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Using the internet for research
ОглавлениеIf you do not have access to a library, searching for information on the internet using a search engine such as Google ™ can be a good option. Remember that the internet contains vast amounts of information, so good key word search skills are essential. Most search engines have advanced search options which allow you to use Boolean operators to narrow down your search. Sometimes these may appear as options such as ‘any of these words’ (= and) or ‘all of these words’ (= or).
Glossary
bias Bias is a tendency to prefer one person or thing to another, and to favour that person or thing.
When you search the internet, you also need to be able to identify academically credible sources within your search results. Whereas library catalogues and academic databases contain items which have been selected for their academic credibility, internet search results will automatically list any online material which contains your search terms. In addition, most web search engines are commercial businesses which rely on income from advertising. Companies may pay to have their web pages ranked higher in search results or to have their web pages advertised alongside. This means that you need to look carefully for commercial bias when selecting information for your essay.
Using a specialized search engine facility such as Google Scholar ™ can help because it lists scholarly publications such as journal articles, books, theses and so on; however, you still need to evaluate the source of the items you find listed.