| Bookmark this page for help with research! |
Evelyn Smith
Ph. D. in English, Texas Christian University (1995)
Internet users have access to a large variety of reference sites that go beyond Wikipedia, linking researchers to a tremendous number of free-of-charge, verifiable research sources. Although access to reference Websites on the Internet does not do away with the need to access database subscription sources available through most public library, such as the Waco-McLennan County Library as well as academic libraries, knowing how to research Online and evaluate Online sources will take the researcher were he or she has not so boldly gone before. Instructors should also appreciate public access to these vetted Websites:
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Gil, P. (2013, March). How proper Online research works. About.com. Computing: Internet for Beginners. Retrieved from http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/navigatingthenet/tp/How-to-Properly-Research-Online.htm
Website provides topics into hard (fact-based, verifiable),
soft (opinion-based), and combined research, instructs the user on determining
whether Online sources are appropriate to particular topics, helps him or her
understand how to use keywords, bookmark sources, evaluate Web-based content,
quote and cite sources, choose a research friendly browser, as well as
providing links to academic journals, which the researcher may—or may not—be able to
connect to from a local public or university library. Most Texas libraries, for example, can
connect to Online subscription databases through TexShare.
Gil, P. (2011, September 1). Student’s quick guide for Internet research. About.com.
Computing: Internet for Beginners. Retrieved from http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/internet101/a/Students-Quick-Reference-Guide-to-Internet-Research.htm
Gil provides links especially geared either to the high
school or college student as well as offering a plagiarism detector and a
plagiarism protector. He also provides neophyte researchers with how to tips for
writing research papers, biographies, essays, and how to cite sources.
Godleski,
N., Lincove, D., & Mudrock, T. et
al. (2008, January 10). Using primary sources
on the Web. Reference & User
Services Association. American Library
Association. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/rusa/sections/history/resources/pubs/usingprimarysources
RUSA, the ALA's reference librarian’s association,
defines what are primary sources, explains how to find primary sources Online, and describes how to evaluate Websites--looking at their URLs, and
determining the site’s credentials and purpose. RUSA then clarifies how to
determine the origins of primary documents and gives directions on how to
properly cite sources.
Schwartz, K. L. (n. d.). Learning to research on the Web.
Retrieved from http://www.ipl.org/div/aplus/internet.htm
This Internet Public Library site page helps the user understand
how to use search engines, tell the difference between a search engine and
an directory, and learn “essential” browser skills.
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Reference
Management Guides
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| Learn how to research and cite references. |
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). (2013). Research & citation services. Internet Reference. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/
Purdue’s OWL link explains how to use the American Psychiatric Association's APA Publication Manual as well as offering a similar link on how to use the latest Modern Language Association's MLA Handbook. Different universities as well as departments within a university ordinarily require the citing resources according to one of these guides rather than the other. However, during the course of a university career, a student will most probably need to become familiar with both citation manuals.
Zotero. (n. d.). Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and the New Media. Retrieved from http://www.zotero.org/
Download helps researchers collect, organize, and cite sources using various publication formats.
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General Reference Websites
| Try the Websites below for vetted resources. |
Boswell, W. (n. d.). Best reference sites online. About.com. Retrieved from http://websearch.about.com/od/internetresearch/a/newsreference.htm
About.com provides a large collection of links, each of
which provides a collection of even more links, including generalized sites like
Ref.desk.com, Info Please, and ipl2 as well as more specialized links like the
Physicians Desk Reference and Educators Reference Desk.
Feller, T. R. (n. d.).
Websites for research. Palm Beach
Atlantic University. Retrieved from http://library.pba.edu/Research_Websites.htm
Palm
Beach Atlantic University Websites provides links to general reference Webpages,
reference assistance Websites, help with English/Writing,search
engines, including Open Directory, and Websites providing reference sites by
subject--science, health, medicine history/political science, psychology and
sociology, education (ERIC), weather, media, and online newspapers, US
government resources, and foreign language dictionaries.
Indiana State Library.
(n. d.). Web-based library reference
tools. IN.Gov. Retrieved from http://www.in.gov/library/2461.htm
Researchers don’t have to live in the Hoosier state to
find links to search engine, dictionary, encyclopedia, map, thesaurus, and
translator services furnished by the Indiana State Library.
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Children's Online Reference
Sources
Great Websites for kids. (2013). Association for Library Service for
Children. American Library Association.
Retrieved from http://gws.ala.org/category/reference-desk
In addition to reference Web sites like the New York
Public Library and the New York Times Education Web pages, links take young
readers to links providing information about animals, the arts, history and
biography, literature and language, math and computers, science, and social
science.
___________
Specialized
Reference Services
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Chung, Jackson. (2008, December 14). Best reference sites for medical students. Make use of. Retrieved from http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/the-best-reference-sites-for-medical-students/
This informative Web site provides links to all kinds of vetted Medical sites, including Medical Student, Medical Matrix, The New England Journal of Medicine, Online Medical Dictionaries, Merck Manuals, Free Book Centre Medical Books, and the NCBI Bookshelf. Each one of these links, in turn, provides numerous other links; for example, Medical Student provides links to Pediatric Commons and PubMed as well as links to various medical journals and professional societies as well as handheld computer medical services.
Plous, S. (2013). Web-based reference tools. Social Psychology Network. Retrieved from http://www.socialpsychology.org/tools.htm
Websites provides users with searchable databases for psychology and sociology, including Mental Health Net and ERIC, Intuit, and Harvard MIT Data Center, survey research links, grant information, and online links to psychology and social science journals.
In addition to providing links for general reference Online resources for science students, like Science World and Science and Engineering Encyclopedia, this Website furnishes links to very subject-specific chemistry, biology, genetics, botany, zoology, geology, physics, astronomy and environmental sciences Websites.
Shocking! A Library with the Internet!
McGregor area residents who hold a Waco-McLennan County Public Library card may also
access research subscription databases Online using the library card number and
a password, including ERIC and Teacher Reference Center.
Texas Library Association
Warning:
Since most high school teachers and almost all college and university instructors will not accept many Online references because an editor does not vet them, students may need to turn to library subscription databases to complete their research.
Accordingly, McGregor residents who are also card-carrying Waco-McLennan County Library users can turn to a large array of databases for help.
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