Web Links

Planning a research project

• A guide to writing research papers
  From Capital Community College.
  

• Research and writing step by step
  From the Internet Public Library.

• Academic writing—research papers
  From the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
  

• Steps in the research and writing process
  From Youngstown State University.

Research journal

• Keeping a reading journal
  Tips on keeping a journal, from George Mason University.
  

• Keeping a research journal
  Tips on keeping a research journal; written for history students but useful for all fields, from Bowdoin College.

Finding a topic and question

• Discovering and choosing a topic
  Advice on finding a research topic, from the Internet Public Library.
  

• Developing a research question
  Advice on finding a research question, from Empire State College.

Research strategy

• Designing your search
  Information on research strategy, with a sample strategy, from Capital Community College.
  

• Research strategy
  Advice on developing a research strategy, from Queen's University.

Finding sources

• Library and information skills tutorial
  Basics of information research and library skills, from Capital Community College.

• Especially for researchers
  Research tools, online bibliographies, subject lists, and indexes to periodicals and abstracts, from the Library of Congress.

Keyword searches

• Comprehensive online research education
  A tutorial on keyword searches, from Purdue University.
  

• Keyword and subject searching: A comparison
  Advice on keyword searches, from Duke University.

Searching the library

• Gateway to library catalogs
  Access to hundreds of library catalogs at one site, from the Library of Congress.
  

• Learning to research in the library
  Advice on conducting library searches, from the Internet Public Library.
  

• Research tips
  Advice on finding sources in the library and on the Internet, from the University of Wisconsin - Parkside.
  

Online reference works

• Finding information: Books
  Advice on finding books, from Capital Community College.
  

• Finding information: Journals
  Advice on finding information in periodicals, from Capital Community College.
  

• Periodical directories
  Directories to periodicals, serials, journals, etc., from the Internet Public Library.
  

• Abstracts, indexes, and bibliographies for finding citations to periodical articles
  An extensive list of periodical indexes in every field, from the Library of Congress.
  

Searching the Web

• Internet search tools and techniques
  A tutorial for using Web search engines, from Okanagan University College.

• Searching the Internet
  Information about varying kinds of Web search engines, from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Web search engines

Directories that review sites

• BUBL Link
  

• Internet Public Library
  

• Internet Scout Project
  

• Librarians' Index to the Internet
  

Advanced and efficient search engines

• All the Web
  

• Google
  

Other search engines

• AltaVista
  

• Ask Jeeves
  

• Dogpile
  

• Excite
  

• Lycos
  

• MetaCrawler
  

• Yahoo!
  

• WWW Virtual Library
  Links to hundreds of indexes around the world.
  

• BUBL LINK
  Academic Web resources organized by subject, from Strathcylde University.
  

• INFOMINE
  Searches of scholarly Internet resources in the arts, humanities, sciences, and business and economics, along with links to journals and other resources, from the University of California.
  

• Internet Public Library
  Extensive reference sections and searchable online books and journals, from University of Michigan.
  

• Librarians' Index to the Internet
  A collection of subject-related links compiled by librarians, from The Library of California.
  

• Library of Congress
  Access to collections and services, legislative information, copyright information, FAQs, a search catalog of over 120 million items, and special presentations.

Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedias
  Links to online editions of general and specialized encyclopedias, from the Internet Public Library.
  

• Bartleby.com
  Excellent set of links to encyclopedias and many other reference works and literary texts, from Bartleby.com.

Dictionaries

• Dictionaries
  Links to online dictionaries, from the Internet Public Library.
  

• Bartleby.com
  Excellent set of links to dictionaries and many other reference works and literary texts, from Bartleby.com.

Almanacs

• Almanacs
  Links to online almanacs, from the Internet Public Library.
  

• Bartleby.com
  Excellent set of links to almanacs and many other reference works and literary texts, from Bartleby.com.

Library catalogs

• Gateway to library catalogs
  Access to hundreds of library catalogs, from the Library of Congress.

Biographies

• Biographies
  Links to online biographies, from the Internet Public Library.

Discussion lists, newsgroups, Web forums, synchronous communication

• Internet discussion and information lists
  A searchable index of e-mail discussion lists, from Tile.Net.
  

• Newsletters and discussions
  Searchable indexes of e-mail discussion lists by category, from Topica.
  

• Evaluating sources
  Useful tips for evaluating print and electronic sources,, from Empire State College.
  

• Evaluating sources of information
  Help with evaluating sources, from the Purdue Online Writing Lab.
  

• Evaluating Web resources
  Checklists for evaluating Web pages, from Widener University.

Synthesizing sources

• Synthesis writing
  Comprehensive information on synthesizing sources, from Drew University.

Note taking

• Taking notes
  Tips for taking notes during the research process, from Empire State College.
  

• Taking notes
  Practical tips on note-taking, from University of Victoria.

Summary, paraphrase, and quotation

• Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing
  Explanation of the differences among quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, as well as when and why to use each strategy, from the Purdue Online Writing Lab.
  

• Quoting and paraphrasing
  From the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
  

• Working with quotations
  Various strategies for incorporating and modifying quotations, with numerous examples, from Empire State College.
  

Integrating borrowed material

• Working with sources
  Extensive advice on incorporating source material, from Colorado State University.
  

• Using outside sources in your writing
  Detailed guidelines for integrating source material, from Colorado State University.

Avoiding plagiarism

• Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It
  Guidelines on how to avoid plagiarism, including examples of acceptable and unacceptable paraphrases, from Indiana University.
  

• Avoiding plagiarism
  Discussion of guidelines for American academic writing; includes exercise on sources that do and don't need to be documented; from the Purdue Online Writing Lab.
  

• A statement on plagiarism
  Examples of acceptable and unacceptable use of sources, from Capital Community College.
  

• United States Copyright Office
  Information about copyright laws and processes, from the Library of Congress.
  

• Copyright and fair use
  Discussion of use of copyrighted sources under "fair use" guidelines, from Stanford University.
  

• Crash course in copyright
  Guidelines on copyright law, from the University of Texas.

Documenting sources

• MLA Style
  Guidelines on using MLA style for in-text citations and lists of references, from Purdue Online Writing Lab.
  

• APA Style
  Guidelines on using APA style for in-text citations and lists of references, from Purdue Online Writing Lab.

Plagiarism detection sites

• Turnitin.com
  A plagiarism-checking site that includes links for students on research tips and avoiding plagiarism, form Turnitin.com
  

• Plagiarism self-detection
  Enables testing a sample from a paper to detect possible plagiarism, from Glatt Plagiarism Services.


• Educational CyberPlayground
  Links to plagiarism-detecting software and current plagiarism issues.