How to Conduct Research on the Internet

Throughout the course, you will be expected to do external research (often using the pages of the textbook as a starting point) to add to and clarify your understanding of the course content. However, we all know there are extensive resources (such as the internet, books, articles, videos, and magazines) that we can use! Especially in a distance education course, students typically go to the Internet to start their research. But, online resources can vary in quality and seriousness when it comes to supporting our understanding in Social Studies. You may want to review How to Detect Bias and Fake News before you start your research.

Using the steps below will help you clarify your approach to internet research.

Six Steps to Research

Six Steps to Research
Key Ideas
  1. Define your task.
  • On what question or perspective on your topic must you focus?
  • After you have decided what you need to find out, create a list of questions or subtopics to research.
  • Look for guiding questions or concepts you can start with. Is your focus on a specific group and their conflicts in society? Is your focus a particular time period?
  1. Choose some strategies.
  • Where will you search for information? While entering your keyword(s) search into a search engine (Google) is a start, the amount of results can be overwhelming. You should try and narrow down your search. For example, you wouldn't want to type in "French Revolution" into Google as it comes back with 386,000,000 results! Try narrowing down your search (ex. French Revolution timeline, or French Revolution main leaders) to get something more specific.
  • Consider all possible sources, including newspapers, magazines, books, the internet, and people who can provide information and insights.
  1. Locate and access information.
  • Where do you find reliable and credible information? Sites run by major media, official organizations, or professional publications (ex. Canadian Encyclopedia, History.com, CBC, New York Times, Globe and Mail, Amnesty International) are vetted by professionals and experts in their fields. If you're unsure whether a source is credible, ask your teacher, or view the videos at the bottom of this page.
  • How do you find out whether the information is credible or trustworthy? If the Internet is your primary resource base, you MUST evaluate the credibility of the website before using the information it provides. Use the credibility checklist here.
  1. Use the information.
  • How do you choose which information to use? Be sure to use only evidence that supports your position or the point or perspective you want to convey.
  • Can you explain the information you've chosen to use? Does it add to and extend your point(s)? Is it repetitive or redundant? Does it conflict with or contradict your point(s)?
  1. Synthesize the information.
  • How do you organize your information? Depending on the assignment, you may already have a written response format, or you may need to create your own.
  • Use and apply the information. Have you explained the information from your research?
  1. Evaluate the end product.
  • How well does your final product meet your assignment goal?
  • Evaluate your work and/or have it evaluated by others.


As you research, make sure you take notes. When you have located accurate and relevant information, you need to take notes. Do not just copy and paste the text! If you do that, you are using someone else's work as your own. That is plagiarism, which is not permitted! Always keep track of your sources by recording them with a note about what the sources were used for (review How to Take Notes). While researching online, record all the URLs (addresses) of the sites you use for your bibliography.

Other Helpful Resources
  • How to Conduct Effective Research: A Key Process For Students in Writing: Video 
  • Six Step Research Process: Video