1. Prepare your strategies before you sit down in front of the computer by answering these questions:

a. What am I really looking for? Exactly what is my topic?

b. What are some other ways to explain or describe my topic?

c. What will be the end result of this research? For example, are you doing a paper, presentation, project, or trying to win a bet?

d. Have I already looked in some places? Where? Is the Web the place to start or will something simpler work like a phone book, a library book, or a video?

e. If I were to write the perfect newspaper headline or title for my project, what would it say?

2. Make a list of keywords for your topic. Be creative!

3. Choose the least common word or combination of words from your list and make a list of phrases to use.

4. Take your list of keywords and phrases and begin looking through the web directories and search engines that are on the next page and follow these steps for each search tool:

a. Using the keyword or phrase that you feel best describes your topic, go to one of the Web directories such as Google and type it into the search window.

b. Look at the first several web sites that your search tool gives you and check them to see how helpful they are to you. Are they even about your subject? Notice the titles and descriptions of both the good and bad ones. Please, please, please! take notes of the addresses for any that are going to help you. Believe me, you will not remember how to get back to all of them if you don't. Make sure you are accurate in copying the addresses if you do it by hand. Better yet, highlight the url, press control and the c key to copy, then open a word processing file and press control and the v key to paste it into your file. Don't forget to save!

c. Try steps 4a & 4b with another set of keywords or phrases and compare the results. Remember, the perfect site may be just around the corner, waiting for the right combination of keywords, so don't give up too soon or settle for a mediocre site.

d. Now, using the best combination of keywords and phrases that have produced some good results, move on to the regular and meta search engines. 

e. Look at the first page or two of links to see if there are any that are useful to you. Again, make notes or copy the addresses of good prospects.

5. Now it is time to do some serious, in-depth looking at your results. You need to evaluate the websites you have found to make sure that their information is accurate, unbiased, and sound. To start, follow these steps:

a. Does the site give you the name of its creator? If so, look for his or her credentials. Is this person a real expert in the subject (a scientist, teacher, lawyer, other related professional)? Or are they a hobbyist/enthusiast who has spent many hours doing their own research? These can provide valid, useful information if they are not trying to sell a point of view or a product. Be on the look out also for jokesters; they thrive on the Web (not that there's anything wrong with that).

b. Does the site give you a date of its creation and tell you when it is updated?

c. Does the web author use citations for facts and figures that they have researched?

d. Don't discount commercial sites; they can be very helpful, as long as you remember that they are trying to sell something.

e. Look for any warnings about using materials from the websites you find. If they tell you to e-mail them for permission and you plan to use their site, do it. Don't forget to cite all your online references as well as your non-electronic sources. Go to Citation Page.

6. Ok, you have found several sources that have the information you need, and appear to be valid. So, start typing, building, producing, answering questions, or winning that bet! Good luck and good searching to you.