or, and not, can help you narrow the search and zero in on the pages that will be of greatest interest to you.

Phrases for Keyword Searches

• Acronyms : You can use acronyms to find organizations,technologies, and scientific references. For example: CDC (Centers for Disease Control), CDR (compact digital recorder), USC (University of Southern California).
• Alternate spellings : You can use alternate and “sound-alike” spellings when you are unsure of names or the exact spelling of other terms. For examples: Gabriel LaBoiteaux, LaBoytoe, Labertew.
• Quotation marks  ( ” “ ): You can use quotation marks to restrict your search to exact names and unique phrases inside the quotes. For example: “Patrick Henry,” “American Revolution,” “Give me liberty or give me death.”
• And : You can use  and  to find articles that include both of the terms that it links. For example: “Patrick Henry” and “Give me liberty or give me death.” This search will find only articles in which Patrick Henry’s name and the full phrase,” Give me liberty or give me death,” appear.
• Or : You can use  or  to find articles that include one term or the other. For example: “Patrick Henry” or “Give me liberty or give me death.” This search will find articles that mention Patrick Henry, articles that include the phrase,”Give me liberty or give me death,” and articles that include both.
• Not  …  and not : Use  not  or  and not  to deliberately exclude terms from your search. For example: “Patrick Henry” not “Give me liberty or give me death”. This search will find articles that mention Patrick Henry but will exclude articles where his name appears with the phrase,”Give me liberty or give me death.”

Using Databases

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. Databases such as  Academic Search Premier ,  The Encyclopedia Britannica ,  EBSCOhost ,  ProQuest , and  Lexis/Nexis  offer access to a wide range of scholarly articles and journals that would otherwise require an ID and password for access.

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. 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
• 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 cybergeeks.

Identifying Reputable Online Sources

No matter how you access articles on the Internet, you should critically evaluate every publication you identify as a possible source in your research to determine its acceptability. Web sites for companies and special interest groups may provide a vast amount of information on your topic but, if the purpose of the Web site is to sell products related to the topic or advocate a particular position or point of view, it may not be useful for your purposes.

A discussion about the prognosis for those suffering from pancreatic cancer that appears on the Web site of the  American Cancer Society , for instance, would be considered reliable for someone writing a research paper for a nursing class. However, if the discussion appeared on a commercial Web site of a company selling a purported miracle cure, it would not. It is important to identify who is publishing the article and why.

When you find an article, however, it is often difficult to determine just how well-informed the author was and how reliable the information is. Too often, the writers of the information and articles you find on a site are not even identified. So how do you determine how authoritative an article is?

Frequently, we can make that determination based on what we have already learned from our research. Ask yourself: Is this information consistent with what I have found elsewhere? Does it logically follow what I have already learned? If it does not and you still would like to use the information in your research paper, expand your research to see if you can find other sources that  support or confirm what it says.

Find out a bit about the author. Look for a biography next to, or at the bottom of, the article. Sometimes, the author’s byline is hot-linked to a biography on another Web page. Avoid using unreferenced blog posts and other sources by unnamed authors or authors using anonymous or fictitious “handles.”

It is also useful to know what type of Web site domain the article is from.The type of domain is indicated by the three-letter extension that follows the “dot” at the beginning of the Web address where the article is located. Common domain types include commercial (com), educational (edu), governmental (gov), and organizational (org). The official Web site of the U.S. president, for instance, is  http://www.whitehouse.gov  where the .gov stands for government. The official site of the American Cancer Society is  http://www.cancer.org where the .org stands for organization.

Be especially wary of sites with extensions that are not consistent with the nature of the site. While gov means that you have arrived on a government-sponsored site, for instance, com usually means that you have arrived at a privately sponsored commercial site.

Other clues at the Web site will be helpful. To get a sense of how well-researched or fact-checked an article may be, check for citations and hyperlinks that refer to sources with additional reading. These can include previously published articles, graphics, maps, and hyperlinks to outside references.

Publication dates are also important. Not only do they indicate how timely the information in the article is, but they provide a historical context when you need one. A report quoting eye-witnesses to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the event that sparked the U.S. entry into World War II,may provide more specific details about the events as they unfolded than an analysis of events that was published 40 years later. Online newspapers and magazines usually include a “dateline” that identifies the date of publication at the top of the story, just under the headline. “Last updated” and copyright notices that appear at the bottom of Web pages can also help you identify when an article was published. If you have chosen a topic that demands up-to-date information, such as the United States’ evolving policy toward stem cell research, it is often best to avoid articles where you cannot determine a date of publication.

How to Identify Good Online Sources

• Does it come from a source my audience will recognize as an authority on the subject?
• Does it meet the requirements of the assignment?
• Will it meet my instructor’s expectations?
• Am I getting facts or opinion?
• Does the information have a commercial purpose? Is it advertising, a press release, or promotional copy?
• Do the author’s arguments seem logical, or do they overgeneralize or oversimplify?
• How well researched was the article?
• Are the sources of the article’s information evident? What are they?
• What is the author’s name? Avoid using sources by unnamed authors or authors using anonymous or fictitious “handles.”
• What is the person’s background? Does the author possess the experience, education, or authority to comment intelligently on the subject?
• Who is the publisher or the sponsoring organization?
• If it is an organization, what is its mission?
• When was the article written?
• Based on what you already know, does the article appear to make exaggerated claims?

Useful Research Sites

• ReferenceDesk
• Librarians’ Internet Index
• Google Scholar
• Merriam-Webster Dictionary
• Google News
• Newspaper Archive

Other Great Places on the Web

• Encyclopedia Britannica
• Library of Congress
• U.S. Federal Agencies
• Virtual Reference Shelf

No one is an expert on every facet of the Internet—it’s impossible. While many people are skilled with the tools and have a good idea where to look for information on many research paper 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.

Using Offline Libraries

Your own questions can guide your research by showing you what kind of information you need. You also can see how your research questions give you an idea of how your paper might take shape.

ORDER HIGH QUALITY CUSTOM PAPER

• Find Provider

We have detected that JavaScript has been disabled.

While we have taken every precaution to allow our site to run in every environment, it is highly recommended that you enable JavaScript for the best possible experience.

The Student's Internet Research Guide - 2024 Edition

Research skills are the foundation of academic growth. our 2024 edition equips students with the latest tools and techniques..

Lyndon Seitz - Editor-in-Chief

Date Modified: April 18, 2024

In today's digital age, internet research stands as an indispensable skill for students worldwide. As Bill Gates once remarked, "The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow." Recent studies indicate that 96.4% of students rely on the internet for academic research, emphasizing its pivotal role in education.

However, while the vast expanse of the internet offers immense resources, discerning credible information remains a challenge. This guide aims to equip students with strategies to navigate and harness the web's potential, ensuring academic rigor and success.

Understanding Internet Research

Basics of internet research for students.

Internet research refers to the systematic process of seeking, collecting, and evaluating online information to draw meaningful conclusions or aid in decision-making . Its significance is underscored by the rich reservoir of data and perspectives it unlocks for students, granting them access to a universe of knowledge beyond traditional textbooks.

Types of Internet Research

• Academic Research: Primarily focuses on scholarly pursuits, involving the utilization of journals, educational databases, and official publications to procure credible and in-depth information pertaining to various subjects.
• Comparative Research: This involves juxtaposing various sources, opinions, or datasets available online. It aids students in developing analytical acumen, enabling a multifaceted understanding of topics through comparative analysis.
• Data-driven Research: Grounded in statistical exploration, this type leverages online databases, government publications , and credible organizations’ resources to obtain factual, quantitative information essential for objective analytical assignments.

The diligent use of internet research is directly proportional to academic success . A student's capacity to discern quality sources, synthesize varied information, and utilize it effectively in their academic pursuits is a testament to not just their research acumen but also their readiness for higher education and professional life.

Challenges in Online Research

As the digital landscape burgeons with information, the complexities of sourcing, interpreting, and leveraging this information grow in tandem. It's not just about finding data anymore; it's about finding the right data and understanding its context .

Key Challenges in Online Research:

• Information Overload: With billions of pages at our fingertips, filtering pertinent information can be overwhelming. One must skillfully use search operators and specialized databases to hone in on relevant content.
• Evaluation of Credible Sources: Not all information is created equal. According to a report from the Stanford History Education Group, many students struggle to evaluate the reliability and credibility of online sources. It's essential to scrutinize the authority, accuracy, and objectivity of any source.
• Spotting Red Flags: The web is rife with skewed perspectives, intentionally false data, and biased content. Recognizing these pitfalls is a critical skill to prevent being misled.
• Avoiding Plagiarism: Directly lifting content from the web without proper attribution is not only unethical but can have serious academic and professional repercussions . Platforms like Turnitin and Copyscape have become essential tools to ensure originality.

The challenges of internet research are manifold, but with the right strategies and a discerning approach, one can transform these challenges into opportunities for enriched understanding. 

Starting Your Research

Define Objectives Clearly

Embarking on a research journey without a clear map can lead to wandering aimlessly in the vast ocean of information that the internet presents. 

Starting your research rightly not only sharpens your focus but also streamlines the process, ensuring efficiency and accuracy. The fundamental step in this endeavor is to define the research objectives with clarity, acting as a guiding light throughout your journey.

• Purpose: The primary step in any research journey. It's about answering the 'why' of the research. What is the main goal? Whether it's understanding consumer behavior, exploring a historical event, or gauging the impact of a technological advancement, the purpose sets the tone and direction.
• Achievement: This answers the 'what' of the research. What milestones need to be reached? It can be gathering specific data, drawing certain insights, or producing a comprehensive report.
• Target Audience: Knowing the 'who' can shape the 'how' of research. Is the research intended for academics, businesses, policymakers, or general audiences? Tailoring the research to the needs and preferences of the intended audience ensures its relevance and usability.

Efficient research leads to well-informed arguments, fosters critical thinking, and elevates the quality of academic output . Moreover, by serving the genuine interests of its readers, the research becomes a beacon of knowledge, contributing significantly to the academic community and beyond.

Choosing Reliable Sources

In online research, source credibility is crucial to maintain integrity. Choosing reliable sources ensures accuracy and validates your work to critical readers , as scholarly work depends on trustworthy sources.

• Scholarly Articles: Peer-reviewed journals and publications are gold standards in research. They undergo rigorous evaluation by experts in the field , ensuring accuracy and credibility. Sources like Google Scholar or JSTOR can be invaluable.
• Recognized Institutions: Universities, research centers, and professional organizations often publish studies, papers, and reports. Their reputation hinges on the quality of information they disseminate, making them trustworthy sources.
• Government Agencies: Government publications, statistics, and reports are typically well-researched and factual. Websites with domains ending in '.gov' or similar official extensions indicate authentic government-associated resources.
• Expert Blogs and Forums: While they may lack the formal scrutiny of academic journals, expert-authored blogs or niche forums can offer insights, especially on contemporary or emerging topics. However, they always cross-reference their claims with established sources .

Developing a Research Question

The essence of fruitful research often lies in the strength of the question that guides it. A well-phrased research question not only provides clarity but also ensures that your exploratory journey remains productive, purposeful, and focused.

Crafting Questions

Forming open-ended and focused questions is crucial. While open-ended questions such as "What are the impacts of social media on mental health?" provide a broader perspective, focused questions like "How does social media usage among teenagers in the US correlate with anxiety levels?" delve into specifics, ensuring depth in research.

Focused Topics

A research project's success often hinges on the specificity of its subject matter. Instead of attempting to cover the vast expanse of a topic like "The history of art," narrowing it down to "The influence of Renaissance art on modern graphic design" can provide more actionable insights and allow for a thorough exploration.

Guided Search

A well-constructed research question is a researcher's compass. For instance, if one were to investigate the " Economic impact of the 2008 financial crisis on small businesses in New York ," search engines and databases can be used more effectively to filter relevant studies, articles, and data pertaining to that precise topic, making the process efficient.

The art of formulating a research question is a blend of curiosity and precision . In an age where the internet offers an overwhelming abundance of information, the ability to ask the right questions is the key to unlocking valuable insights.

Creating a Research Plan

Crafting a research plan offers a blueprint, illuminating each step of the process and ensuring efficiency and direction. Given the sea of information available online, this blueprint becomes especially pivotal in maximizing productivity and maintaining focus.

Task Breakdown

Deconstructing your research into granular tasks and steps ensures a systematic approach. For instance, researching the impact of AI in healthcare can be broken down into tasks like "Study AI algorithms," "Analyze AI applications in diagnostics," and "Evaluate AI's role in patient management."

Realistic Deadlines

Establishing a timeline fosters accountability and pace. If you're researching for a 10-page paper on "Sustainable Energy Solutions for Urban Areas" due in a month, you might allocate the first week for background reading, the next two for detailed research, and the final week for drafting and refining.

Review Time

No research is complete without thorough revision and validation. Setting aside ample time to revisit gathered information ensures accuracy and comprehensiveness . For a topic like "Blockchain in Financial Transactions," after accumulating data and drafting initial findings, dedicating a few days to validate sources, cross-check facts, and tighten arguments can make all the difference.

Developing Effective Research Strategies

Utilizing Keywords Effectively

Keywords are crucial in digital research because they help filter and find relevant information in a vast digital archive. Using keywords effectively is not just about searching well; it's about getting precise and in-depth results in an age of information overload.

Relevant Keywords

Central to any search process, understanding and selecting appropriate search terms is paramount. For instance, while researching the "Impact of climate change on marine life," terms like "ocean acidification," "coral bleaching," and "sea temperature rise" can hone in on niche topics within the broader subject.

Long-tail vs Short-tail

Short-tail keywords, like "climate change," provide a broader scope, ideal for an initial exploratory phase. In contrast, long-tail keywords, such as "effects of climate change on Antarctic penguins," offer a narrow, in-depth perspective, beneficial for detailed investigations.

Keyword Tools

While search engines are powerful, tools like Google Keyword Planner can elevate the search experience. It provides keyword suggestions, search volume data, and competitive insights. Alternatives such as SEMrush or Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer can offer expanded functionalities, catering to diverse research needs.

Boolean Operators

Boolean operators act as a refined toolkit, enabling scholars to navigate vast datasets with surgical precision. Mastering these operators transforms searches from simple queries into strategic endeavors, streamlining access to desired content .

Using AND, OR, NOT

The Boolean operators AND, OR, NOT are the guardians of search relevance. Using "AND" unites terms, narrowing results (e.g., cats AND dogs). "OR" broadens searches by embracing multiple terms (e.g., cats OR dogs), while "NOT" excludes unrelated information (e.g., cats NOT lions).

Nested Searches

Parentheses breathe structure into complex searches. They help manage the chaos, allowing for intricate combinations of terms and operators, thus sharpening the sword of specificity. For example, using parentheses in a search like (cats OR dogs) AND (pets OR animals) refines and organizes the onslaught of information.

Truncation and Wildcards

Symbols like '' or '?' are the allies of adaptability in search queries, allowing for variations of keywords to be included. Truncation (e.g., teach) would embrace 'teacher', 'teaching', or 'teachable', while wildcards (e.g., wom?n) allow for flexibility, capturing terms like 'woman' or 'women'.

Using Advanced Search Features

Advanced search functionalities, often underutilized, are akin to a master key, unlocking doors to refined results. Their adept use can streamline the research process, bringing accuracy and efficiency to the forefront.

• Search Engine Features: Leverage specialized functionalities such as Google’s "verbatim" or "similar" searches to cultivate richer, more precise results. These features, when adeptly utilized, transform generic searches into focused, purpose-driven queries, offering a gateway to more relevant information.
• Filters: Applying filters like "time," "region," or "language," elevates the specificity of search outcomes. For instance, filtering news articles to display results from the past week can significantly refine the timeliness and relevance of the information retrieved, ensuring it aligns more closely with current trends or discussions.
• File Type and Date: Direct your search towards specific document types such as PDFs or PowerPoint presentations, or focus on publication dates to ensure the relevance of sourced materials. For example, seeking academic research papers published in the last two years and filtering for PDF file types can help locate the most recent scholarly discussions available in a ready-to-use format.

Evaluating Online Sources

Criteria for Assessing Source Credibility

The credibility of sources shapes the foundation upon which our knowledge and arguments stand. But how do we differentiate the trustworthy from the deceptive? The following criteria offer a guiding light.

• Author Qualifications: A discerning eye towards the author's credentials is fundamental. For instance, a scientific article authored by a Ph.D. holder with expertise in the relevant field carries more weight , ensuring that the content is steeped in knowledge and experience.
• Source Citations: The robustness of a source is often reflected in its citations. A well-sourced article, referencing reputable and relevant works , stands as a pillar of reliability. For example, a health-related article citing recent medical journals demonstrates a strong foundation.
• Publication Date: Timeliness is key. An article on technology trends from a reputable source but dated five years ago may not contribute valuable, up-to-date insights. It's imperative to seek information that echoes the current state of knowledge or developments .
• Peer Reviews: In academic circles, peer-reviewed articles are golden standards. They undergo rigorous scrutiny, ensuring that the research presented is sound and validated by experts. For instance, in scientific research, journals like "Nature" and "Science" are esteemed for their peer-review process, bolstering the credibility of their publications.

Meticulous evaluation using these criteria doesn't just elevate the quality of research; it ensures integrity, fostering trustworthiness and excellence.

Understanding Source Bias and Perspective

In the age of information, discerning the neutrality of online content is paramount. As every source carries its undertones, identifying bias and recognizing objectivity becomes the linchpin of credible research.

Bias/Objectivity

Content often mirrors the perspective of its creator. For instance, a tech review may lean favorably towards a product if sponsored by its manufacturer, while independent reviewers might provide a more balanced assessment. Hence, researchers should cross-reference multiple sources, ensuring a holistic understanding devoid of undue influence .

Relevance to Your Topic

Ensure the source directly addresses your research query. For example, a study focusing on the impacts of social media on mental health is pertinent when researching mental wellness trends among teenagers in the digital age. This focused approach promotes relevant and valuable insights, bolstering the integrity of your research outcomes.

Accuracy and Reliability

Always validate the trustworthiness of information. For instance, a claim stating " 93% of global youth use social media daily " should be corroborated with reputable datasets or studies, such as those from Pew Research Center. Such a rigorous approach filters out discrepancies, ensuring research is rooted in undeniable facts.

Cross-Verification Techniques

Cross-verification stands as a researcher's sentinel, ensuring online information withstands scrutiny and consistently aligns with multiple trusted sources, thereby cultivating a garden of genuinely insightful and trustworthy knowledge.

Multiple Sources

The key to a well-rounded perspective lies in comparing information from various reliable sources.

• When researching climate change, cross-referencing data from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), NASA, and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) ensures a comprehensive view.
• For political analysis, combining insights from The New York Times, The Guardian, BBC, and Al Jazeera offers a balanced outlook.
• In health research, verifying findings from the World Health Organization (WHO), CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and respected medical journals reinforces credibility.
• Exploring tech trends becomes more insightful when data from MIT Technology Review, Wired, Forbes, BroadbandSearch and TechCrunch converge, providing multifaceted perspectives.

Consistent Facts

One of the cornerstones of evaluating online sources is identifying consistent facts across multiple reputable references. For instance, in researching the health benefits of a particular diet, cross-referencing sources like Mayo Clinic and Harvard Medical School can validate consistent claims about its positive impacts. This verification approach strengthens the credibility of the information and minimizes the influence of bias, fostering more reliable research outcomes .

Cross-referencing

Efficient cross-referencing is a key element in source evaluation, empowering researchers to navigate the digital landscape with precision. Utilizing specialized tools and strategies ensures accuracy and minimizes the influence of bias.

• Google Scholar: An invaluable resource for academics , it allows users to explore academic papers, patents, and legal opinions across multiple disciplines, aiding in thorough source comparison.
• Library Databases: University libraries often offer access to databases like JSTOR, facilitating cross-referencing across peer-reviewed journals.
• Fact-checking Websites: Platforms like Snopes or FactCheck.org verify claims, helping researchers debunk or substantiate information.
• Media Bias/Fact Check: This online resource rates news outlets on their bias and credibility, offering insights into the reliability of news sources.

Identifying Fake News and Misinformation

Spotting characteristics of misleading content misinformation and fake news are rampant online, threatening to erode trust in information sources. Understanding their common characteristics is essential:

• Sensationalism: Content with exaggerated claims or alarmist language, such as "Groundbreaking Cure Found for All Diseases!" often aims to evoke strong emotions , leading to uncritical acceptance.
• Lack of Credible Sources: Misleading information often lacks reputable references, making it challenging to verify claims. For example, an article claiming a new scientific discovery without citing any scientific journals or experts.
• Confirmation Bias: Misinformation often reinforces existing beliefs or prejudices, resonating with preconceived notions. This bias can cloud critical judgment , as individuals are more inclined to accept information that aligns with their beliefs.
• Anonymity or Pseudonymity: Sources that conceal the identity of authors or organizations may raise suspicion. Misinformation can thrive in the shadows, as accountability is often absent.

By recognizing these characteristics, individuals can become more adept at evaluating online sources and safeguarding themselves against the spread of misinformation.

Managing and Organizing Information

Effective Note-taking Strategies

Effective note-taking is a superpower. It's the compass that guides us through the mystery of knowledge, helping us capture insights, facilitate learning, and stay organized.

Digital Tools for Note-taking

Digital note-taking tools have revolutionized the way we capture and organize information . Discover how these versatile tools, like OneNote, Evernote, and Google Keep, empower users to streamline note-taking, enhance productivity, and effortlessly manage digital information, making them essential assets in the digital age.

• OneNote: Microsoft's OneNote is a versatile digital notebook that seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft apps. Users can create notebooks, organize notes into sections, and incorporate multimedia content. For instance, students can create dedicated notebooks for different subjects, enhancing study efficiency.
• Evernote: Evernote is a cross-platform note-taking app that excels in organization. It offers features like notebooks, tags, and a powerful search function. Business professionals can use Evernote to collate meeting notes, research, and ideas, streamlining workflow.
• Google Keep: Google Keep is a user-friendly, cloud-based note-taking app ideal for quick, accessible notes. Its integration with Google Workspace enhances collaboration. For instance, teams can use Google Keep to brainstorm ideas, create to-do lists, and share them seamlessly.

Strategies for Organizing Notes Effectively

Effective note-taking isn't just about jotting down information; it's about organizing it systematically:

• Create Categories: Organize notes by themes or subjects. For instance, a student can categorize biology notes into subtopics like "Cell Structure" or "Genetics."
• Use Tags: Apply descriptive tags to notes. In a work setting, tags like "Meeting Minutes" or "Project Updates" help quick retrieval.
• Color Coding: Assign colors to categories or priorities. For example, in a to-do list, urgent tasks can be highlighted in red.
• Date Stamping: Always date your notes. This practice aids in tracking the timeline of events or progress on projects.
• Table of Contents: Create a summary or table of contents for longer documents, facilitating quick navigation within extensive notes.

Effective Summarizing Techniques

Efficient summarizing techniques are essential for distilling complex information into concise, comprehensible notes:

• Highlight Key Points: Identify and underline the most important details within your notes to create a quick reference.
• Use Bullet Points: Condense information into bullet points, simplifying content while retaining crucial data.
• Paraphrase Succinctly: Rewrite information in your own words, ensuring clarity without losing the essence of the content.
• Mind Mapping: Visualize relationships between ideas with mind maps, aiding in grasping concepts holistically.
• Create Flashcards: Summarize key facts or concepts on flashcards for efficient revision and memorization.

Annotating Sources

Annotating sources enhances note-taking efficiency and comprehension:

• Margin Notes: Jot down key insights and thoughts directly in the margins of physical texts or PDFs, providing context and quick reference.
• Highlighting and Underlining : Use colors to emphasize essential information within texts, aiding later review and understanding.
• Sticky Notes: Digital sticky notes in applications like Adobe Acrobat or Microsoft Edge enable you to add comments, questions, or insights to specific pages.
• Linking to Notes: Create hyperlinks between notes and related source materials, facilitating seamless navigation and cross-referencing.
• Commenting and Annotating Apps: Apps like Notability and GoodNotes allow for in-depth annotations, including handwriting, diagrams, and multimedia, transforming notes into comprehensive resources.

Citation Styles

Citation styles are the unsung heroes of research, ensuring that credit is given where it's due and lending credibility to academic and professional work.

APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard

• APA (American Psychological Association): Predominantly used in social sciences and education , APA focuses on clarity, conciseness, and precision in citation. Example: "Smith, J. (2019). The Impact of Social Media on Adolescents."
• MLA (Modern Language Association): Commonly used in humanities, arts, and literature, MLA emphasizes author-page format for in-text citations . Example: "(Smith 22)."
• Chicago (Chicago Manual of Style): Adopted in history, arts, and social sciences, Chicago offers two styles—author-date and notes-bibliography. Example (Notes-Bibliography): Smith, John. "The Chicago Skyline." In Chicago: A Visual Journey, 2019, 45-60.
• Harvard: Widely used in various disciplines, Harvard employs author-date citations, prioritizing accessibility. Example: "(Smith 2019) "The Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture."

Citation Generators

Citation generators are invaluable aids in maintaining the accuracy and consistency of citations. Here are a few reliable tools and their correct usage:

• Citation Machine : A user-friendly tool that generates citations in various styles, from APA and MLA to Chicago and Harvard. Simply enter the source information, and it formats it correctly. This is ideal for students and researchers looking for a hassle-free experience.
• Zotero : A robust tool for collecting, organizing, and citing research materials. It seamlessly integrates with your browser to save sources and generate citations. Perfect for scholars managing extensive references.
• Mendeley : A reference manager and academic social network that assists in generating citations, creating bibliographies, and collaborating with peers. It's favored by researchers who want an all-in-one solution.
• EndNote : A comprehensive citation management software often used in research institutions, EndNote offers advanced features for organizing and citing sources. It's particularly useful for large-scale research projects.

These tools save time and ensure accurate citations, reducing the risk of errors in academic and professional work .

Collaborating with Peers Online

Online collaboration has become an indispensable tool for individuals and teams seeking to work together efficiently, regardless of geographical boundaries.

Leveraging Collaboration Tools

Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams offer real-time document editing and communication features, streamlining collaborative work for teams worldwide. Google Workspace allows seamless collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, fostering productivity and teamwork. Meanwhile, Microsoft Teams facilitates secure online meetings and file sharing , making it ideal for remote collaboration.

Sharing Resources and Insights Effectively and Securely

With secure cloud storage and file-sharing platforms like Dropbox or SharePoint, you can easily distribute and access resources while maintaining data security. For instance, Dropbox Business provides secure file storage and sharing, ensuring efficient collaboration without compromising data integrity.

Coordinating and Managing Group Research Projects Online

Tools like Trello or Asana enable teams to manage projects efficiently. For example, Trello offers a visual project management approach with boards, lists, and cards, making it simple to assign tasks, track progress, and collaborate effectively on research projects.

These strategies empower you to collaborate seamlessly, sharing resources and knowledge while maintaining security and efficiency in an increasingly digital workspace.

Advanced Research Tools

Utilizing Academic Databases

Knowledge is power, and academic databases stand as digital treasure troves, offering access to a wealth of scholarly resources and research materials.

Access Methods

Navigating databases like PubMed, JSTOR, and Google Scholar involves utilizing specific search queries, filters, and advanced search options to unearth precise scholarly content.

Database Benefits

Academic databases offer curated, peer-reviewed content, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of research materials. In contrast, standard search engines may yield less credible sources , making databases indispensable for academic and professional research.

Subscription vs. Free

Subscription-based databases like ProQuest provide extensive collections of academic resources, while free databases like DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) offer open-access content. Subscription databases often grant access to premium research journals and archives , while free databases promote open knowledge sharing.

Essential Software and Extensions

Specialized software and browser extensions have become indispensable assets for researchers, amplifying productivity and information retrieval.

• Research-friendly Browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge): These browsers offer a multitude of extensions and plugins designed to enhance research, from reference management tools to PDF annotators. For example, the Zotero extension for Firefox allows seamless citation management and reference organization.
• Grammarly: Beyond correcting grammar, Grammarly analyzes context, offering suggestions for writing clarity and correctness. Whether you're composing an academic paper or a professional email, Grammarly ensures your message is precise and polished.
• Turnitin: An essential tool for academia, Turnitin aids in plagiarism detection and prevention . It scans documents for similarities with an extensive database of academic content, ensuring the originality and integrity of research papers.

AI and Machine Learning Tools

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning tools are revolutionizing research by analyzing vast datasets, predicting trends, and automating tasks, empowering researchers with unparalleled insights and efficiency.

AI-Powered Search

Tools like Semantic Scholar employ AI to provide relevant, context-aware search results, helping researchers discover articles, journals, and studies tailored to their interests. For instance, Iris.ai employs natural language processing to understand research papers and generate connections between them and Citeulike's AI-driven recommendations enhance academic discovery.

Machine Learning for Data Analysis

Machine Learning algorithms enable researchers to identify intricate patterns in vast datasets, aiding in fields like genomics and climate modeling. Example: TensorFlow, used for natural language processing in sentiment analysis.

AI Applications

AI-driven tools like IBM Watson and GPT-4 assist researchers in automating tasks, from literature reviews to data extraction, improving research efficiency and accuracy. Watson Discovery offers AI-driven data insights, while GPT-3 generates human-like text.

Ethical Considerations in Online Research

Respecting copyright laws.

Maintaining ethical standards in online research involves respecting copyright laws, acknowledging the importance of intellectual property , and seeking permission when using others' work to ensure a responsible and lawful online research practice.

Overview of Copyright, Fair Use, and Public Domain

Copyright laws grant creators exclusive rights to their work, but fair use exceptions exist for purposes like education and commentary. Materials in the public domain can be freely used. For instance, a public domain image can be used without restrictions.

Guidelines for Using Images, Videos, and Text from the Internet

When using online content, ensure proper attribution , adhere to usage restrictions , and obtain permissions when necessary . 

• Pixabay: Offers high-quality images and videos for free use.
• Unsplash: Provides a vast collection of professional photos.
• Pexels: Features free stock photos and videos.
• Flickr Commons: Offers historical images and cultural heritage content.

Ethical Use of Data and Privacy Considerations

Respecting data privacy and ethical data use are imperative in online research, safeguarding individuals' rights and ensuring responsible research practices.

Implications of Using Sensitive Data

Researchers must comprehend the legal and ethical consequences of handling sensitive or private data, especially in healthcare or financial studies, to protect participants and avoid data breaches. Comply with laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) when handling personal data. For instance, GDPR ensures the lawful and transparent processing of individuals' data.

Respecting Participants’ Privacy and Confidentiality

Informed consent, anonymization, and secure data storage are crucial. Research ethics boards and organizations like the American Psychological Association (APA) provide guidelines. For example, in medical research, patient data should be de-identified to protect confidentiality. 

Following Ethical Guidelines for Data Handling

Platforms like Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and journals have specific ethical standards for research data. In social sciences, researchers must gain consent, store data securely, and follow ethical guidelines during analysis and publication.

Engaging with Online Communities Ethically

Engaging with online communities ethically entails respecting their norms, privacy, and trust. It involves upholding the principles of informed consent and ensuring that the research contributes positively to the community.

Participating Responsibly in Online Forums and Groups

Uphold respectful and responsible conduct when engaging in online communities such as Reddit, Quora, and Stack Exchange. Respect community norms, obtain consent if necessary, and avoid spamming or self-promotion.

Understanding the Implications of Misinformation and Disinformation

Misinformation and disinformation have profound societal impacts . Recognizing their consequences helps researchers address these issues effectively, as highlighted by studies conducted by organizations like the Pew Research Center.

Avoiding and Addressing Cyberbullying and Harassment

Online harassment is a growing concern . Referencing recent statistics from platforms like Twitter or academic research on online harassment trends can shed light on the prevalence and strategies for addressing this issue.

The Takeaway

In the realm of academia, mastering the art of internet research is akin to unlocking a treasure trove of knowledge. Throughout this comprehensive guide, we've navigated through the essential principles of internet research, from formulating precise research questions to employing advanced research tools. We've explored ethical considerations, source evaluation, note-taking strategies, and the ethical use of data, equipping students with a robust skill set to excel in their academic journeys.

As students, your capacity for growth is boundless. Embrace internet research as a lifelong skill, an ever-evolving art that can open doors to new discoveries and insights . In a world brimming with information, your ability to discern, evaluate, and synthesize knowledge will set you apart.

So, here's the call to action: embark on your research endeavors with confidence, apply the techniques learned, and approach each quest for knowledge with curiosity and critical thinking. As you do, you not only enhance your academic prowess but also contribute to the broader culture of continuous learning and intellectual advancement. Your journey as a researcher has just begun; the virtual library of the internet awaits your exploration, so keep learning, keep growing, and keep researching.

Can I rely solely on open-source information for my research?

Open-source information can be valuable, but it's essential to diversify your sources. Depending on your topic, you may need peer-reviewed articles, data from academic databases, or expert insights not readily available in open sources.

What role do social media platforms play in research?

Social media can be a resource for real-time data and discussions, but it should complement, not replace, traditional sources. Use it cautiously, considering issues like bias and privacy, and cite social media posts properly in academic work.

Is it necessary to pay for academic databases when much information is available for free?

Paid academic databases offer access to extensive, peer-reviewed content critical for in-depth research. While free sources are valuable, consider the depth and quality of information required for your study when deciding.

How can I improve my research efficiency without compromising on the quality of information?

Enhance research efficiency by refining your search queries, using advanced search tools, and organizing sources effectively. Prioritize sources based on credibility, relevance, and recency to streamline your research process.

What steps can I take if I cannot find information on my research topic?

If information is scarce, broaden your search terms, explore related fields, or consult with experts. Additionally, consider adjusting your research question or exploring unconventional sources for insights.

• Service Areas

Also on BroadbandSearch

• Internet Tools
• Data Usage Calculator
• Definitions
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions

Connection Types

• Fixed Wireless

Affiliate Disclaimer: BroadbandSearch.net is an independent, review, availability, comparison, and research website that is supported by advertisement, referral, and affiliate compensation. We provide information collected from providers, publicly available websites, and government sources. We continuously update the website to provide you with the latest deals and most accurate information. Certain providers listed on our website offer us affiliate revenue, or a referral fee when you order their service. Disclaimer: All rights reserved. BroadbandSearch.net is a website intended for research, review and comparison and, as such, falls under "Fair Use". BroadbandSearch.net does not offer internet, TV , or home phone service. All trademarks, logos, etc. remain the property of their respective owners and are used by BroadbandSearch.net only to describe products and services offered by each respective trademark holder. The use of any third party trademarks on this site in no way indicates any relationship between BroadbandSearch.net and the holders of said trademarks, nor any endorsement of BroadbandSearch.net by the holders of said trademarks. Sitemap

15 Steps to Good Research

• Define and articulate a research question (formulate a research hypothesis). How to Write a Thesis Statement (Indiana University)
• Identify possible sources of information in many types and formats. Georgetown University Library's Research & Course Guides
• Judge the scope of the project.
• Reevaluate the research question based on the nature and extent of information available and the parameters of the research project.
• Select the most appropriate investigative methods (surveys, interviews, experiments) and research tools (periodical indexes, databases, websites).
• Plan the research project. Writing Anxiety (UNC-Chapel Hill) Strategies for Academic Writing (SUNY Empire State College)
• Retrieve information using a variety of methods (draw on a repertoire of skills).
• Refine the search strategy as necessary.
• Write and organize useful notes and keep track of sources. Taking Notes from Research Reading (University of Toronto) Use a citation manager: Zotero or Refworks
• Evaluate sources using appropriate criteria. Evaluating Internet Sources
• Synthesize, analyze and integrate information sources and prior knowledge. Georgetown University Writing Center
• Revise hypothesis as necessary.
• Use information effectively for a specific purpose.
• Understand such issues as plagiarism, ownership of information (implications of copyright to some extent), and costs of information. Georgetown University Honor Council Copyright Basics (Purdue University) How to Recognize Plagiarism: Tutorials and Tests from Indiana University
• Cite properly and give credit for sources of ideas. MLA Bibliographic Form (7th edition, 2009) MLA Bibliographic Form (8th edition, 2016) Turabian Bibliographic Form: Footnote/Endnote Turabian Bibliographic Form: Parenthetical Reference Use a citation manager: Zotero or Refworks

Adapted from the Association of Colleges and Research Libraries "Objectives for Information Literacy Instruction" , which are more complete and include outcomes. See also the broader "Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education."

How to Conduct Research Online

Electronic resources are abounding, and they can be of very high quality. The best way to find peer-reviewed, high-quality journal articles for your online research is to access them through your online library, or to purchase the articles through an article provider.

However, there are excellent sources that are both accurate and of high quality on the Web, and they are often free and not password protected.

Search Online Degree Programs

Whether you are looking for journal articles, monographs, factual information, or high-quality publicly available resources, the same principles apply. Narrow your topic, make sure your search terms are relevant and focused, make sure your articles and your topic are in alignment, examine your sources for bias and distortion, and finally, make sure that your research provides sufficient support and background for your argument.

Let's expand these online research tips and look at them again. It is useful to look at each of them individually and to think about how and why you will be engaged in activities.

Define Your Topic.

Narrow it down, but don't constrain it too much. Develop a solid thesis statement that gives you room to develop an argument. This is a great time to do brainstorming. Clusters, mind maps, concept maps, decision trees, and free-writing are all very effective.

Determine What Fields of Study Your Online Research Question Will Address.

Identifying the fields of study will help you determine which journals and subject or field-specific databases to search for your online research.

Make a List of Items That Interest You About the Topic.

For example, you may be required to write an essay on an aspect of Hamlet in your English class . At first, you feel overwhelmed. Later, however, you think about the characters and situations that most interested you and you recall that Ophelia's speech and then her subsequent death were interesting to you. You wondered about the psychological state, and how she was perceived by the others in the play. Does her situation illustrate something essential about the human condition? You don't have any idea, but you'd like to explore it. So, you start by looking into what others have said about Ophelia in Hamlet . You find that her madness and death reflect and reinforce the overall themes of death, madness, murder, and betrayal. How does Ophelia's madness contrast with Hamlet's? You start jotting down ideas and key words. These will help you develop search terms and to focus your search by going to the correct types of journals and publications.

Narrow Your Topic.

This requires another round of brainstorming, but this time you will be focusing on what others have written. List terms, ideas, and concepts that occur to you, and then focus on the subcategories that you find most interesting.

Then, use the list to narrow your topic. Avoid worn-out subjects and ones that are too narrow or too broad.

What Have Others Said?

As you conduct preliminary research in the library, you will find books and articles on your topic. As you read the material, try to form an idea of what the major issues have been in the discussions about your topic.

For example, if your topic is on how stem cells could treat Lou Gehrig's Disease, you will need to have an idea of who the first people who started researching the topic. You will also need to identify the sides of the argument. Who is for it? Who is against it? Why? What are the issues?

Once you have a sense of the main players, you can start to do searches based on author name as well as key words or topics.

Ironically, in some cases, you may even have to be aware that the site may not have the original version of the information you're citing. They may, in actuality, be borrowing from another site. This is particularly the case with Web sites and services that subscribe to Weblogs or where the information is mirrored because they have chosen to pull the entire article in the feed.

Evaluate Your Material.

How do you determine if a source of information is of high quality? Even if you are obtaining your data from a library database such as Lexis-Nexis, you should be aware that the articles contained in the newspapers they have in their database could be biased.

If it has advertising or links indicating that the owner is a member of an affiliate program on it, does such activity automatically make the site untrustworthy? In the past, it might have been an automatic disqualifier to see links to advertising, sponsors, or affiliate programs that pay the Website owner a few cents for referrals. However, one can not make such assumptions now. In fact, the presence of affiliate links may indicate that the Website is a labor of love, and that there are no ideological or commercial ties. Further, the lack of commercial ties may actually be a negative factor because it may mean that the enterprise is so profitable, or the ideological motivations are so strong that there are numerous well-endowed backers, or a highly successful business model.

Here are a few considerations as you evaluate your sources for online research.

• Refereed journals. This is an academic journal that requires all articles to be reviewed by experts in the field. They require revisions and will reject articles if they do not meet standards.
• Books and serial monographs. In this case, it depends on the publisher and whether or not they evaluate, judge, and critique the material to assure that only the most reliable are published.
• Series sponsored by an association or reputable group. These are very common in the humanities, particularly in the hosting of content in the public domain.
• Wikis and collaborations. Variable quality. They can be extremely good and reliable, but the quality, quantity, depth, and breadth will be variable, as will be the scope of the contributions. There can be bias, distortion, or gaps (lacunae) in information.
• Weblogs and personal/corporate Web sites. Some are absolutely brilliant. Others are dismal. One can use the information, but it must be approached with care and extreme caution.
• Term paper repositories. Needless to say, we have not mentioned termpapers.com and other places that will sell you a term paper, or will allow you to share term papers with others. These are not the only unreliable sources of information in the Internet. It goes without saying that you should not use these, unless you're just determined to commit academic misconduct. You could cite them correctly, but they probably aren't the best source, unless your paper is about the traffic in term papers online.
• Summaries, overviews, and study guides. I, like everyone else, love Pink Monkey. However, I would think twice before actually citing it in a paper. I think that the best way to use Pink Monkey, Cliff Notes, Wikipedia, etc. is as a point of departure. Use them to gain an appreciation of your subject and to orient yourself. However, the information can be very imprecise and inaccurate, particularly in their plot summaries. They leave out details and discussion points that may be precisely the ones that you need.
• Student postings, peer-to-peer downloads of notes, texts, etc. These are excellent if you're interested in seeing how students write papers, and they can serve either as guides or as cautionary tales.
• Parody Web sites. Believe it or not, some students have actually cited information from parody sites as fact! The Onion.com comes to mind. This is a site that masquerades as a legitimate news site, but is, in fact, pure parody. How can you tell if a site is a parody, or so biased that the information it contains is unusable? Compare the information with others. Does it seem outlandish or extremely biased? Look at least three or four sites.

Organize Your Sources, Articles, and Notes.

After you have found your articles, be sure to organize them so that you have a sense of where they will go in your paper. Keep your primary thesis in mind, and the points you are trying to make and will support with evidence and research findings from your articles.

This is a good time to return to your outline and to start mapping out where you plan to use your sources and citations.

Create an Annotated Bibliography.

As you download and read your articles during your online research, you can keep track of them by creating an "electronic notebook" which would consist of a citation of your sources. Create an entry for each source. Use the appropriate style (MLA, APA, CBE, Chicago, etc.). After you have completed that, be sure to write a one-sentence overview/summary of the article and how it relates to your topic.

If you're unsure how to cite references check out our guide on How to Avoid Plagiarism .

Update Your Outline.

Re-examine your thesis. Look at your argumentation structure. Does each paragraph and subsection help support your thesis? How does your research fit? Determine where you have gaps, redundancies, or where your sources take you on a tangent.

Fill in the Gaps.

Make a list of the places in your paper where you need additional support for your argument. Then, after eliminating redundancies, map where you need to fill gaps, and where your argument needs additional support.

Fill Out The Form to Get Matched to Schools For Free!

7 tips for effective research online

Wondering how to make the most of your research time and hit your deadlines? Check out our 7 top tips for effective research online

1. Have a question in mind

It might sound strange but the most effective way to research online is to know the answer you’re looking for. When any single search term can bring up millions of results, you’re guaranteed to find irrelevant content. Having a specific question and answer in mind helps you narrow it down and quickly get rid of the content that doesn’t matter. Write the question down (or use it as your Wakelet collection title) so that it acts as a constant reminder. And be ruthless; if an article, blog or video doesn’t answer that question, it shouldn’t be part of your research.

2. Keep to a schedule

Starting a big research project can be overwhelming. You’re faced with an endless number of potential sources and a looming deadline. One technique that I’ve also found helpful is to implement a research schedule. Take a step back and put a timeline in place. If your work is due in six weeks, for example, do you need to have a draft in five and an outline in four? Work backwards until you have a research period marked out. Then look at your diary – can you spend three hours in the library during free periods and block out a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon? When you have this dedicated research time in place, it’ll help you stay focused.

3. Organize, organize, organize

When you’re researching online, you’ll likely gather a lot of information, quickly. You need to be organized from the start, before you get buried in links! Luckily, Wakelet can help. Why not create a collect for each source type (articles, videos, blogs, for example) or break it down by topic? You can even use the Notes feature to remind yourself why you saved that source or which section of the article will be most useful when you revisit your research. And best of all, you’re not just left with a list of links – your bookmarks will be visual, engaging, and easily identifiable.

4. Follow where the research takes you

The most effective researchers don’t limit themselves. As long as you’re discerning with the sources you save, it’s worth taking a chance and following an unfamiliar lead. If a helpful article cites a paper by an academic you’ve not heard of or a speech you’ve never seen, add those to your research list. In the same way that you might investigate the bibliography of a textbook, the sources mentioned in online content can be just as useful, help to expand your research, and offer an alternative perspective to more familiar sources.

5. Gather info as you go

So, you have your timetable sorted and you’ve been setting aside dedicated research time but someone just tweeted an article that could be really relevant and you’re in the park eating lunch – what do you do? Thanks to Wakelet, you don’t have to wait ‘til you get home or like the Tweet but let it get lost in your timeline by the time you’re sitting down to research again. Instead, use the Wakelet app to quickly and easily add any piece of content into your collections. With the share extension, it only takes a couple of clicks and your content will be there, waiting for you, as soon as you’re back on your desktop at home.

6. Evaluate your sources

While you shouldn’t limit your research, you do need to be discerning when it comes to online sources. After all, almost anyone can get their work published online, whether they’re uploading their own videos to YouTube , writing on their own blog, or expressing themselves in 280 characters on Twitter . And it can be tough to tell fact from fiction. Be vigilant and assess every source – even the most credible – with a critical eye. Ask yourself, is the author writing from a particular perspective? Is their account backed up by other sources? Do they have an ulterior motive? Question yourself and your sources regularly.

7. Don’t limit what you look for

Talk about research and most people think about academic journals, articles written by professors, and official records. These are, of course, all important sources but, in the modern digital age, you shouldn’t discount other forms of media. YouTube is home to a host of documentary-standard videos, podcasts are often helmed by respected investigative journalists or leaders in their field, and historic minstrels can be found on Spotify. Enrich your research by making the most of these more unusual sources.

Related Articles

Harness The Power of Wakelet For Research

Curate your research project into Wakelet collections!

How to use Wakelet in the workplace

Do you struggle to get organized? Need a new way to present research and showcase your successes?...

How I use Wakelet: by Tanvir Singh

Read about how Tanvir is using Wakelet for his not-for-profit, and for recording his academic...

Instantly enhance your writing in real-time while you type. With LanguageTool

Get started for free

How to Properly and Effectively Conduct Research in Five Steps

Researching is a valuable skill that can help you in school, work, and beyond. This blog post breaks down the research process into five easy-to-follow steps to teach you how to conduct research properly and effectively.

Conducting Research: Table of Contents

What is Research?

Steps to Conducting Research

In an age where misinformation is rampant, knowing how to correctly conduct research is a skill that will set you apart from others. This blog post goes over what research is and breaks down the process into five straightforward steps.

What Is Research?

The word research is derived from the Middle French word “recerche,” which means “to seek.” That term came from the Old French word “recerchier,” meaning “search.” But what exactly is being sought during research? Knowledge and information.

Research is the methodical process of collecting and analyzing data to expand your knowledge, so you can have enough information to answer a question or describe, explain, or predict an issue or observation.

Research is important because it helps you see the world as it really is (facts) and not as you or others think it is (opinions).

The meaning of research may sound quite heavy and significant, but that’s because it is. Proper research guides you to weed out wrong information. Today, having that skill is vital. Below, we’ll teach you how to do research in five easy-to-follow steps.

It’s essential to note that there are different types of research:

• Exploratory research identifies a problem or question.
• Constructive research examines hypotheses and offers solutions.
• Empirical research tests the feasibility of a solution using data.

That being said, the research process may differ based on the purpose of the project. Take the measures below as a general guideline, and be prepared to make changes or take additional steps.

Also, keep in mind that conducting proper research is not easy. You should start with a mindset of being ready to use a lot of time and effort to obtain the information you need.

1. Prepare for Research

Preparing for research is an extensive step in itself. You must:

• Choose a topic or carefully analyze the assignment given to you.
• Craft a research question and hypothesis.
• Plan out your research.
• Create a research log.
• Transform your hypothesis into a working thesis.

2. Understand and Evaluate Sources

Once you have meticulously prepared for research, you should have a thorough understanding of the different types of sources. Doing this helps you learn which types would best fit your research project.

• Primary sources provide direct knowledge and evidence based on your research question.
• Secondary sources provide descriptions or interpretations of primary sources.
• Tertiary sources provide summaries of the primary or secondary sources without providing additional insights.

The data and information you’re seeking can be found in various mediums. The following list shows the types most commonly used in academic research and writing:

• Academic journals
• Books and textbooks
• Government and legal documents

The information you need doesn’t always have to come in the form of printed materials. It can also be found in:

• Multimedia (like radio and television podcasts, or recorded public meetings)
• Social media

Evaluate Your Sources

You must evaluate your sources to ensure that they are credible and authoritative. The information you find on websites, blogs, and social media is not as reliable as that found in academic journals, for example. Always verify the information you find, and then verify again!

To evaluate sources, you should:

• Find out as much as you can about the source
• Determine the intended audience
• Ask yourself if it is fact, opinion, or propaganda
• Analyze the evidence used
• Check how timely the source is
• Cross-check the information

3. Use the Library, Internet, and Conduct Field Research

So, where can you find all these sources? The library is a good place to start because the library staff may be able to guide you in the right direction as to where you should begin your research. If you’re a student, your school library can provide access to:

• Reference works
• Encyclopedias
• Almanacs and atlases
• Catalogs and databases
• And countless books

The internet does provide easy and fast access to all sorts of data, including incorrect information. That’s why it’s important to verify everything you find there. However, the internet is also home to reliable and credible information.

You can find trustworthy sources online, including scholarly works on Google Scholar , for example. Government sites, like the Library of Congress, provide online collections of articles. There are also many websites for reputable publications, such as the New York Times . Make sure to include the latest information on the specific topic.

Lastly, you can also conduct research by collecting data yourself. You can do this in the form of interviews, observations, opinion surveys, and more.

Don’t Forget

Update your working bibliography as you conduct your research, and keep track of everything in your research log!

4. Think Critically and Takes Notes

When you’re researching, it’s important to read everything through a critical lens—don’t just accept what you see at face value. Always ask yourself questions like:

What’s the main idea?

What are the supporting ideas?

Who is the intended audience?

What’s the purpose?

Is there anything else I need to know that was left out?

Take as many notes as you can and look up anything confusing or unclear.

5. Decide on How To Integrate Sources Into Your Research Paper

Now that you have all the information you need, it’s time to figure out how you are going to integrate sources into your research paper.

Are you going to quote your sources directly? Doing so can help you establish credibility, but be sure to limit this, as your research paper should be mainly your ideas and findings (based on theoretical framework). You can also paraphrase or summarize your sources, but make sure to precede them with the author of the source.

If you’re using visuals in your research project, make sure to include them seamlessly. Ensure that there’s a purpose for the visual content (it can demonstrate something better than words alone can). Add the visual immediately after an explanation of it, and take some time to clarify why it’s relevant to the research project.

The most important part of this step is that you do not plagiarize! Always cite your sources. The only information that need not be cited is:

• Common knowledge
• Your findings from field research

Research Takes Time

The truth is that if you want to conduct proper research, you must be willing to dedicate a significant amount of time to it. And properly conducted research is essential to a well-written and credible research paper.

In other words, there are no cutting corners when it comes to research. However, as an advanced, multilingual writing assistant, LanguageTool can take care of the grammar, spelling, and punctuation aspects of your research project. It can help you in paraphrasing sentences to align with the formality required for an academic paper while also ensuring simplicity, conciseness, and fluency when necessary.

LanguageTool lets you focus on the most important aspects of writing a research paper—research and writing—while it focuses on correcting all types of errors. Its advanced technology can also help you avoid plagiarism through paraphrasing. In this case, it’s imperative that if you use this feature, you still include the source in the references or works cited page.

LanguageTool is free to use! Give it a try.

Lunsford, Andrea A. The Everyday Writer with Exercises , 2010.

Types of Sources - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University. “Types of Sources - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University,” n.d. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/conducting_research/research_overview/sources.html.

General Guidelines - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University. “General Guidelines - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University,” n.d. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/conducting_research/evaluating_sources_of_information/general_guidelines.html.

Ryan, Eoghan. “Types of Sources Explained | Examples & Tips.” Scribbr, May 19, 2022. https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/types-of-sources/.

Unleash the Professional Writer in You With LanguageTool

Go well beyond grammar and spell checking. Impress with clear, precise, and stylistically flawless writing instead.

Works on All Your Favorite Services

• Thunderbird
• Google Docs
• Microsoft Word
• Open Office
• Libre Office

We Value Your Feedback

We’ve made a mistake, forgotten about an important detail, or haven’t managed to get the point across? Let’s help each other to perfect our writing.

• About The Journalist’s Resource
• Follow us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Criminal Justice
• Environment
• Politics & Government
• Race & Gender

Expert Commentary

Research strategy guide for finding quality, credible sources

Strategies for finding academic studies and other information you need to give your stories authority and depth

Republish this article

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License .

by Keely Wilczek, The Journalist's Resource May 20, 2011

This <a target="_blank" href="https://journalistsresource.org/home/research-strategy-guide/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://journalistsresource.org">The Journalist's Resource</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://journalistsresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/cropped-jr-favicon-150x150.png" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;">

Knowing how to conduct deeper research efficiently and effectively is a critical skill for journalists — especially in the information age. It is, like other facets of the profession such as interviewing, a matter of practice and establishing good habits. And once you find a successful routine for information-gathering, it will pay dividends time and again.

Journalists need to be able to do many kinds of research. This article focuses on creating a research strategy that will help you find academic studies and related scholarly information. These sources can, among other things, give your stories extra authority and depth — and thereby distinguish your work. You can see examples of such studies — and find many relevant ones for your stories — by searching the Journalist’s Resource database . But that is just a representative sample of what exists in the research world.

The first step is to create a plan for seeking the information you need. This requires you to take time initially and to proceed with care, but it will ultimately pay off in better results. The research strategy covered in this article involves the following steps:

Get organized

Articulate your topic, locate background information.

• Identify your information needs

List keywords and concepts for search engines and databases

Consider the scope of your topic, conduct your searches, evaluate the information sources you found, analyze and adjust your research strategy.

Being organized is an essential part of effective research strategy. You should create a record of your strategy and your searches. This will prevent you from repeating searches in the same resources and from continuing to use ineffective terms. It will also help you assess the success or failure of your research strategy as you go through the process. You also may want to consider tracking and organizing citations and links in bibliographic software such as Zotero . (See this helpful resource guide about using Zotero.)

Next, write out your topic in a clear and concise manner. Good research starts with a specific focus.

For example, let’s say you are writing a story about the long-range health effects of the explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant based on a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives titled, “The Chernobyl Accident 20 Years On: An Assessment of the Health Consequences and the International Response.” (The study is summarized in Journalist’s Resource here .)

A statement of your topic might be, “Twenty years after the Chernobyl disaster, scientists are still learning the affects of the accident on the health of those who lived in the surrounding area and their descendants.”

If you have a good understanding of the Chernobyl disaster, proceed to the next step, “Identify the information you need.” If not, it’s time to gather background information. This will supply you with the whos and the whens of the topic. It will also provide you with a broader context as well as the important terminology.

Excellent sources of background information are subject-specific encyclopedias and dictionaries, books, and scholarly articles, and organizations’ websites. You should always consult more than one source so you can compare for accuracy and bias.

For your story about Chernobyl, you might want to consult some of the following sources:

• Frequently Asked Chernobyl Questions , International Atomic Agency
• Chernobyl Accident 1986 , World Nuclear Association
• Chernobyl: Consequences of the Catastrophe for People and the Environment , New York Academy of Sciences, 2009.
• “Chernobyl Disaster,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last updated 2013.

Identify the information you need

What information do you need to write your story? One way to determine this is to turn your overall topic into a list of questions to be answered. This will help you identify the type and level of information you need. Some possible questions on consequences of the Chernobyl accident are:

• What are the proven health effects?
• What are some theorized health effects?
• Is there controversy about any of these studies?
• What geographic area is being studied?
• What are the demographic characteristics of the population being studied?
• Was there anything that could have been done at the time to mitigate these effects?

Looking at these questions, it appears that scientific studies and scholarly articles about those studies, demographic data, disaster response analysis, and government documents and publications from the Soviet Union and Ukraine would be needed.

Now you need to determine what words you will use to enter in the search boxes within resources. One way to begin is to extract the most important words and phrases from the questions produced in the previous step. Next, think about alternative words and phrases that you might use. Always keep in mind that different people may write or talk about the same topic in different ways. Important concepts can referred to differently or be spelled differently depending on country of origin or field of study.

For the Chernobyl health story, some search keyword options are: “Chernobyl,” “Chornobyl”; “disaster,” “catastrophe,” “explosion”; “health,” “disease,” “illness,” “medical conditions”; “genetic mutation,” “gene mutation,” “germ-line mutation,” “hereditary disease.” Used in different combinations, these can unearth a wide variety of resources.

Next you should identify the scope of your topic and any limitations it puts on your searches. Some examples of limitations are language, publication date, and publication type. Every database and search engine will have its own rules so you may need to click on an advanced search option in order to input these limitations.

It is finally time to start looking for information but identifying which resources to use is not always easy to do. First, if you are part of an organization, find out what, if any, resources you have access to through a subscription. Examples of subscription resources are LexisNexis and JSTOR. If your organization does not provide subscription resources, find out if you can get access to these sources through your local library. Should you not have access to any subscription resources appropriate for your topic, look at some of the many useful free resources on the internet.

Here are some examples of sources for free information:

• PLoS , Public Library of Science
• Google Scholar
• SSRN , Social Science Research Network
• FDsys , U.S. Government documents and publications
• World Development Indicators , World Bank
• Pubmed , service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine

More quality sites, and search tips, are here among the other research articles at Journalist’s Resource.

As you only want information from the most reliable and suitable sources, you should always evaluate your results. In doing this, you can apply journalism’s Five W’s (and One H):

• Who : Who is the author and what are his/her credentials in this topic?
• What: Is the material primary or secondary in nature?
• Where: Is the publisher or organization behind the source considered reputable? Does the website appear legitimate?
• When: Is the source current or does it cover the right time period for your topic?
• Why: Is the opinion or bias of the author apparent and can it be taken into account?
• How: Is the source written at the right level for your needs? Is the research well-documented?

Were you able to locate the information you needed? If not, now it is time to analyze why that happened. Perhaps there are better resources or different keywords and concepts you could have tried. Additional background information might supply you with other terminology to use. It is also possible that the information you need is just not available in the way you need it and it may be necessary to consult others for assistance like an expert in the topic or a professional librarian.

Keely Wilczek is a research librarian at the Harvard Kennedy School. Tags: training

About The Author

Keely Wilczek

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Research: Where to Begin

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Research isn't something that only scientists and professors do. Any time you use sources to investigate claims or reach new conclusions, you are performing research. Research happens in virtually all fields, so it’s vitally important to know how to conduct research and navigate through source material regardless of your professional or academic role.

Choosing and Narrowing Your Research Topic

Before beginning the process of looking for sources, it’s important to choose a research topic that is specific enough to explore in-depth. If your focus is too broad, it will be difficult to find sources that back up what you’re trying to say.

If your instructor gives you the flexibility to choose your own research topic, you might begin by brainstorming  a list of topics that interest you ( click here to visit an OWL page that can help you get started brainstorming or prewriting ). Once you find something that grabs your attention, the next step is to narrow your topic to a manageable scope. Some ways to narrow your focus are by sub-topic, demographic, or time period.

For example, suppose that you want to research cancer treatments. Cancer treatment is a fairly broad topic, so you would be wise to at least consider narrowing your scope. For example, you could focus on a sub-topic of cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. However, these are still broad topics, so you might also narrow your topic to a narrower sub-topic or even examine how these topics relate to a specific demographic or time period. In the end, you might decide to research how radiation therapy for women over fifty has changed in the past twenty years. In sum, having a specific idea of what you want to research helps you find a topic that feels more manageable.

Writing Your Research Question

Writing your research topic as a question helps you focus your topic in a clear and concise way. It ensure that your topic is arguable. While not all research papers have to offer an explicit argument, many do.

For the above example, you might phrase your research question like this: "How has radiation therapy changed in the past twenty years for women over fifty?" Of course, phrasing this topic as a question assumes that the research has, in fact, changed. Reading your sources (or, to begin with, at least summaries and abstracts of those sources) will help you formulate a research question that makes sense.

Knowing What Types of Sources You Need

Depending on the type of research you’re doing, you may need to use different types of sources. Research is usually divided into scholarly and popular, and primary and secondary. For more information on specific details about these types of sources, visit our "Where to Begin" page in our "Evaluating Sources" subsection.  This subsection contains additional pages that explore various kinds of sources (like, e.g., internet sources) in more detail.

Asking Productive Questions

Before you begin your research, you should ask yourself questions that help narrow your search parameters.

What kind of information are you looking for?

Different types of research will require different sources. It’s important to know what kinds of sources your research demands. Ask whether you need facts or opinions, news reports, research studies, statistics and data, personal reflections, archival research, etc. Restricting yourself to only the most relevant kinds of sources will make the research process seem less daunting.

Where do you need to look for your research?

Your research topic will also dictate where you find your sources. This extends beyond simply whether you use the internet or a print source. For example, if you are searching for information on a current event, a well-regarded newspaper like the  New York Times  or  Wall Street Journal  could  be a useful source. If you are searching for statistics on some aspect of the U.S. population, then you might want to start with government documents, such as census reports. While much high-level academic research relies mainly on the sorts of academic journal articles and scholarly books that can be found in university libraries, depending the nature of your research project, you may need to look elsewhere.

How much information do you need?

Different research projects require different numbers of sources. For example, if you need to address both sides of a controversial issue, you may need to find more sources than if you were pursuing a non-controversial topic. Be sure to speak with your instructor if you are unclear on how many sources you will be expected to use.

How timely does your research need to be?

Depending on your research topic, the timeliness of your source may or may not matter. For example, if you are looking into recent changes in a specific scientific field, you would want the most up-to-date research. However, if you were researching the War of 1812, you might benefit from finding primary sources written during that time period.

16 Library and Internet Research

As repositories of our collective knowledge, libraries and the Internet host our cultural heritage, the memory of our present and past civilizations. Admittedly, though, the cornucopia of information accessible via the Internet and archived in libraries can be overwhelming, particularly if you are just becoming accustomed to the research process.

Conducting library and Internet research helps you quickly find the information you need. This page provides useful suggestions about how to conduct Boolean searches, for instance, and offers advice about how to identify whether you should begin your research using the Open Web, the Gated Web, or the Hidden Web.

Research Libraries vs. the Web

Many people are confused about what constitutes library research versus what constitutes Internet research. Some people argue that effective research is never conducted on the Internet, that one needs access to the resources of a library to conduct thorough investigations. People in this camp argue that institutional libraries pay significant sums to provide access to proprietary databases to their customers — that is, databases that offer abstracts, bibliographical information, and, oftentimes, full texts of articles published in scholarly journals. Also, research purists may argue that documents published on the Internet lack the authority of research that is peer-reviewed and published by major publishers. Something important to consider is the difference between an Internet resource and an academic resource accessed via the Internet. For example, if I simply Google “research method,” one of my first search results is from about.com – a good resource, but not necessarily an academic resource. Although I can glean about.com for useful information about the generics of a topic like “research methods,” for the purposes of an academic research assignment, it may be wise to use the Internet to access my library’s databases (like Academic Search Premier, JSTOR, etc.) for online access to a plethora of information pertaining to my search term. The Internet hosts a variety of resources, some of which are useful for casual, everyday references (like about.com) and others which are more appropriate for an academic research assignment (like my library’s databases: Academic Search Premier, JSTOR, etc.)

Because of a misunderstanding about the way in which the Internet serves both purposes (casual, everyday research and formal, academic research) some students report they never use their library’s resources. Studies of the research processes of students have found that many students limit their investigations to search engines such as Google, paying especially close attention to the first eight or so hits on any search. Unfortunately, students who conduct research in this way often end up with sources that they later realize aren’t useful in crafting informed, thorough, formal academic research and/or arguments.

To conduct effective research, you may need to use both the library and the Internet. Limiting yourself to the library cuts off some very innovative work that may not yet be accessible for your library’s periodical indexes and abstracts. In turn, relying solely on the Internet is like trying to dig a hole with your tongue rather than a shovel: extremely counterproductive and a waste of time.

Information junkies know arguments for using either the library or the Internet are out of touch with reality. As research libraries increase the number of electronic resources they subscribe to, many traditional resources are now accessible via the Internet–although passwords may be required. In other words, distinctions between the library and the Web are blurring.

The Open Web, the Gated Web, and The Hidden Web

To conduct thorough research, you need to access information in three places: the Open Web, the Gated Web, and the Deep Web.

• The Open Web refers to the free information on the Internet that is readily searchable with an Internet search engine and accessible with an Internet browser, such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator.
• The Gated Web refers to information that requires a log-in and password for access. Information archived at the gated web tends to be copyrighted and accessible for a fee. To pay their expenses–including payments for authors, editors, and for salespeople who represent and market the work–publishers need to see a return on their investment so they do not simply post their publications to the Internet. Libraries pay publishers and database index companies significant sums of money so their users can access information via the Gated Web. When you use your computer to log in to your college or university’s library, you may be prompted to provide your name, social security number, or student identification number. After authenticating your information, the library’s computer server allows you to access the journals and databases to which your library subscribes.
• The Hidden Web, the Deep Web, the Invisible Web are terms that are used interchangeably to refer to Web sites and databases that contain information that can’t be found using top-level search engines like Yahoo or Google. The Deep Web includes non-html files, such as PDFs; gated sites that require log-ins; interactive tools like map directions or mortgage calculators; and dynamically created Web pages–that is, pages created by databases. The Deep Web is 500 to 700 times larger than the Open Web. According to Bright Planet, the Deep Web “contains billions of high-quality documents in about 350,000 specialty databases.

Licenses and Attribution

“Library and Internet Research” by Joseph M. Moxley is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Using Research to Support Scholarly Writing Copyright © 2021 by Matthew Bloom; Christine Jones; Cameron MacElvee; Jeffrey Sanger; and Lori Walk is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Research Help: Using the Internet for Academic Research

• Ask a Librarian
• Subject Guides
• Browse All Guides
• How Do I... Guide
• Information for New Students
• Evaluating Web Sources
• Primary and Secondary Sources
• Scholarly and Non-scholarly sources
• Preparing a Search Strategy
• How to Find Articles on Your Topic

Using the Internet for Academic Research

• Citation Guides & Bibliographic Tools
• APA Style Guides
• Chicago Style Guides
• MLA Style Guides
• Citing Government Information
• Other Citation Style Guides
• Annotated Bibliographies
• Writing Guides
• Academic Integrity: Avoiding Plagiarism

Quick Links

• A - Z List of Databases
• Journal Finder
• Course Reserves
• Interlibrary Loan Request
• My Account / Renew Books
• Book Study Room / Group Space
• Writing Resource Centre
• CAIRN @ MTA

This guide assumes a basic familiarity with using the Internet. For assistance researching specific topics, please contact a Librarian at the Library Research Help Desk, at 364-2564, or by e-mail: [email protected] or contact the Subject Librarian for your topic directly.

Things You Should Know:

• Not everything is available on the Internet. There may be little or no relevant information on your topic. What is available may not be as appropriate as the information in other sources. The Internet is only one of the research tools and provides access to only some of the many sources of information available to you.  
• Research on the Internet will take time. All research does.  
• Information on the Internet is not stable. At any time, information may be moved, altered, or deleted. This is a major problem when it comes to using an Internet source for academic research. Your professor may not accept Internet sources; check with your professor in advance. See "Using & Citing Internet Sources" below for manuals that provide guidelines for citing Internet sources in footnotes and bibliographies.  
• Not everything on the Internet is accurate, true, current, or reliable. See "Evaluating What You Find" below.

Finding Information:

There are two major ways to begin a search on a research topic: by subject or keyword.

Searching by Subject: Use an academic subject directory. These are sites organized by librarians or other academics providing a collection of links to sites that are appropriate for academic research.

• The Mount Allison Libraries web site has links to information for the subjects taught at Mount Allison University. Select Subject Guides , then a subject. A list of larger, more comprehensive subject directories is also available under the Quick Link: "Online Reference Sources & Quick Facts". Select Internet Search Engines & Directories .

Searching by Keyword: A keyword search may be more appropriate for a very specific topic. Use Internet search engines to do a keyword search. A selection of search engines is available from the library web page Online Reference Sources & Quick Facts . Select Internet Search Engines & Directories .

Things to keep in mind about keyword searching: Keyword searching is not the same as subject searching! There is no standard or controlled vocabulary yet for finding information on the Internet. This means you will have to think of synonyms, variants in spelling, different word endings, etc.

Google ( http://www.google.com ) is currently one of the best Internet search engines. It displays the search term in context and has an excellent results ranking system. Google has "Basic" and "Advanced" search modes. Here are some tips for doing "Basic" Internet searches using Google:

• Phrase searching: Use quotation marks for words that should be found together in that order.

(e.g. "electoral reform" )

• Multiple terms: Boolean "and" is stated as the automatic default, so entering two or more words should retrieve pages

containing all of the terms you enter. (e.g. elections reform ) However, if not all terms are found, results will display without them. To force retrieval of results for all keywords, enter each word with a plus sign (+) directly before it. (e.g. +elections +reform )

• Narrowing a search: Enter more search terms to specify

more clearly what you want to find. (e.g. elections reform canada )

• Broadening a search: Use "OR" to search for alternative terms at the same time.

(e.g. "election reform" OR "electoral reform" ) NOTE: truncation is not available on Google.

Advanced Searching: See the Google Advanced Search page for more ways to search efficiently. Consider also using other search engines. Selected subject-specific search engines may be listed in the Library Subject Guides .

Evaluating What You Find:

It is important to evaluate the information you intend to use for a research paper. This applies to printed books and articles found in a library, but even more so for information found on the Internet. Quality in print resources is often assured by editors and publishers who pay the costs of publishing, and by libraries that select the best. On the Internet, anyone can put up a web page at any time, with no control. Some web sites have strict editorial policies; some have none at all. A basic keyword search on a search engine will find them all, so you will have to know how to determine which are appropriate.

Things to look for when evaluating information on the Internet:

• Author(s), could be a person or an organization:

Who are they? What is their background or expertise? Why should they be trusted to know about the field? Are they affiliated with an institution or university? What are their credentials? What is their bias or point of view? etc.

Most, if not all, information is only relevant in a context of time; if no date is given, the information should be suspect. There may be an original creation date and a date for when the information was last modified. Each document should have a date; the date given on a web site's home page may not be applicable to each document within it.

• Host site or "Publisher":

Web addresses often indicate the country of origin (e.g. .ca = canada, .fr = france), or the type of organization hosting the web site. (e.g. .edu=educational (US), .com=commercial, .gov=governmental (US), .org=organization) You may have to back up to the home page to find out more about the web site on which a document is found and who is responsible for it. If the information at the site is not original, make sure the original source is given, and is cited properly.

• Type of Information:

Many different kinds of information resources can be found on the Internet, from peer-reviewed journal articles and books, government documents, professional working papers, and student essays, to personal letters, fiction, and spoofs of serious research. In print these are usually easy to distinguish; on the Internet they may not be. A screen of text from any of these will look much the same.

Commercial uses of the Internet are growing faster than any other, so much of the "information" on the web is advertising. The Internet is also a very effective propaganda tool; be aware of the purpose of the site, and of the document, you are viewing. Check all the "meta-data" available, ie. all the clues you can find that put the information in context or provide details about it.

More tips on evaluating Internet sites:

Mount Allison University Libraries Guide to Evaluating Web Sources a short and useful guide to the major points to consider Evaluation of Information Sources. http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~agsmith/evaln/evaln.htm a large collection of links to other sites on evaluating Internet resources

Retrieving the Results of a Search:

When you have determined that an Internet source is appropriate to use in your research, you can take notes, print, download, cut and paste to your word processing file, or e-mail the information to yourself. Whichever method you use, make sure that the source URL appears in full on the document you are retrieving. It is a good idea to check the style guides below BEFORE starting your research, so that you know what information to include in your footnotes or bibliography for all sources you retrieve from the Internet.

Using and Citing Internet Sources:

All information on the Internet is protected by copyright unless specifically stated otherwise. Do not plagiarize; be sure to cite all information used for your paper. The standard citation manuals include instructions on how to cite electronic resources in the body of your paper and in the bibliography. The related web sites have selected examples.

MLA style (humanities):

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers . 7th ed. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2009. (In library: LB 2369 .G53 2009 Reference)

MLA Homepage FAQs: http://www.mla.org/style_faq1

APA style (sciences):

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association . 6th ed. Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, 2010. (In library: BF 76.7 .P83 2010 Reference)

APA DOI and URL Flowchart: http://blog.apastyle.org/files/doi-and-url-flowchart-8.pdf APA Style Help: http://www.apastyle.org/apa-style-help.aspx

For more information and guides to the MLA and APA Styles, please see the Citation Guides & Bibliographic Tools page.

Updated Sept. 2018 / LL

Off-Campus Access to Electronic Resources

Why is off-campus access different.

Access to subscribed library resources is easy when you are using a university computer or the campus wireless network. The library gives publishers information about our campus networks when we set up a subscription for the university. When you are off-campus, you need to log in to your account to identify yourself as associated with Mount Allison University. This is required by the terms of the licenses we sign with publishers.

How can I get access off-campus?

There are two approaches to getting access to electronic resources from off-campus.

1. Start from the library website or catalogue:

If you click on a link from the library website, such as a database in the A-Z List of Databases, you will be asked to log in with your MTA account. From that point on, your access will be the same as it is on campus.

2. Start from a publisher website and use the MTA Libraries Off-Campus Bookmarklet

If you usually start your search from a publisher website, or click on non-library links, you can use the off-campus bookmarklet to sign into your MTA account. Follow the instructions for installing the bookmarklet below. Once it is installed, you click on the bookmarklet to get to a sign-in screen when you are visiting a publisher website. You will be returned to the website and at that point your access will be the same as it is on campus.

Install the off-campus bookmarklet:

Note: You will have to set your browser to show the bookmarks or favourites if that is not your default setting. Bookmarklets are bookmarks that contain JavaScript commands, so JavaScript must be supported for the bookmarklet to function.

• In Chrome / Safari: Drag and drop the " MTA Libraries Off-Campus Bookmarklet " link to your Bookmarks.
• In Firefox: Right click on the " MTA Libraries Off-Campus Bookmarklet " link and select "Bookmark this Link" or drag and drop the link to your Bookmarks toolbar.
• In Internet Explorer: Right click on this " MTA Libraries Off-Campus Bookmarklet " link and select "Add to Favorites" or drag and drop the link to your Links toolbar.
• On an iPhone: instructions coming soon. more complicated! Elizabeth will add these instructions if the rest of the content is approved. -->

How to use the MTA Libraries Off-Campus Bookmarklet:

Click on the bookmarklet when you are at the website for a licensed academic resource for which the Libraries has paid. Every time you open a new tab, click on the bookmarklet. You won't have to log in on every tab - clicking on the bookmarklet again just extends your login session to the new tab.

If Mount Allison University Libraries and Archives does not license and pay for the content on the site, you will get an error message. This message means that the website is not set up as a MTA library resource. In those cases, requesting the item through ILL (if there is a cost) or browsing without the bookmarklet (if freely available) is the best approach.

If you have any questions about the MTA Libraries Off-Campus Bookmarklet, please contact Elizabeth Stregger, Data and Digital Services Librarian.

• << Previous: How to Find Articles on Your Topic
• Next: Citation Guides >>
• Last Updated: Aug 28, 2024 3:28 PM
• URL: https://libraryguides.mta.ca/research_help

Find Information | Research Help | Services & Facilities | About the Libraries | Contact Us

Mount Allison University Libraries and Archives 49 York Street, Sackville NB, E4L 1C6 Canada Hours | About the Libraries | Contact Us Music Library | University Archives | Mount Allison University

• Thesis Action Plan New
• Academic Project Planner

Literature Navigator

Thesis dialogue blueprint, writing wizard's template, research proposal compass.

• Why students love us
• Rebels Blog
• Why we are different
• All Products
• Coming Soon

How to Start a Research Paper: A Step-by-Step Guide

Starting a research paper can seem overwhelming, but breaking it down into manageable steps can make the process much easier. This guide will walk you through each stage, from choosing a topic to finalizing your paper, ensuring you stay organized and focused. Whether you're new to research or looking to improve your skills, these steps will help you create a strong, well-structured paper.

Key Takeaways

• Select a topic that interests you and has enough available resources.
• Formulate a clear and focused research question to guide your study.
• Conduct a thorough literature review to understand existing research and identify gaps.
• Develop a detailed research plan with a timeline and methodology.
• Ensure proper formatting and citation to maintain academic integrity.

Choosing a Research Topic

Choosing a research topic is a crucial first step in writing a research paper. It sets the stage for your entire project, so it's important to choose wisely. Here are some steps to help you select a topic that is both interesting and feasible.

Identifying Your Interests

Start by thinking about what excites you. Pick a topic that you find fun and fulfilling. This will keep you motivated throughout your research. Make a list of subjects you enjoy and see how they can relate to your field of study. Your job will be more pleasant if you choose a topic that holds your interest.

Evaluating the Scope of the Topic

Once you have a few ideas, check if they are too broad or too narrow. A good topic should be manageable within the time you have. Ask yourself if you can cover all aspects of the topic in your thesis. For example, exploring the link between technology and mental health could be narrowed down to how WhatsApp use impacts college students' well-being.

Ensuring Availability of Resources

Before finalizing your topic, ensure that there are enough resources available. Conduct preliminary research to see if there is sufficient data and literature on your chosen topic. This step is vital as you may discover issues with your original idea or realize you have insufficient resources to explore the topic effectively. This key bit of groundwork allows you to redirect your research topic in a different, more feasible, or more relevant direction if necessary.

Formulating a Research Question

Understanding the importance of a research question.

A well-defined research question is the cornerstone of any successful research paper. It provides a clear focus and direction for your study, ensuring that your efforts are both relevant and meaningful. A strong research question helps you stay on track and avoid unnecessary detours. It also makes it easier to communicate the purpose and significance of your research to others.

Techniques for Crafting a Strong Research Question

To develop a compelling research question, start by identifying your interests and the gaps in the existing literature. Use the 5 W's: who, what, where, when, and why , to explore different aspects of your topic. This approach will help you narrow down your focus and create a question that is both specific and researchable. Additionally, consider the feasibility of your question by evaluating the availability of resources and the scope of your study.

Aligning Your Question with Objectives

Your research question should align with the objectives of your study. This means that it should be directly related to what you aim to achieve through your research. Clearly defined objectives will guide your research process and ensure that your question remains relevant throughout your study. By aligning your question with your objectives, you can produce a coherent and focused research paper that effectively addresses the problem at hand.

Conducting a Literature Review

Gathering Relevant Sources

Start by collecting sources that are related to your research topic. Use libraries, online databases, and academic journals to find books, articles, and papers. Skimming sources initially can save you time; set aside those that seem useful for a more thorough read later.

Analyzing Existing Research

Once you have gathered your sources, read through them carefully. Take notes on key points and different viewpoints. This will help you understand the current state of research in your field. Look for common themes and debates that can inform your own work.

Identifying Research Gaps

As you analyze the existing research, look for areas that haven't been explored or questions that haven't been answered. These gaps can provide a direction for your own research and make your thesis more valuable. Identifying these gaps is crucial for crafting a strong research question and ensuring your work contributes new knowledge to the field.

Developing a Research Plan

Creating a solid research plan is crucial for the success of your thesis. It helps you stay organized and ensures that you cover all necessary aspects of your research.

Writing the Thesis Introduction

Establishing context.

Starting your thesis introduction can be daunting, but it's crucial for setting the stage for your research. Establishing the context for your study helps readers understand the background and significance of your work. This section should provide a clear overview of what your thesis will cover, making it easier for readers to follow your arguments.

Crafting a Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement is the heart of your introduction. Typically, it is placed at the end of the introductory paragraph. This statement should succinctly present the main argument or focus of your thesis, guiding the reader on what to expect.

Justifying the Research Problem

Once you have your research question, you need to justify why it is important. Explain the significance of your research problem in the context of existing literature. Highlight the gaps your research aims to fill and how it will contribute to the field. This step is crucial for crafting a bachelor thesis that stands out.

Structuring the Research Paper

Organizing sections.

A well-structured research paper is essential for clarity and coherence. Start by dividing your paper into key sections: Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion. Each section should serve a specific purpose and contribute to the overall argument of your paper. Organize your research by identifying main topics and subtopics, gathering relevant sources, and summarizing key points. This will help you maintain a logical flow throughout your paper.

Ensuring Logical Flow

Ensuring a logical flow between sections and paragraphs is crucial. Use transitions to connect ideas and guide the reader through your arguments. Each paragraph should begin with a clear topic sentence that introduces the main idea, followed by supporting evidence and analysis. This approach not only enhances readability but also strengthens your argument.

Maintaining Coherence

Coherence is achieved when all parts of your paper work together to support your thesis statement. To maintain coherence, make sure each section and paragraph aligns with your research objectives. Regularly review your work to ensure that your ideas are presented logically and that your voice remains dominant. Cite sources carefully to avoid plagiarism and to give credit to the original authors.

Data Collection and Analysis

Choosing data collection methods.

Selecting the right data collection methods is crucial for the success of your research. Data collection is the process of gathering, measuring, and analyzing accurate data. Consider methods such as surveys, interviews, or experiments based on your research needs. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses, so choose the one that best fits your study.

Analyzing Data Accurately

Once you have collected your data, the next step is to analyze it accurately. Use statistical tools and software to help you interpret the data. Create tables and graphs to illustrate your findings clearly. This will help you present your results in a structured and understandable way.

Interpreting Results

Interpreting your results is an essential part of your thesis. Discuss how your findings relate to your research questions and the existing literature. Highlight the significance of your analyses and the reliability of your findings. This will help you draw meaningful conclusions and provide valuable insights into your research topic.

Drafting and Revising the Paper

Writing the First Draft

Start by writing your first draft without worrying too much about perfection. Focus on getting your ideas down on paper. This initial draft is your chance to explore your thoughts and structure your argument. Remember, the goal is to create a foundation that you can build upon.

Incorporating Feedback

Once you have a draft, it's time to incorporate feedback. Share your work with your thesis supervisor and peers. Their insights can help you see your work from different perspectives and identify areas for improvement. Revising is a continuous process of re-seeing your writing. It involves considering larger issues like focus, organization, and audience.

Polishing the Final Draft

Finally, polish your final draft. Pay attention to grammar, punctuation, and formatting. Ensure that your thesis is clear, concise, and free of errors. This step is crucial for making a strong impression and effectively communicating your research findings.

Proper Formatting and Citation

Adhering to style guides.

When formatting your research paper, it's crucial to follow the specific style guide recommended by your institution. Common styles include APA, MLA, and Chicago. Each style has its own set of rules for formatting headings, tables, and references. Adhering to these guidelines ensures your paper meets academic standards and is easy to read.

Citing Sources Correctly

Citing your sources correctly is essential to avoid plagiarism and give credit to the original authors. Typically, a citation can include the author's name, date, location of the publishing company, journal title, or DOI (Digital Object Identifier) . Use the citation style specified by your university, such as APA or MLA . For example, in APA format, an in-text citation might look like this: (Smith, 2020).

Avoiding Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious academic offense. To avoid it, always cite the sources you use in your research. This not only gives credit to the original authors but also adds credibility to your work. Use tools like Grammarly’s Citation Generator to ensure your citations are flawless and your paper is free from plagiarism.

Maintaining Academic Integrity

Understanding academic integrity.

Academic integrity is the foundation of any scholarly work. It involves being honest and responsible in your research and writing. Maintaining academic integrity ensures that your work is credible and respected. It also means giving proper credit to the original authors of the sources you use. This practice not only helps you avoid plagiarism but also strengthens your arguments by backing them up with credible sources.

Strategies to Avoid Plagiarism

To avoid plagiarism, always cite your sources correctly. Use a consistent citation style, such as APA or MLA, and make sure to include all necessary information. Here are some tips to help you:

• Paraphrase information in your own words and cite the source.
• Use quotation marks for direct quotes and include a citation.
• Keep track of all the sources you consult during your research.
• Use plagiarism detection tools to check your work before submission.

Ensuring Originality

Ensuring the originality of your work is crucial. This means that your ideas and findings should be your own, even if they are based on existing research. Here are some ways to ensure originality:

• Conduct thorough research to understand what has already been done in your field.
• Identify gaps in the existing research and focus on filling those gaps with your work.
• Develop your own unique perspective or approach to the topic.
• Regularly review and revise your work to ensure it reflects your original ideas.

By following these steps, you can maintain academic integrity and produce a research paper that is both credible and original.

Finalizing the Research Paper

Proofreading and editing.

Before submitting your research paper, it's crucial to proofread and edit your work thoroughly. Start by reviewing the content for clarity and coherence. Ensure that each section flows logically and that your arguments are well-supported. Pay close attention to grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, as these can detract from the professionalism of your paper. Consider reading your paper aloud or using a text-to-speech tool to catch mistakes you might have missed.

Preparing for Submission

Once you have polished your paper, it's time to prepare it for submission. Make sure you adhere to the specific formatting guidelines provided by your institution or the journal you are submitting to. This includes checking the font style and size, margins, and page numbering. Ensure that all citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required style guide, such as APA or MLA. Double-check that your paper meets all the submission requirements, including word count and any additional documents that need to be included.

Seeking Peer Review

Before finalizing your research paper, seek feedback from peers or mentors. A fresh set of eyes can provide valuable insights and help identify areas for improvement that you might have overlooked. Share your paper with colleagues or use online platforms to get constructive criticism. Incorporating feedback from others can enhance the quality of your work and ensure that your arguments are clear and compelling.

Wrapping up your research paper can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. Our step-by-step Thesis Action Plan is here to guide you through every stage, making the process smoother and less stressful. Ready to conquer your thesis challenges? Visit our website now and discover how we can help you achieve your academic goals.

Starting a research paper can seem overwhelming, but breaking it down into manageable steps makes the process much easier. By choosing a topic that interests you, conducting thorough research, and organizing your findings, you lay a strong foundation for your paper. Remember to create a clear thesis statement to guide your writing and keep your arguments focused. Drafting, revising, and seeking feedback are crucial steps to refine your work. Finally, ensure your paper is well-formatted and free of errors. With dedication and careful planning, you can successfully navigate the research paper writing process. Good luck!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i choose a research topic.

Start by thinking about what interests you. Pick a topic that you find fun and fulfilling. This will keep you motivated throughout your research. Also, make sure there are enough resources available on the topic.

Why is a research question important?

A research question guides your study, helping you focus on a specific issue. It makes your research more organized and meaningful.

What is the purpose of a literature review?

A literature review helps you understand what has already been studied about your topic. It shows gaps in the research that your study can fill.

How do I create a research plan?

Outline your methodology, create a timeline, and allocate resources. This helps you stay organized and ensures you cover all necessary aspects of your research.

What should be included in the thesis introduction?

Your thesis introduction should establish the context, present your thesis statement, and justify the research problem. This sets the stage for your study.

How do I ensure my research paper is well-structured?

Organize your sections logically, ensure a smooth flow of ideas, and maintain coherence throughout the paper. Each part should connect well with the others.

What are the best methods for data collection and analysis?

Choose methods that best suit your research needs, such as surveys, interviews, or experiments. Use statistical tools to analyze data accurately and interpret your results.

How can I avoid plagiarism in my research paper?

Always cite your sources correctly and follow the citation style recommended by your institution. Use plagiarism checkers to ensure your work is original.

Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics: A Fun and Informative Guide

Unlocking the Power of Data: A Review of 'Essentials of Modern Business Statistics with Microsoft Excel'

Discovering Statistics Using SAS: A Comprehensive Review

How to Deal with a Total Lack of Motivation, Stress, and Anxiety When Finishing Your Master's Thesis

Mastering the First Step: How to Start Your Thesis with Confidence

Thesis Revision Made Simple: Techniques for Perfecting Your Academic Work

Thesis Action Plan

Integrating Calm into Your Study Routine: The Power of Mindfulness in Education

How to determine the perfect research proposal length.

• Blog Articles
• Affiliate Program
• Terms and Conditions
• Payment and Shipping Terms
• Privacy Policy
• Return Policy

© 2024 Research Rebels, All rights reserved.

Your cart is currently empty.

• USC Libraries
• Research Guides

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

• Reading Research Effectively
• Purpose of Guide
• Design Flaws to Avoid
• Independent and Dependent Variables
• Glossary of Research Terms
• Narrowing a Topic Idea
• Broadening a Topic Idea
• Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
• Academic Writing Style
• Applying Critical Thinking
• Choosing a Title
• Making an Outline
• Paragraph Development
• Research Process Video Series
• Executive Summary
• The C.A.R.S. Model
• Background Information
• The Research Problem/Question
• Theoretical Framework
• Citation Tracking
• Content Alert Services
• Evaluating Sources
• Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Tiertiary Sources
• Scholarly vs. Popular Publications
• Qualitative Methods
• Quantitative Methods
• Insiderness
• Using Non-Textual Elements
• Limitations of the Study
• Common Grammar Mistakes
• Writing Concisely
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Footnotes or Endnotes?
• Further Readings
• Generative AI and Writing
• USC Libraries Tutorials and Other Guides
• Bibliography

Reading a Scholarly Article or Research Paper

Identifying a research problem to investigate requires a preliminary search for and critical review of the literature in order to gain an understanding about how scholars have examined a topic. Scholars rarely structure research studies in a way that can be followed like a story; they are complex and detail-intensive and often written in a descriptive and conclusive narrative form. However, in the social and behavioral sciences, journal articles and stand-alone research reports are generally organized in a consistent format that makes it easier to compare and contrast studies and interpret their findings.

General Reading Strategies

W hen you first read an article or research paper, focus on asking specific questions about each section. This strategy can help with overall comprehension and with understanding how the content relates [or does not relate] to the problem you want to investigate. As you review more and more studies, the process of understanding and critically evaluating the research will become easier because the content of what you review will begin to coalescence around common themes and patterns of analysis. Below are recommendations on how to read each section of a research paper effectively. Note that the sections to read are out of order from how you will find them organized in a journal article or research paper.

1.  Abstract

The abstract summarizes the background, methods, results, discussion, and conclusions of a scholarly article or research paper. Use the abstract to filter out sources that may have appeared useful when you began searching for information but, in reality, are not relevant. Questions to consider when reading the abstract are:

• Is this study related to my question or area of research?
• What is this study about and why is it being done ?
• What is the working hypothesis or underlying thesis?
• What is the primary finding of the study?
• Are there words or terminology that I can use to either narrow or broaden the parameters of my search for more information?

2.  Introduction

If, after reading the abstract, you believe the paper may be useful, focus on examining the research problem and identifying the questions the author is trying to address. This information is usually located within the first few paragraphs of the introduction or in the concluding paragraph. Look for information about how and in what way this relates to what you are investigating. In addition to the research problem, the introduction should provide the main argument and theoretical framework of the study and, in the last paragraphs of the introduction, describe what the author(s) intend to accomplish. Questions to consider when reading the introduction include:

• What is this study trying to prove or disprove?
• What is the author(s) trying to test or demonstrate?
• What do we already know about this topic and what gaps does this study try to fill or contribute a new understanding to the research problem?
• Why should I care about what is being investigated?
• Will this study tell me anything new related to the research problem I am investigating?

3.  Literature Review

The literature review describes and critically evaluates what is already known about a topic. Read the literature review to obtain a big picture perspective about how the topic has been studied and to begin the process of seeing where your potential study fits within the domain of prior research. Questions to consider when reading the literature review include:

• W hat other research has been conducted about this topic and what are the main themes that have emerged?
• What does prior research reveal about what is already known about the topic and what remains to be discovered?
• What have been the most important past findings about the research problem?
• How has prior research led the author(s) to conduct this particular study?
• Is there any prior research that is unique or groundbreaking?
• Are there any studies I could use as a model for designing and organizing my own study?

4.  Discussion/Conclusion

The discussion and conclusion are usually the last two sections of text in a scholarly article or research report. They reveal how the author(s) interpreted the findings of their research and presented recommendations or courses of action based on those findings. Often in the conclusion, the author(s) highlight recommendations for further research that can be used to develop your own study. Questions to consider when reading the discussion and conclusion sections include:

• What is the overall meaning of the study and why is this important? [i.e., how have the author(s) addressed the " So What? " question].
• What do you find to be the most important ways that the findings have been interpreted?
• What are the weaknesses in their argument?
• Do you believe conclusions about the significance of the study and its findings are valid?
• What limitations of the study do the author(s) describe and how might this help formulate my own research?
• Does the conclusion contain any recommendations for future research?

5.  Methods/Methodology

The methods section describes the materials, techniques, and procedures for gathering information used to examine the research problem. If what you have read so far closely supports your understanding of the topic, then move on to examining how the author(s) gathered information during the research process. Questions to consider when reading the methods section include:

• Did the study use qualitative [based on interviews, observations, content analysis], quantitative [based on statistical analysis], or a mixed-methods approach to examining the research problem?
• What was the type of information or data used?
• Could this method of analysis be repeated and can I adopt the same approach?
• Is enough information available to repeat the study or should new data be found to expand or improve understanding of the research problem?

6.  Results

After reading the above sections, you should have a clear understanding of the general findings of the study. Therefore, read the results section to identify how key findings were discussed in relation to the research problem. If any non-textual elements [e.g., graphs, charts, tables, etc.] are confusing, focus on the explanations about them in the text. Questions to consider when reading the results section include:

• W hat did the author(s) find and how did they find it?
• Does the author(s) highlight any findings as most significant?
• Are the results presented in a factual and unbiased way?
• Does the analysis of results in the discussion section agree with how the results are presented?
• Is all the data present and did the author(s) adequately address gaps?
• What conclusions do you formulate from this data and does it match with the author's conclusions?

7.  References

The references list the sources used by the author(s) to document what prior research and information was used when conducting the study. After reviewing the article or research paper, use the references to identify additional sources of information on the topic and to examine critically how these sources supported the overall research agenda. Questions to consider when reading the references include:

• Do the sources cited by the author(s) reflect a diversity of disciplinary viewpoints, i.e., are the sources all from a particular field of study or do the sources reflect multiple areas of study?
• Are there any unique or interesting sources that could be incorporated into my study?
• What other authors are respected in this field, i.e., who has multiple works cited or is cited most often by others?
• What other research should I review to clarify any remaining issues or that I need more information about?

NOTE:   A final strategy in reviewing research is to copy and paste the title of the source [journal article, book, research report] into Google Scholar . If it appears, look for a "cited by" reference followed by a hyperlinked number under the record [e.g., Cited by 45]. This number indicates how many times the study has been subsequently cited in other, more recently published works. This strategy, known as citation tracking, can be an effective means of expanding your review of pertinent literature based on a study you have found useful and how scholars have cited it. The same strategies described above can be applied to reading articles you find in the list of cited by references.

Reading Tip

Specific Reading Strategies

Effectively reading scholarly research is an acquired skill that involves attention to detail and an ability to comprehend complex ideas, data, and theoretical concepts in a way that applies logically to the research problem you are investigating. Here are some specific reading strategies to consider.

As You are Reading

• Focus on information that is most relevant to the research problem; skim over the other parts.
• As noted above, read content out of order! This isn't a novel; you want to start with the spoiler to quickly assess the relevance of the study.
• Think critically about what you read and seek to build your own arguments; not everything may be entirely valid, examined effectively, or thoroughly investigated.
• Look up the definitions of unfamiliar words, concepts, or terminology. A good scholarly source is Credo Reference .

Taking notes as you read will save time when you go back to examine your sources. Here are some suggestions:

• Mark or highlight important text as you read [e.g., you can use the highlight text  feature in a PDF document]
• Take notes in the margins [e.g., Adobe Reader offers pop-up sticky notes].
• Highlight important quotations; consider using different highlighting colors to differentiate between quotes and other types of important text.
• Summarize key points about the study at the end of the paper. To save time, these can be in the form of a concise bulleted list of statements [e.g., intro provides useful historical background; lit review has important sources; good conclusions].

Write down thoughts that come to mind that may help clarify your understanding of the research problem. Here are some examples of questions to ask yourself:

• Do I understand all of the terminology and key concepts?
• Do I understand the parts of this study most relevant to my topic?
• What specific problem does the research address and why is it important?
• Are there any issues or perspectives the author(s) did not consider?
• Do I have any reason to question the validity or reliability of this research?
• How do the findings relate to my research interests and to other works which I have read?

Adapted from text originally created by Holly Burt, Behavioral Sciences Librarian, USC Libraries, April 2018.

Another Reading Tip

When is it Important to Read the Entire Article or Research Paper

Laubepin argues, "Very few articles in a field are so important that every word needs to be read carefully." * However, this implies that some studies are worth reading carefully if they directly relate to understanding the research problem. As arduous as it may seem, there are valid reasons for reading a study from beginning to end. Here are some examples:

• Studies Published Very Recently .  The author(s) of a recent, well written study will provide a survey of the most important or impactful prior research in the literature review section. This can establish an understanding of how scholars in the past addressed the research problem. In addition, the most recently published sources will highlight what is known and what gaps in understanding currently exist about a topic, usually in the form of the need for further research in the conclusion .
• Surveys of the Research Problem .  Some papers provide a comprehensive analytical overview of the research problem. Reading this type of study can help you understand underlying issues and discover why scholars have chosen to investigate the topic. This is particularly important if the study was published recently because the author(s) should cite all or most of the important prior research on the topic. Note that, if it is a long-standing problem, there may be studies that specifically review the literature to identify gaps that remain. These studies often include the word "review" in their title [e.g., Hügel, Stephan, and Anna R. Davies. "Public Participation, Engagement, and Climate Change Adaptation: A Review of the Research Literature." Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change 11 (July-August 2020): https://doi.org/10.1002/ wcc.645].
• Highly Cited .  If you keep coming across the same citation to a study while you are reviewing the literature, this implies it was foundational in establishing an understanding of the research problem or the study had a significant impact within the literature [either positive or negative]. Carefully reading a highly cited source can help you understand how the topic emerged and how it motivated scholars to further investigate the problem. It also could be a study you need to cite as foundational in your own paper to demonstrate to the reader that you understand the roots of the problem.
• Historical Overview .  Knowing the historical background of a research problem may not be the focus of your analysis. Nevertheless, carefully reading a study that provides a thorough description and analysis of the history behind an event, issue, or phenomenon can add important context to understanding the topic and what aspect of the problem you may want to examine further.
• Innovative Methodological Design .  Some studies are significant and should be read in their entirety because the author(s) designed a unique or innovative approach to researching the problem. This may justify reading the entire study because it can motivate you to think creatively about also pursuing an alternative or non-traditional approach to examining your topic of interest. These types of studies are generally easy to identify because they are often cited in others works because of their unique approach to examining the research problem.
• Cross-disciplinary Approach .  R eviewing studies produced outside of your discipline is an essential component of investigating research problems in the social and behavioral sciences. Consider reading a study that was conducted by author(s) based in a different discipline [e.g., an anthropologist studying political cultures; a study of hiring practices in companies published in a sociology journal]. This approach can generate a new understanding or a unique perspective about the topic . If you are not sure how to search for studies published in a discipline outside of your major or of the course you are taking, contact a librarian for assistance.

* Laubepin, Frederique. How to Read (and Understand) a Social Science Journal Article . Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ISPSR), 2013

Shon, Phillip Chong Ho. How to Read Journal Articles in the Social Sciences: A Very Practical Guide for Students . 2nd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2015; Lockhart, Tara, and Mary Soliday. "The Critical Place of Reading in Writing Transfer (and Beyond): A Report of Student Experiences." Pedagogy 16 (2016): 23-37; Maguire, Moira, Ann Everitt Reynolds, and Brid Delahunt. "Reading to Be: The Role of Academic Reading in Emergent Academic and Professional Student Identities." Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice 17 (2020): 5-12.

• << Previous: 1. Choosing a Research Problem
• Next: Narrowing a Topic Idea >>
• Last Updated: Aug 29, 2024 11:05 AM
• URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide