WR 122 Ahern: Web & Background Info

Background information

Getting Started

Start your research by finding introductory or background sources that will provide a good overview of your community. Learning the basics of your topic first will provide a good foundation for deeper research. 

Encyclopedias for background research

And of course,

  • Wikipedia  Your instructor probably won't accept Wikipedia as a source, but it is a great place to  get ideas at the beginning of your research. Be sure to check the Bibliography, Notes and External Links at the bottom of each entry. They often link to very credible sources which you can use.

ChatGPT for background research

As you explore possible topics to research, generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can help provide background information and suggest search terms for further research. Like Wikipedia, ChatGPT and similar tools can give a general overview or introduction to a topic. For example, if you are wondering about strategies to combat stress, or how to prevent forest fires in an age of climate change, ChatGPT can provide a list of options that might include some important concepts and terms to research in authoritative sources.

Important! AI tools may not include the most current events, and sometimes provides inaccurate statements and false citations. These tools can be useful for getting an overview of a topic, generating ideas, and clarifying complex information, but are not a substitute for researching a topic. Presenting AI generated answers as your own work is usually considered plagiarism. Learn more from this U.C. San Diego guide about generative AI and academic integrity.

Using content or quotes from a chatbox requires attribution and citation, like any other source. See 

Web search tips

Add site:edu or site:gov to limit your search to .edu or .gov sites
Limiting your search to the areas of the web where the information is most reliable, such as education sites or government sites is a good way to find credible sources. 

For example, a search for nutritional supplements, will bring up many commercial (.com) sites trying to sell you vitamins. If you search for nutritional supplements site:gov , the top results (except for the sponsored ads) will be sites such as the National Institute of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, which are authoritative, unbiased sources that are not trying to sell you anything.
If you search for nutritional supplements site:edu, your top results will be from universities providing research on nutritional supplements.

Use a minus sign to exclude words.

For example, if you are looking for weather information in Portland, Maine you could add -oregon to your search to exclude web sites with the word "oregon."
Or to exclude commercial web sites, add -site:com to your search. For example, nutritional supplements -site:com