Unit 9: Evaluating the Internet

Lesson 9: Useful Websites

Although a vast amount of unreliable information pollutes the Web, you can find some valuable information on the Internet, particularly in the following categories:

Search Engines
Search engines, such as Google and Bing, are large collections of searchable webpages on the Internet.
Enter keywords in a search engine’s search field to retrieve a list of webpages that contain those keywords. Google, the most commonly used search engine, has the largest database of online documents. But be warned: no search engine contains everything that exists on the Internet. Also, be sure to evaluate each webpage you retrieve through search engines, since so many Internet sites are unreliable.

Current Events
Unlike print resources, many Internet news sites, such as CNN and MSNBC news online, immediately report current events. Many international, national, state, and local newspapers are also accessible online.

Government Information
Federal, state, and local government agencies have official websites that contain useful information, including census data, statistics, and hearings. Government agencies with websites include the Supreme Court, Library of Congress, U.S. Senate, Florida House of Representatives, and Lee County Government. To search only for U.S. Government information on the Internet, use the Google U.S. Government Search engine.

You have completed Unit 9. Continue to Unit 10 to learn how to cite resources.