Tutorials 

Use the advanced search: it lets you limit your searches by domain names,allowing you to choose to avoid commercial sites, choose sites from a specific country, or retrieve only sites from non-profit organizations, for example. Cutting down the huge numbers of items you retrieve will save you time!  (Click HERE for a list of domain names by country.)

Use Google Scholar if you want only scholarly writings. Many, though not all, of these will have been published in journals or books, not just on the Internet.

Never pay for an article online without talking to us first! One of the downsides of using Google is that you may think you have to buy an article that's available through the USM libraries. When in doubt, check with the library staff.

Evaluating Web Resources (USM)

Five Criteria For Evaluating Web Pages (Cornell University)

Evaluating Websites (University of Maryland)

Not all sources of information sources are created equal and that is especially true of websites. Some websites are the product of reputable organizations, universities or government agencies. Those are probably good, but many others are not.

See the links in the center box for more information.