Students’ Guide to Web Search
Sure, the Internet is filled with cool sites like MySpace and YouTube, and lots of sites overflowing with information and help for homework assignments. But how do you know if a Web site is a good one? How do you know if the information it contains is truly reliable? The Students' Guide to Web Search helps you learn how to tell a good site from a garbage site, and shows you how to start searching smart.
Expand All Guide SectionsHow Search Engines Work
Using search engines such as Google or Yahoo is one of the fastest ways to find information on the Internet. Knowing how search engines work can help you get the most out of your search experience. Use this section to learn what search engines are and how they gather results.
Insights for How Search Engines Work
- Instead of using people to choose sites, search engines use a complex math equation (called an algorithm) to figure out what sites match a search term the best. An algorithm can’t determine if 5.8 million results are more than you need, or if the sites have useful or reliable information—that part is up to you.
Top Sites for How Search Engines Work
To learn how search engines work …
Webopedia has an article called “How Web Search Engines Work” that covers the basics of how search engines gather results on the Web.
HowStuffWorks has a detailed explanation of how search engines work, using helpful graphics to make the concepts clear.
Using Search Engines to Get Better Search Results
Did you know there are lots of ways to make search engines find better results? There are even special search engines for different subjects, and there are some search engines that search many other search engines at the same time. Using search engines to get better search results is easy with help from the sites below.
Insights for Getting Better Search Results
- Remembering a few simple tricks can help you find exactly what you’re looking for on the Web. Make search engines work for you with tips for better Web searches.
Top Sites for Getting Better Search Results
For search engines and directories …
SweetSearch, “A Search Engine for Students,” searches only 35,000 Web sites that have been evaluated and approved by a staff of Internet research experts, and librarian and teacher consultants. It lets students choose the most relevant results from a list of credible results, rather than having to waste time on unreliable sites.
Ask Kids is a simple and straightforward search engine that also has news sources and study help for a number of school subjects. Choose one of the topics on the left to get started, or enter your search term in the search field.
KidsClick is a search engine that lists results with descriptions of what each site offers. The site also provides a link to other helpful search tools.
Librarians’ Internet Index is a collection of Web sites hand-selected by librarians. Each site is listed with a short description. Although some of the links in this index were added years ago, this is still a good place to look for trustworthy sites.
Ivy’s Search Engine Resources for Kids has a collection of search fields for many of the best search engines. Scroll down to “Specialized Searches for Kids” to find search engines that specialize on cool topics like animals, webcams and space exploration.
Who knew?
Quintura for Kids is a great tool to use when you run out of ideas for keywords. Enter a search term in the “Find” field and Quintura creates a word cloud above the search box, and lists your search results below. Click on one of Quintura’s suggested words in the word cloud and you’ll get a new set of search results.
Evaluating Web Sites
Search engines can’t tell whether a site has reliable or credible information. Even search results from specialized search engines created especially for young adults still need to be evaluated to make sure that the results are worthwhile. That’s where you come in. Learn how to take a close look at a Web site and find out why evaluating web sites is so important.
Insights for Evaluating Web Sites
- No matter what you search for, one of the top results that you’ll often get is Wikipedia. Wikipedia allows anyone to add or edit information, and doesn’t verify whether that information is accurate or correct. Though Wikipedia is okay for reading about pop culture and nonacademic matters, it can't be considered a reliable source of information for study or school projects. Learn more about Wikipedia and how it works.
- For a more in-depth look at how to determine if a site is trustworthy, see the “Web Site Credibility” section of the Guide to Web Search.
Top Sites for Evaluating Web Sites
For guides to evaluating Web sites …
Internet Detective has tips about researching online. Learn how to assess the value of a site by heading directly to “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." This page covers online hoaxes, spoofs, scams and some common ways to spot them, along with a few real-world examples.
Multnomah County Library provides a few questions to ask when figuring out if a site is trustworthy, and things to watch out for (such as an overload of advertisements).
UC Berkeley Library has a slightly more advanced guide to evaluating Web sites. Learn why the URL is important, and how to tell if the quality of the information meets high standards.
Starting an Online Research Project
The most obvious places to start looking for facts online are search engines, but they’re not always the best places to get reliable information. Library Web pages are also an excellent source of trustworthy information you can use for school projects and papers. If you're starting an online research project, use the sites below to find the best sources for conducting research, and learn how to cite (give credit to) the sources of your research.
Insights for Starting an Online Research Project
- At-home researchers can get search tips from libraries or librarians by going onto a school or county library Web site from their own computers. These sites often have sections specifically for students, including homework help resources. Libweb lists library Web sites by state.
- Students need to keep track of where they get their information (online or otherwise), and cite (that is, give credit to) the sources used in their reports or papers. The sites in this section help track and create citations for Web (or any other) reference material. We explain how to credit a source for your bibliography in the “How to Cite a Source” section of our Guide to Web Search. When creating citations for a class, check with a teacher to see what citation style is needed.
- Learn how to use lots of cool tools, like Delicious and StumbleUpon, to organize your research in the “Social Bookmarking Tools” section of our Guide to Web Search.
- For Web resources that can help you with homework, be sure to see the “Elementary, Middle and High School Student Resources” section of the Education Web Guide.
Top Sites for Starting an Online Research Project
To start researching …
American Association of School Librarians walks you through the research process and has links to sites with information about each step, beginning with brainstorming.
For more information about plagiarism …
Plagiarism.org explains what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. You'll also find tips for developing good research and writing skills.
Who knew?
Copyright Kids has information about copyright law, how to get permission to use copyrighted material and even how to copyright original material.
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