Informative Essay

How to Search with Google 

Google is a database on the open web. 

We all use Google to look for information. 

Here are some tips to keep in mind when searching on Google: 

• Search using phrases or questions that capture the main concepts of your research topic - specificity is useful when searching a database as large as Google.
• Hyperlinks in a web article are often pointing you to additional related sources on the topic of the article; explore them.
• Enter the phrase "discussion forum" after your concept or main search term to locate conversations or communities related to your topic.
• Use the filters in Google. The Images and Videos filters are especially useful when looking for different types of media about your search topic. 

The video below provides a demonstration of how to effectively search Google for information sources. 

How to Search with Twitter

Social media is sometimes considered a controversial resource for information but it can provide a wealth of access to people with expertise and experience sharing information and ideas in an informal, open-web setting. 

When considering social media as a resource, it's useful to make distinctions between the different platforms. 

• Facebook is often used as a way to connect with people you already know.
• Instagram & TikTok both allow you to follow people you don't know personally
• Twitter also allows you to follow people you don't know personally and is a platform used by professionals and experts in their fields. Professors, scientists, journalists, authors, activists, entertainers, etc. can all be found on Twitter.  

Twitter can be a useful way to access people's special experience and expertise. You don't need to have an account to look for information on Twitter. 

This video below demonstrates how to search for information using Twitter. 

When should you use Wikipedia? 

Students are often told NOT to use Wikipedia in their search for information when in fact, Wikipedia can be an extremely useful tool that is readily available to you. 

Wikipedia is great for background research on a specific topic, understanding context for that topic, and finding additional sources related to that topic. 

The video below demonstrates some of the ways it can be helpful to use Wikipedia in your research. 

Investigating Web Sources

It's very important to investigate the web sources you find to determine if and how you want to use them. 

Mike Caulfield, the director of blended and networked learning at WSU Vancouver and head of the Digital Polarization Initiative, has developed methods to efficiently and effectively investigate web sources. When using web sources, his two main suggestions are: 

• Get in the habit of investigating all web sources not just the ones you're unsure of or skeptical about.
• Read laterally, like a fact-checker. This means leaving the website you're on to look for confirmation of its information in other places on the web. 

The video below shows what this investigation process looks like in practice and highlights strategies you can (and should!) use to investigate open web sources.