Communication: Background Info

The open Web is home to a wealth of great information (our government agencies, professional associations and many news publications).

Google search tips:

• search by domain extension: site:gov or site:UK.  There are many extensions, some are for countries (.UK, .JP, .IN), others for industries (.JOBS is for HR departments)
• combine the site search with a filetype search -- site:UK filetype:xls (now we have spreadsheets people in the UK posted online)

Once you find it,  evaluate it:

CRAAP test: Currency - Relevance - Authority - Accuracy - Purpose

Applying the CRAAP test seems easy on the surface. But in reality, any site can have misinformation.  Be suspicious, assume bias, suspect fraud, double check facts. 

Handbooks and encyclopedias can help you develop a topic or search strategy.

• Search for a book by author, title, subject or keyword(s) describing your topic.
• Your results will contain both print books and ebooks.
  • For print books, write down the call number to locate the book in the Library.
  • For ebooks, an orange "online" icon will appear beside the title. Click on the title to access the full-text.