This document provides tips for finding, evaluating, organizing, and citing online information for research assignments. It outlines a four step process: 1) using focused search terms on credible search engines, 2) evaluating sources based on author credentials and date, 3) organizing information collected from multiple sources, and 4) properly citing sources by paraphrasing and quoting with citations. The document also provides examples of formatting a bibliography in MLA style.

1. THE GOODS:
FINDING AND USING
GOOD ONLINE
INFORMATION
Quick Tips with Mohammed Avatar illustrations courtesy
of DoppleMe

2. The dreaded… the feared… the
assignment…
 We’ve seen the situation before:
 The teacher assigns a
research topic.
 Everyone runs online to find
answers.
 Heading to Google or
Wikipedia, you find MILLIONS
of hits based on a word or two
you entered as an initial
search.
 Hours can be wasted scanning
and clicking…scanning and
clicking… and, to make matters
worse, the assignment (including
a bibliography) is due at the end
of the week!©2010 Thinkstock

3. There has to be an easier
way…
 There are a few steps
you can take that
make this process
easier:
1. Find the info
2. Decide if it’s good or
not
3. Organize what you
find
4. Use the info
appropriately
©2010 Thinkstock

4. Use a good search engine
Focus your search
Step 1: Finding the
information

5. Step 1: Finding the information
 We all love Google. But if you
want to find sources that are
reliable, you may want to try a
different search engine.
 Having a clear purpose
helps you narrow your
search. Being specific in
your search text focuses
the results, but it may not
reduce the number of
them.
 For example, entering
“Martin Luther King Jr. +
biography” as your search
words will pull the websites
with biographical
information to the top of
your list.
Choose a good search engine Focus your search
Sweetsearch focuses on sources
that come from more credible
institutions.
http://www.sweetsearch.com
GoogleScholar is another good
one, if you want to stay in
GoogleLand.
http://www.scholar.google.com

6. Who is the author?
Who believes the author is smart?
How current and accurate is the
information?
Step 2: How can I know if the
information is good?

7. Step 2: Decide if the information is good or
not
Rule of
Thumb:
If you can’t
tell who
wrote it or
why, you
shouldn’t
trust the
source.
(Regardless of
how
professional the
site looks!)
©2010 Thinkstock

8. Step 2: How do I know who wrote
it?
 Credible authors show
themselves. They want you to
know who they are, and they
stake their reputation on what
they say.
 Aim for authors who have written
about your topic more than once.
They are more likely to have
more experience and have read
and thought about the subject
more than you have.
If you can’t find who
wrote it, chances are…
there’s a reason.
It makes more sense to
quote someone smart,
doesn’t it?
©2010 Thinkstock

9. Step 2: How do I know who wrote
it?
 Credible authors are
published by institutions that
have positions of authority.
 Or, more bluntly, people who
say stuff that matters have
folks who believe in their
work.
 Look at the URL (web
address). Is the website
hosted by an institution or is it
a free or personal website?
Tip: Look for copyright
information at the bottom of
the website.
©2010 Thinkstock

10. Step 2: You know the author is credible. You also
need to consider if the information is…
 How current is the
information? There
should be a copyright
year, a date of
publication or even a
date to show that the
website has been
revised recently.
 Can I confirm the facts
on the site are true?
 If they have been
researched, there will be
in-text references or
footnotes to show where
the author found the
information.
 Look at multiple sources
for the same information.
Current Verifiable
Besides, you’ll
need the
copyright year for
your bibliography.

11. Copy and Paste Saves Time Later
A Range of Sources Provides Depth
Sorting Helps You Focus
Step 3: Organizing
Information

12. Step 3: Mohammed’s top tips for
collecting information
Once you
have your
list of sites,
it’s time to
start
scanning for
information.
Remember:
It’s best to
collect info
from a
variety of
good
sources!
 I always have a MS Word
document open while I’m
searching.
 If I find info that I think might be
useful, I copy and paste into my
document, and I also copy and
paste the URL with the quote.
 I try to find information about the
agency/institution that sponsored
the site and copyright dates. This
info is usually found at the bottom
of the page.
 Just a quick copy and paste can
save you from having to go back to
the website later to do your
bibliography.

13. Step 3: Organizing Information
 Once you are satisfied that
you have information from
a range of good sources,
it’s time to sort through
your information.
 Color coding font or
highlighting might help
you.
 Copy and paste
information that is similar
together.Don’t forget to include the source
information with each quote! You
don’t want to lose track of where
you found the info!
©2010 Thinkstock

14. Step 3: Organizing your info
You should
see your
subtopics
start to
emerge.
For example,
you may
want to sort
your facts by
time
(chronologica
l)or by topic.
 Chronological: If you’re doing a
biography, you can break up the
person’s life into meaningful time
periods (childhood, working years, and
golden years).
 By Topic: You might want to identify
key dates in one paragraph, key
people who influenced that person in
another paragraph, and identify the
ways that person has influenced
society today in your final paragraph.

15. Own what you know. Credit what you don’t.
Step 4: Using Information
Properly

16. Step 4: Using information
properly.
 Straight up: This
means that you own
what you know.
 If you had to look
somewhere to find a
fact, you didn’t know
it.
 If you use that fact in
your paper, you have
to give props to the
person who told you.
 It’s that simple.
©2010 Thinkstock

17. Step 4: Rule #1
Best solution: It is better to
paraphrase.
 Read the info you
want to use, and put it
into your own words.
 Include the author’s
last name and the
year it was published
in brackets at the end
of the sentence. No
quotation marks
needed.
 E.g. (Winner, 2006).
©2010 Thinkstock

18. Step 4: Rule #2
If you have to quote, be quick
about it.
 If you decide to quote directly, be
brief. No long quotes.
 Anything over forty words needs
to be block quoted, and that‘s a
pain to do.
 At most, quote a phrase and
embed the quote right into your
own sentence. Put quotation
marks around the phrase you
quoted and then provide the
author and author’s info at the
end in brackets.
For example:
 Scout introduces her complex
relationship with Calpurnia, their
housekeeper: “Our battles were
epic and one-sided. Calpurnia
always won” (Lee 6).
 Author’s Name: Lee, Harper
 Page number where the
quote can be found: 6
 The full bibliography for the text
goes at the end of your paper.
Here, your reader knows to
check the bibliography for the
author named “Lee” if he/she
wants to find the text you used.
More importantly, your job
is make sense of what
you’ve read. If you’re using
long quotes all over the
place, it looks like you
haven’t thought about what
you read.

19. Mohammed’s Quick Tips for
Making a Bibliography
 Your readers may want to learn more about your topic too! You
need a bibliography so your readers can find your sources.
1. Place your bibliography on a separate page at the end of your
paper.
2. List all the sources you have referred to in your paper. Double
space.
3. These sources are listed alphabetically, based on the author’s
last name. If there’s no author, alphabetize the source by using
the title.
4. Use a hanging indent to set off the second line of an entry.
(See examples on the next page.)
5. The titles of books, magazines, films and newspapers are
italicized or underlined. Chapters or article names inside them
are listed in “quotation marks.”

20. Quick Reference for a
Bibliography
An Interview
Freely, Dr. Italk. Personal interview. 4 Mar. 2010.
Book
Roussakis, Roula T. Researching Your Family Tree.
Toronto: Donvale Press, 1998. Print.
A work with Two or Three Authors
Eshpeter, James, and Harold Kotter. Ways to Improve the
Environment without Great Cost. Toronto: Gage, 1998.
A Newspaper Article
Thompson, David. “Rock Forever.” Edmonton Bulletin.
17 Mar. 1998.
Hanging
Indent
Hanging
Indent

21. Quick Reference for
Bibliography
A Film
Juno. Dir. Jason Reitman. Perf. Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer
Garner, Jason Bateman. Mandate Pictures, 2007. DVD.
A TV program
Gardening Made Easy. CTV. Regina. 17 Jan. 2000.
A website
“Punch Shakespeare.” Youtube. 4 Mar. 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE5jB2tl70M
A CD-Rom
Kelly, Mortimer. “Discovering Hamlet.” Shakespeare’s Plays.
CD-ROM. Vers. 2.09. New York: Oppenheimer, 1998.
Hanging
Indent

22. Pulling It All Together…
The following slide contains a finished
bibliography, using the sources that were listed as
examples.
Remember: It’s really important to include all the
sources of your information. You don’t want to get
busted for plagiarism, when you just needed to
reference sources properly!

23. Bibliography
Eshpeter, James, and Harold Kotter. Ways to Improve the Environment without Great Cost. Toronto:
Gage, 1998.
Freely, Dr. Italk. Personal interview. 4 Mar. 2010.
Gardening Made Easy. CTV. Regina. 17 Jan. 2000.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Philadelphia: Warner Books, 1960. Print.
Juno. Dir. Jason Reitman. Perf. Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman. Mandate
Pictures, 2007. DVD.
Kelly, Mortimer. “Discovering Hamlet.” Shakespeare’s Plays. CD-ROM. Vers. 2.09. New York:
Oppenheimer, 1998.
“Punch Shakespeare.” Youtube. 4 Mar. 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE5jB2tl70M
Thompson, David. “Rock Forever.” Edmonton Bulletin. 17 Mar. 1998. Print.

24. Let’s Review:
 Step 1: Finding the Information
 Use a good search engine
 Focus your search
 Step 2: How can I know if the information is good?
 Who is the author?
 Who believes the author is smart?
 How current and accurate is the information?
 Step 3: Organizing Information
 Copy and Paste Saves Time Later
 A Range of Sources Provides Depth
 Sorting Helps You Focus
 Step 4: Using Information Properly
 Own what you know. Credit what you don’t.
 Rule #1: It is better to paraphrase.
 Rule #2: If you must quote, be quick about it.
 Mohammed’s Quick Tips for Making a Bibliography

25. Credits
 Avatar illustrations courtesy of DoppleMe
 Images courtesy of ©2010 Thinkstock