Research Tips
Where do I start online research?
You may begin your online research by using a search engine, a website that may be searched to find topical websites. While this tactic does usually find relevant information, it may not be the best way to begin.
In the Library, we often start research by getting an overview of a topic from an encyclopedia. We often recommend Encyclopedia Britannica Academic or Encylopedia Britannica School for younger researchers. A Spanish version is also available.
Another good starting place is full text databases that contain articles from magazines and newspapers. Because these databases are searchable by names and keywords, they often identify and link to articles on the topics of research. Riverhead Free Library subscribes to several useful databases.
How do I choose really good keywords to search?
When you use a search engine, an encyclopedia, or a full text database online, you will start by choosing keywords to search. The success of your search always rides on your choice of words. A good tactic is start with a very specific word or words that you expect to find in titles or text about your topic. If the results of the search are minimal, then you should try alternate or broader terms.
Is it good to use many keywords to narrow a search?
No. As a first tactic, we recommend fewer, more specific keywords. Using too many keywords will sometimes eliminate useful websites from your results lists because a keyword was not found on those websites. If your initial search yields too many irrelevant results, then add more keywords to the search.
Are there better search engines than Google?
While Google is a very powerful tool for finding websites with the information you seek, it is not the only useful search engine. There are many, including Yahoo!, Ask.com, and Bing. Information professionals debate the relative merits of each all the time.