Research your way to better grades

The power of the internet

The internet can help you with your homework in all sorts of ways. You can find news databases, newspapers and magazines on the web. You can access libraries all over the world as well as visit all sorts of schools and colleges that may have articles of use.

You can even use the internet to meet other students and share ideas. The BBC run message boards, chat rooms and live chats aimed especially at young people. Student Life has message boards where you can post homework queries and talk to other young people about how they are coping with school.

Remember never to give out personal details on the internet.

Do you know your Google from your Yahoo?

The best place to start your search is a search engine. There are two types of search engines - subject guides/directories and search engines. Yahoo is a subject guide/directory and categorises lists of websites. Search engines like Altavista or Google let you search for words or phrases on individual pages.

It's important to make sure you use the right search engine. If you're looking for a site by subject, use a subject guide like Yahoo, if you're looking for pages with information by keyword; use a search engine like Altavista.

Handy search tips

When looking for a phrase or words you want to appear together, put the words in quotation marks when entering them into the search box.

You can also search for one or more elements on a web page by putting in a + sign. For example:

"Shakespeare's plays" + Romeo Juliet

If your search keeps bringing up subjects that don't interest you, use the minus sign to get rid of them. For example:

"Shakespeare's Plays" -Romeo

This tells the search engine you are looking for 'Shakespeare's plays' but without a reference to 'Romeo'.

To be even more specific, you can add words like '+links' or '+databases'. '+qanda' will retrieve the question and answer section of a site, and '+gallery', a list of photographs.

However, remember that different search engines work differently and don't always accept the same symbols or search methods. Good search engines should include a guide on how to get the most out of your search, so make sure you refer to this beforehand.

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