By 2021, the percentage of the global population that will access the internet is expected to increase to 53.7%. Whether people are searching for products, entertainment options, or researching, the internet is now our go-to resource.

Students, content creators, and bloggers alike rely on the internet to complete their online research.

Without it, your essay or blog post is missing valuable information.

The internet is full of valuable resources, but how do you shift through it all? With these nine note-worthy research tips, you can improve your online research skills and your content. Then, you can turn your next infographic, school paper, or blog post into a high-quality resource for your readers.

Start researching with these nine tips!

1. Verify

The first step to improving your current online research strategies is to verify everything. While the internet is brimming with information, it’s not all accurate.

Remember, anyone can post online. That means a lot of the “expert” information available online isn’t as valuable as the writer wants you to believe. Many online writers aren’t even qualified to write or publish information regarding specific topics.

Some of these resources will even try to mislead you on purpose. These writers simply publish information to make money or have fun. They’re not writing to help you.

Think about everything that’s posted on social media each day!

When it comes to researching online, remain skeptical of anything you find. Consider the claim, where you’re finding the information, and who it’s coming from.

Many websites will tell you when someone is a featured writer. These short biographies might also mention the writer’s credentials. Take the time to read these bios to determine if the writer is an expert in their field.

Reputable websites will also let you know if the content is sponsored. If it is, determine who is sponsoring the content. Are they a resource you can trust, such as a research company or someone in academia?

Look for resources that have a good reputation for providing high-quality information. Take the time to research the writer when you can as well. If you can’t verify a piece of information is true, don’t use it.

2. Check the Database

In order to save yourself some time, start your online research experience by avoiding unfamiliar websites. Instead, start with sites that are already well-known for providing expert information, such as academic databases.

If you’re a student, you’re already paying for access to this database as part of your tuition. Why not make the most of it?

Your school library will offer a number of tools, services, and resources you can use to improve your online research strategies. Many of these tools are now available online, so you can access them from anywhere.

For example, students can access academic databases such as JSTOR and EBSCO. Some databases are general. If you’re researching something more specific, look for peer-reviewed articles in academic journals instead.

You can also look for published study results, transcripts from an academic conference, or primary sources an archive.

If you want to improve your online research process, start with these expert databases to save time.

3. Consult Bibliographies

Once you have access to a few resources, check their bibliographies. The resources you’re already using can help guide your research further.

Consulting bibliographies will also help you find the primary sources for your research. Then, you can read the original findings to verify the information yourself.

4. Blend Sources

There are two types of sources: primary and secondary.

Primary sources are the main source, whether it’s from a historical document, interview, movie, or book. The secondary source is about the main source, such as a book review, movie recap, or reference to a historical document.

Accessing a little of both can help improve your online resource skills.

If you’re using online academic databases, you’ll likely see a lot of secondary sources. You can use social media to find primary resources if you want on-site records about a historical event.

Remember to verify what you find!

5. Experiment with Keywords

According to Internet Live Stats, there are over 1.5 billion websites on the internet today. So how do you sort through them all to find what you need?

Google processes over 40,000 search queries every second. However, there are certain ways you can use Google more effectively. That way, you can save time and make the most of every search.

First, feel free to experiment with different keywords and filters. Refining the keywords you use can limit the search results, so you don’t have to go digging.

Try enclosing your primary keywords within quotation marks. This online research tip will help limit your results. Google will only display results that include the exact phrase within the quotation marks.

You can also add a minus sign in front of a word to keep Google from displaying words you don’t want to appear.

For example, if you’re researching stars, you might want to add “-wars” to your search. This will keep any Star Wars search results from appearing.

While Google is a great search engine, try a few specialized search engines as well. For example, DuckDuckGo and Jobble can both help add more sources to your list. You can also use siteslike to find similar websites to help your search.

With these additional search engines, you can expand your list of references and verify the information you’ve gathered.

6. Remain Organized

When you start your online resource process, it can feel very broad. You might cast a wide net and gather anything that looks useful. However, trying to sort all of this information after the fact can feel daunting.

Instead, stay organized while you’re researching.

Create your own bibliography of all the information you’re gathering. Organize your different resources by topic, the type of source, or it’s usefulness. Add a little note or excerpt so you can remember why you chose that source.

In fact, creating an annotated bibliography can help as well. With an annotated bibliography, you’ll add a brief description, key aspects of the source, and how you intend to use it in your project. Adding these details will help keep your sources organized.

That way, you can go back and find exactly what you need later on.

You’ll also know which sources you can rely on most, and which you can cut out if needed.

During this process, you can also create complete citations for each source as you go. This will save you a lot of time later on. As a result, you can focus on writing your paper instead of organizing your research long after you started.

7. Consult a Librarian

An estimated 755,755 new books are printed every year. As of 2016, that means about 134,021,533 books existed worldwide. Instead of trying to find the few books you need on your own, consult a book expert to save time: a librarian.

There’s nothing wrong with asking for a little help. For anyone lacking experience with online research, there are plenty of people you can ask to help guide you.

If your online research is failing you, speak with a research librarian. Employed by the school library, these librarians help students through the research process. They can help you online as well by offering advice through chat, email, or video calls.

With their help, you’ll have access to an expert who has plenty of experience with the online research process. They can even provide their own online research tips to help you improve your process next time.

By consulting a research librarian, you can fill in the gaps in your research.

You might even find an online database you missed or other tools provided by your school you weren’t aware of!

8. Consider the Unexpected

What happens if all the information you find feels relevant but contradictory? In some cases, you might even hit a wall and have no idea where to turn. In these cases, it sometimes helps to embrace the unexpected.

The online research process isn’t always easy. If you’re feeling stuck, think about the questions you’re asking. Remember, you don’t have all the answers yet, but someone likely does.

If you’re feeling stuck, take a look at the information you’ve managed to gather so far.

As a researcher, it’s your job to gather what you can from a range of resources. Even if the information is contradictory, you have a starting point. Use this conflicting information and analyze the resources.

See if you can draw connects between them.

You might discover a new idea or concept no one considered on the topic before!

Then, write about your findings and the conclusions you drew based on your research.

9. Bookmark It

If you come across an interesting resource during your online research process, bookmark it. Even if you don’t think it’s important now, save it in case. You can even organize your links into folders based on importance.

That way, you don’t have to worry about “losing” a link you realize you need later on.

Ramp Up Your Research Mode: 9 Note-Worthy Tips for Better Online

Research Techniques

Ready to head into research mode? With these nine note-worthy tips, you can improve your online research process! Then, you can write an essay or blog post that is full of relevant, helpful information for your readers.