As far as I'm concerned, being able to do the research from home on my computer has been a real advantage. You won't find information on everything on the Net, but you can often find resources and bibliographies on your topic.
Since anyone can create a home page, you need to be somewhat wary and discerning about some of the information out there.
Good research will enhance any non-fiction article or book. Some of the best places to do current research are at the top five Net news sites as selected by "Journalism Review."
Another great place to start your research is with one of the many search engines located on the Web, such as Yahoo, AltaVista and HotBot.
One of the biggest web sites, containing over 300 different search engines, is Beaucoup! The Big Page. This site also includes over 800 links.
Research-It! is another large search engine site that even includes a currency converter and a universal translator.
Research Resources for Writers is a wonderful place to start research. It includes dictionaries, encyclopedias, mythology sites, official federal government sites and lists of universities.
If you're looking for historical information, some good starting points are:
The Directory of Historical Resources is a HUGE database with complete instructions on how to access the different link.
You can also access The Library of Congress. This site offers many historical documents and photographs.
The Town Crier is an active forum of educators, historians, students, researchers and journalists with a common interest in Early America. You can reach this site at here.
Victoriana is a site that lists resources for Victorian living and includes links to articles from Harper's Bazaar.
Children's Literature on the WWW is a page that includes suggested reading lists for grades K-9 and links to children's author's.
Many web sites for children's writers now contain their own search engines right at the web site. This includes:
As you do your research, please remember to document each step. A notebook is probably the most efficient way to do this. Get familiar with the terminology of the field you are researching.
Another way to do research on the Web is to contact an expert by e-mail. Always be polite and be as brief as possible. There are also e-mail discussion lists on just about every topic you can imagine. Consider subscribing to one of these.
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