Encyclopedia: It is good practice to check an encyclopedia first to get a general idea or overview of your topic and choose some helpful search terms. The Encyclopedia Britannica is linked to the library home page: http://balfour.rbe.sk.ca/library
Google Searching: use these ways to search:
- Use quotation marks to search two or more words as one term (example: names "Homer Simpson")
- Use individual key words in a string (important words not small joining words like a, an, the, but, etc.) Do not ask question or write regular English.
- Use the "pages from Canada" button
- Scan through the suggested sites and refine your search
Domain names can inform you about the source of the information.
.com
.gc.ca
.org
.net
.mil
.gov
.edu
.uk
.nz
.ca
.gc.ca
.org
.net
.mil
.gov
.edu
.uk
.nz
.ca
Personal web pages: Caution: What is this person's expertise and bias?
- Tilde ~ in the address
- Someone's name in the address
- Use of ‘users' or ‘members' in the address
Check out the website:
- Look at the "about us" or "contact us" links.
- Check the home page for the website.
- Find the date - often at the very bottom of the page.
- Who is responsible for this website and what is their purpose for publishing this? - to inform, to sell, to entertain, to persuade?
