5 tips on how to do effective research (personal and academic) online

Research with the internet is vastly different from research in a physical library or archive. It is also constantly evolving as more information is added, as we see in sources made by AI that are becoming increasingly visible. The internet has many advantages over the limitations of physical research, but also many dangers and disadvantages. Here are five pieces of advice to keep in mind when you're doing research online.

1. Know about your topic

The internet is an immense source of information, covering countless topics from all over the world. This abundance can lead to "information overload," where the sheer amount of data makes it difficult to process or find what's truly relevant. Without a clear focus, a person can quickly feel lost among search results, articles, videos, and other forms of content.

It's easy to get distracted or lost if you’re not focused on a research question. Taking time to reflect on what you truly need helps to maintain focus and prevents wasting time on irrelevant or unnecessary information. One way you can sort your relevant ideas is by drawing a mind map. By drawing connections to various topics you wish to touch on, you can ensure that everything leads back to the central point in one way or another. While you can also outline themes and make plans for your teachers, that isn’t to say that your research question or focus won’t shift as you research. It is expected that as you learn more, uncover paths and evolving interests, your topic will evolve. What remains important is the purpose of your research and how useful the knowledge will be to you.

2. Use a (school) library online catalogue

The sources available in a high school or university library have gone through review processes before being added to the collection. This ensures that the material students and researchers have access to is reliable, accurate, and suitable for academic work. Particularly in university libraries, almost all printed resources undergo extensive expert evaluation before they are published. This level of scrutiny not only provides a strong foundation for academic research, but also more reliable sources for your personal questions.

University libraries often provide free access to scholarly articles and research materials that may be locked behind paywalls on the internet. These paywalls can prevent casual browsers from accessing certain academic journals, research papers, and studies, but libraries can allow access to these. As a result, students can explore a wide range of academic content that would otherwise be inaccessible. Libraries serve as gateways to premium, peer-reviewed material that ensures students are engaging with credible sources.

If you have a general idea of your topic, as suggested in the previous paragraph, then a school library can help you narrow down your search. Many schools and universities offer catalogue search functions such as advanced and basic search modes and research guides that allow students to search for resources easily. These tools are essential for navigating vast collections of books, articles, journals, and media. Unlike Google, library catalogues won’t hit you with the “Did you mean:” Using the search functionality, students can filter results based on topic, author, or publication year, making the research process more efficient than wrestling with your keywords in an engine search bar.

 Libraries aren’t just books; it's also the people! Library collections are curated by research experts (such as librarians, educators, etc). It's not just their degree that makes them pros; they’ve had to do research as well and know the ins and outs of reliable sources. Many librarians and library staff are knowledgeable about the inner workings of academic publishing, including the reputations of various publishers and journals. Despite any misconceptions that librarians are stuck in the past and the analogue way, they are also informed about current technology and its benefits and risks. Universities tend to offer online resources such as an “Ask A Librarian” chat function. If you decide to drop by in-person, you may find that the advice given by librarians and support staff can be tailored to your specific project. Their applied expertise is irreplaceable by purely online sources.

3. Know where to look

“Knowledge is knowing... or knowing where to find out.” –Alvin Toffler

Instead of starting with a general search engine, you can use academic databases that provide access to scholarly articles and peer-reviewed journals. Databases like JSTOR and Google Scholar are helpful for finding credible, academic sources. A downside to these however, is that they can be limited in selection and aren’t always as relevant to your searches. They are great places to begin, but should be used in tangent with books and other sites for your academic research.

Once you find a solid academic article, check its reference list for more sources. Scholarly works often cite valuable studies, reports, and books, which can lead you to other important resources on your topic. This is a great way to find additional material without starting from scratch. For instance, if you're still keen on using Wikipedia, a work-around for your school research is looking at the references and finding where they got that information. This way, you’re able to check where Wikipedia acquired its information and cite the source it got it from.

4. Check the credibility

Maybe reading academic work and browsing a library isn’t for you – and that’s okay! Say you have a few sources that could really be useful to your research, but they’re from outside a library—how do we check if those are reliable? Things to quickly look for are the author, affiliation, and how up to date it is. For example, a single author affiliated to an independent newspaper from the 1960s may be biased and opinionated. While unreliable sources won’t always be as obvious, you can spot them by considering whether a single author’s opinion sways the presentation of data, and if the facts presented are cherry-picked. You will want to ask yourself if the author’s point of view is impartial and objective, and whether the writing capitalizes on your emotions.

The content will often reflect the values of the organization. For example, sites ending in .gov are government-affiliated and will share the values of that government rather than a single individual. Since websites may present information through a certain lens, you might find yourself agreeing with their values; this is known as confirmation bias. One way to solve this is to look for sources from different, even opposing organizations. Non-profits, governments and independent organizations will go about presenting information differently. It is important to seek sources that challenge your viewpoint or share different values.

One last thing about credibility is how up-to-date your source is and its relevance to today. A site that regularly updates their website, ensures their links still work, regularly manages its information, and has received edits usually indicates that it is well-maintained. After all, one of the key benefits of using sources on the internet is that they are current! A good website demonstrates that the administrators still hold value in the information they are putting out. A few things to ask yourself about the message of your site: What is its target audience? Who is writing this and what biases might they have? Why does this exist? 

5. Use the right keywords

"Computer, how do I put Joker in the Phantom Zone? Quickest route, no freeways… Puter, do you hear me?" –Lego Batman

If you’ve ever struggled to get your search engine to find the results you’re looking for, it might help to try new keywords. Keywords can both broaden and specify your searches. You can start broadly and then use more specific terms to narrow down your results. For instance, searching “technology in education” might yield broad results, but adding specific keywords like “AI in education” or “online learning platforms” will bring more focused articles. You might find too many sources for a broad topic, such as “renewable energy”; in that case, you might also want to specify some sub-categories, such as solar energy or wind power. 

If your research spans multiple fields, using the right combination of keywords from each topic is key. For example, for a history research project on food, you’ll need to use keywords indicating both a past time period and foods. This also applies to research in different disciplines, such as chemistry and environmental studies. For your research, experiment with different keywords you could use to better your results. 

Whether you're planning on doing research for a personal project or for school work, we hope that you're more informed on the benefits and risks of doing it online. Getting in the habit of checking your sources for its content, accuracy and bias will help you outdo any AI in the quality of your work. Practicing research also builds your critical thinking, which is essential for analyzing different perspectives and drawing your own conclusions. What you learn won’t be restricted to the project and what you uncover will stick with you in your day-to-day life as well. Happy researching!