Web Searching and Website Evaluation
Control What You See on the First Page of Google Results
Use Quotation Marks for an exact phrase - carefully: “food politics”, not “political implications of food use”
Use Essential Words only (no question formats). Starting a search with How... opens you up to spammers
Pre-limit Search to trusted Sites by including the phrase site: for example "food scarcity" site:gov, (other local or regional searches might use: site:und.edu or site:nd.gov)
Ensure you will connect with reports by including the phrase filetype:pdf for example "food scarcity" filetype:pdf
Look for data by including the phrase filetype:xls for example "food scarcity" filetype:xls
For More Tips visit Get More Out of Google Infographic
Utilize a Search Result List or Good Article for Better Searching
Pay attention to unfamiliar words, if you type "immigrants sending money home" and you see remittances in the results, redo your search with that term for better results
Use Control F (Find) on a results list or in a pdf instead of scanning with your eyes for the words you want to see, saves a lot of time
Look for People, Organizations (thinktanks, Universities, non-profits) and search those or visit their websites
Most Important Tip for Google Scholar Users
Make sure you are recognized as UND to avoid being prompted to pay for articles you already have access to - see the directions below.
- Searching Smartly on the InternetA powerpoint that covers the same material but with screenshots and more examples
Thanks to Tasha Bergson-Michelson, Instructional and Programming Librarian at Castilleja School (and former Search Educator @ Google) for the inspiration and some of the examples
Evaluating Websites: The CRAAP test
Currency – The information should be current or updated regularly. Consider: When was it produced? When was it updated? Is the information on the page outdated for your topic? Are the links current, updated regularly, or broken?
Relevance – The resource should add quality support for your argument. Consider: What does it add to your argument? Is this the best source for this information? Is the information appropriately complex? Would you be comfortable citing this source in your research paper?
Authority – The page should list the author’s credentials, provide a method of contact, and generally be a .gov, .edu, .org or .net site. Consider: Who wrote the page? What credentials are listed for author/s? Is the person qualified to write this information? Can you contact him or her? Look at the about page. What institution published the document? What qualifications do they have? Do they have a bias?
Accuracy – The information on the website should be supported by evidence, reviewed or refereed. You should be able to verify the sources used. Consider: How detailed is the information? Is the information supported by evidence? If so, are the sources cited correctly and evaluated? What types of sources are used? Can you verify them? Are there spelling, grammar, or typographical errors?
Purpose – The webpage should provide accurate, objective information with limited advertising. Consider: Why was this written and for whom? What opinions are expressed by the author? Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion? What goals or objectives does this page meet? How much advertising is on the page?
- CFL Evaluating Websites HandoutDetails on website evaluation
Using Google Scholar
Connecting Google Scholar to UND
- Go to scholar.google.com
- At the top left of Google Scholar, click on the 3 bars, a menu will pop up from the left
- From the menu, click on 'Settings'
- In settings, select 'Library links', this tab will have a search bar
- Type in University North Dakota
- Select 'UND - Find it @ UND' is checked
- For med students, check '...Find it @ SMHS' and leave @ UND unchecked
- Click 'Save'
- If you are logged in or have cookies enabled, these settings will remain saved
