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Searching the Internet
What Not to Search For (On the Internet)
Just as there are many items that you can and should search for on the Internet, there are some items that you should not try to locate on the Internet. This is especially true when you are doing academic research.
You should always keep in mind the difference between Internet Sources and Internet Accessible Sources. Internet Sources are web sites that are created by individuals or groups to promote their cause or give information, while an Internet Accessible Source refers to information that might be available in other formats, but is also available online. For example, an article in a journal might be accessible through the UT Libraries Internet Databases. That is okay to use, but a self-published article available on the Internet is not reliable.
- Academic articles:
Should be found in the library, either in print or in the UT Libraries Databases. Some academic articles can be found online, but many of these are self-published, and therefore may not be very reliable. Having an article published in an academic journal means that other professionals have read and approved of the article. Some people self-publish their research when it hasn't been approved for publication in a journal. *Some academic journals have begun offering their articles online for free. However, unlike self-pusblished articles, an article found in an online journal has still gone through the evaluation and approval stages required to validate it as academic research.
Google Scholar has also begun building a database of academic articles that may offer access to academic resources. Use the criteria found in Evaluating Information to determine if the articles are reliable.
- Books:
Most books cannot be found on the Internet. If you are looking for in-depth information on a topic, you should search the UT Libraries Catalog to find an appropriate book on the subject.
*Google Scholar has started a book initiative similar to their article initiative where they are putting entire books online. There are not many online yet, but some are available by searching Google Books. This is not a reliable way to locate the best books for your research. If the Libraries do not have a book that you need, you can use Interlibrary Loan to request the book from another academic institution.
- Legal or Medical Infomation:
Often, legal and medical information found on the web is unreliable. It can be posted by an individual with no real expertise, or it can even be an advertisement for a product or service. While you can get basic legal and medical information from the web (a site like WebMD is an example of this), consult a professional or an up-to-date text for complete information. We offer databases, such as Medline Plus, where you can access medical information.
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Last Modified 12/31/69 07:00
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