Helping Your Student With Online Research

Doing great research comes down to finding resources that are valid and useful. It's easy to use a search engine and use the first webpages that come up...but that's sort of like trying to get dressed without the lights on. You might grab a bunch of stuff and not see what it really is. Next thing you know, you're wearing plaid with stripes...or getting low grades. Yikes!

Let's get some definitions out of the way first:
PATHFINDER - A listing of websites, books, journals, or magazine articles that provide insight and a good start on knowledge pertaining to a particular topic.
JOURNALS - Academic work that is peer-reviewed and/or not supported through commercial sponsorship.
MAGAZINES - Non-academic reading usually supported through commercial means.


So let's look at some websites...

http://www.mel.org/ - The Michigan Electronic Library
This site, sponsored by the state of Michigan, allows those with a Michigan Drivers License or library card to use pathfinders and databases.

http://www.ipl.org/ - The Internet Public Library
Great homework help in the TeenSpace section. Superior pathfinders that will get you started on any number of topics. Developed by librarians, kept up to date by librarians.

http://www.bjpinchbeck.com/ - BJ Pinchbeck
What started as a weekend hobby for BJ and his Dad ended up being a website that is amazing.

http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html - OpenCourseWare at MIT
Take classes, at MIT, for FREE. Or simply use the course information as a jumping off point for research.

http://www.loc.gov/index.html - The Library of Congress Homepage
If it doesn't help you with homework, it will atleast fascinate you interesting content.

http://www.nasa.gov/ - The NASA Homepage
They put people in space...they won't steer you wrong on homework.


Not All Search Tools Are Equal...

http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html
Use this link to Noodle Tools to give you information on the types of Search Engines out there...