Useful Websites

When researching a topic, don't just use Google and Wikipedia! There are lots of subject specific search engines out there which will give you fewer and better quality results.

Before starting your search think about the keywords you will use. Keywords define your topic and are the words you will use to search for information. If there are words you are unsure of, check them in a dictionary.

Remember...

Some words will have different meanings in different contexts. An icon can refer to a graphic on a computer desk top, or it could be religious art.
Think of synonyms. Synonyms are different words that have the same meaning, e.g. PC and computer, rich and wealthy. Human trafficking and people trafficking.
Different spellings e.g. organization-organisation

Search engines do not take account of the different meanings of words so remember you may get results that are nothing to do with your topic.

Try these search engines:

Refseek This search engine locates relevant results from web pages, books, journals and encyclopedias.

Google Scholar Allows you to search for journal articles. Note you may need to ask at the Library to access the full text of some articles.

Science Research A search engine that focuses on scientific research.

Wolfram Alpha Great for mathematical and scientific answers.

ChemSpider Part of the Royal Society of Chemistry, providing access to over 10 000 000 chemical structures.

Newspapers

Newspapers are a valuable source of current information and opinion.

The Guardian Online version of the UK daily broadsheet.

The Independent Online UK daily broadsheet

Images

For copyright cleared images, try using these websites:

StockSnap

Flikr Creative Commons

Pexels