- Image via Wikipedia
You are doing a research project for work or school, but just can’t seem to find the information you are looking for. Besides, how do you know you can trust the information you are finding? You really don’t have time to go to the library, besides you have a computer at home with internet access and it is much easier and faster to find information online. You know that not everything you read online can be trusted or is based on anything factual. So, how can you find the information you are looking for, stick to the facts, and finish your project on time?
Start by trying several different search engines entering your keywords in different ways. Not all search engines are the same. They will not all bring up the same information or in the same way. For examples if are researching-how to teach a dog new tricks,’ you can try several variations on your search to find the information you are want, such as: “how to teach dogs to fetch,” or “teaching dogs new tricks,” or “old dog, new tricks.” You get the picture. By just changing the way you word things, switching some words around, and/or adding specifics to your search you can change your results drastically.
So, how can you trust that the information you are bringing up in your search is giving you trustworthy, reliable information? The best option is to simply look at the source of the information. Is this just simply someone’s own personal opinion or is it coming from a more reliable source such as a business website, national organization website, etc. Depending on the information you are looking for and how accurate you need it to be, the source of the information can be important. Sometimes you just want someone’s personal opinion, but other times you need a more reliable source such as a national organization, medical website, or business site.
