Internet Research Tips

Suggestions for Using the Internet for Research:

You're a business student now! It's time to learn how to use the Internet as a research tool.

Many students' first inclination for using the Internet is to do a general search on Google or Lycos or MSN. These search engines are really not all that helpful for most research for business papers.

Depending on the assignment you are working on, your best bet is to go to the online version of the top journals in the field. If you're doing an advertising or marketing project, go to Advertising Age online.

Some of the broader search engines give you so many hits that's it is overwhelming. Many of the hits are often not at all on the topic you're really looking for.

If you're doing a project on the economic impact on a particular region or city, visit the tourism sites for the city or region. The links from these types of sites will often lead you to plenty of information that is much more closely related to the topic you're looking for!

Searching versus surfing the web. Learn to search the web efficiently to get the best information. For some assignments, you may have specific sites listed for the project. These are a good starting point, but it's important to do a more exhaustive search to get the best information you can from the web. That's part of the deal; most college-level projects and papers require more than a cursory coverage of the topic! You have to learn to use the web as a research tool. It takes time and practice! Don't give up too soon! :-)

Focus your search on business sites such as the WSJ, Business Week, CNN's site or other online business journals.

Each online business journal has its own internal search engine. That's the place to start, not at Microsoft or Lycos!
Most online business journals also have links at the bottom of each article that will take you to more business-oriented research on the topic.

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Suggestions for Using the Internet for Research: