When conducting research on the Internet, there are three key strategies to remember: search, evaluate and utilize.

Searching Advantages

The Internet is a good resource to access information on current news, government and non-profit web sites, and recreation. It is free to search for people with access.

Searching Disadvantages

The Internet contains very little scholarly research. What can be found in the scholarly genre may not be reviewed, may not be organized, and may not be permanent.

Evaluation of Resources

Use the four Rs: Recent, Relevant, Reliable, Reason.

• Recent - when was the information published or updated? Is there newer information?
• Relevant - does the information answer your research question?
• Reliable - who authored or sponsored the information? Has the information been reviewed? Are the claims made in the information supported by references? What do other resources say about the topic?
• Reason - why was this information produced or made public? Does it justify a biased view?
• Utilizing Resources Integrity - give proper credit to any information used in your research, even if it is not copyrighted. Anything you find on the Internet should be cited because, if you can find it, anyone else can.
• Plagiarism can be avoided by developing good study habits. Take notes when you do research on the Internet, citing the web address, dates, author, article title, name of web site, name of publisher of the web site, the city where the publisher is located, and the date you accessed the web site. Manage your time well so you are not rushed.