Web Search Engines

1. The Internet is not peer-reviewed, it is a self-publishing environment.
2. Think about your topic and then be specific about the search tools you select.
3. Use more than one search engine-Google may not have the best information for your topic.
4. Understand the difference between a search engine, a directory and the "deep Web" (information stored in databases searchable via the Web).

Internet Resources

Himmelfarb Library's Internet Resources database provides access to web resources and can be browsed by subject. The browse by subject feature will help you to quickly and easily limit to the best resources for your research. Internet Resources' subjects include Health Policy & Economics among other Public Health/Health Care Management subjects.

Evaluating Web resources before using their content:

• A- Authority
  Who wrote the information? What are their credentials? Are the information sources cited? Are these reliable sources? Check domain (.gov, .org, .edu vs. .com)



• B- Bias
  Who sponsors the site? Do they have a financial interest? Is there a conflict of interest? Are there ads present? Can you identify them as ads?



• C- Currency
  When was the information published? Updated? More important in some areas (legislation, drug information) than in others (developmental milestones, anatomy)



• D- Design
  Is it easy to navigate the website? Is the information well-organized? Are all the links working and current?



• E- Evaluate
  Is the information clear and easy to understand? In English (or another language you read)? Is the information fact or opinion? Compare with another reliable source. Cite your sources.