Find quality web sites on the free web by using your favorite search engine (e.g. Google)
- Use advanced search features to make your search more effective.
- Use more than one search engine (for example, try Duck Duck Go) to find a wider variety of information, as search engines index different web sites.
- Monitor search engine pros and cons by checking sites like Search Engine Watch.
- Evaluate information you find on the free web! It's easy to find almost anything online, but read it with a critical eye.
Pay attention to what TYPE of thing you have found. For example:
- Did you find a .gov source? Government Documents are often credible and authoritative
- Did you use Google Scholar to find things? You've probably found articles and book citations with perhaps some links to full text.
- Did you end up with .com sites? What are their reputations? How current are they? How substantive are they? Ask questions.
