Skip to Main Content

Using Google for Research

This guide will help students take advantage of Google tips and techniques to find the best websites, as well as how to evaluate websites for academic purposes.

Get in Touch

Ask a Librarian

Available Mon - Thurs
10am - 6pm
Friday 
10am - 2pm



Try Our FAQs

Learning Commons Quick Links


Tutoring - Writing, math and more

Learning Guides - Quick learning

Hours - Find out when we're open

Library Search - Find materials

Databases - Articles and more!

InterLibrary Loan - Request books

Books - Recommended books

eBooks - Thousands of free eBooks

Streaming Video - Learn by watching


Use the Library Search to find books, eBooks, articles, and more! 

 

Follow Us!

You can find Learning Commons information, book recommendations and so much more on JCTC's social media. 

facebook icon Twitter Icon instagram icon

If you're going to use Google ...

Here's how to be smart about it:

  • Don't assume everything good is on the first page of results.
  • Modify your search and repeat it multiple times to find more information.
  • Use Wikipedia to learn about your topic, but don't cite it or quote it in your paper.
    • Why not? Wikipedia can be changed by anyone, anytime, so the information:
  1. May not be accurate
  2. May not be the same if your reader looks it up
  • Look at the web addresses of sites that come up. Choose carefully.
  • Critically evaluate every site you select. Use sites with authors and clear copyright dates when possible.
  • Avoid "Content farms" (See the very next box for more information).
  • Use our tips and tricks on the next page to get better search result.

What are content farms, and why should I avoid them?

Content farms are "websites that generate a large quantity of content specifically designed to rank high in search engine results" (Saba).

The articles on these sites are written quickly (one author may create several articles per hour) and frequently don't attribute or cite the sources of their information.

Although Google has tweaked its search in the last few years to weed out a lot of these sites, some can still be easily found. Here's a list of sites to use cautiously (Notess):

• 123people
• Allexperts.com
• Answerbag
• Associated Content
• ChaCha

• eHow
• Encyclopedia.com
• Examiner.com
• Experts Exchange
• FixYa
• Howcast
• Mahalo
• Seed
• ShopWiki
• TheFreeDictionary

Sources:

Notess, Greg R. "Content Farming, Quick Creation, And Declining Information Quality." Online 35.3 (2011): 46. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 24 May 2012.

Saba, Jennifer. "'Content Farms': Threat, Or Menace?." Editor & Publisher 143.5 (2010): 15. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 24 May 2012. 


Google vs. library databases

The following document from J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Libraries explains some of the differences between using library databases and Google for research.

Databases you can use

These are the databases containing scholarly articles that are available to you as a JCTC student.

NOTE: If working off-campus, enter your KCTCS ID and Password (the same one you use for email or Blackboard) when prompted.

Tutorials showing how to search these databases are available on the page: Searching for scholarly articles.