Research Tools

Big 6 Research Steps

#1. Task Definition

1.1 Define the problem.

  • What does your teacher want you to do?
  • Ask for an explanation of anything unclear.

1.2 Identify the information needed.

  • What do you already know?
  • What more do you need to find out?

#2. Information Seeking Strategies

2.1 Determine all possible sources: library books, reference works, online databases, Internet websites, videos, experts on your topic, etc.

2.2 Select the best sources for your needs.

#3. Location and Access

3.1 Locate resources.

3.2 Find information within sources.

#4. Use of Information

4.1 Engage (e.g. read, hear, view the information in the source).

4.2 Extract relevant information.

#5. Synthesis

5.1 Organize information from multiple sources.

5.2 Present the result.

#6. Evaluation

6.1 Judge the result (effectiveness)

6.2 Judge the process (efficiency)

MLA Checklist

The Modern Language Association (MLA) publishes specific guidelines on how to format a research report. The MLA style is a required for all student reports at Montoursville Area High School. The MLA style has also been widely adopted in other high schools and academic institutions throughout the country.

You may access the MLA template for “Works Cited” at www.easybib.com.

When you are finished with your Works Cited, be sure to click on “Save to Word” so that your Works Cited is saved.

Many of the online database sources will provide your complete MLA citation at the end of the article. Cut and paste these into your Works Cited or use the information found there when using the easybib template.

You may also use the links on the RESEARCH TOOLS sidebar for a complete guide and samples to MLA format for your Works Cited and Parenthetical References. or consult the samples listed at the Purdue website.

Checklist for MLA Format for Works Cited:

  • All four margins are set at 1″.
  • Times New Roman 12 point black font is used for the entire document.
  • Header with last name and page number is included on each page.
  • Heading with name, teacher’s name, class name, and date is included at the top of the first page.
  • Title is center aligned and is keyed in Times New Roman 12 point black font.
  • Works Cited is on a separate page, and the words “Works Cited” are centered at the top of this page. The Works Cited page is alphabetized by the first entry of each citation. Sometimes this is the author and sometimes it is the article title or book title. It doesn’t matter…..alphabetize by the first entry regardless of the type of source.
  • The first line of each citation begins at the left margin.
  • The second and subsequent lines of each citation are indented 1/2″.
  • Annotations are indented 1/2″.
  • Citations are not numbered.
  • Entire document is double spaced with no extra space between paragraphs.

Works Cited Guide (MLA Format)

A “Works Cited” page goes at the end of your research paper, listing all of the reference materials and sources–such as books, essays, articles from periodicals and electronic media, online references, interviews, etc.—from which you have gathered material for writing your paper. List only the sources actually mentioned in your paper.

Check out the template links for fast and up-to-date MLA guides (you type in the information, they format!):

Or, Consult the samples listed at:

Sample Works Cited/Bibliography Entries:

  1. A Book with a Single Author
    • Format: Last name, first name. Title of Book. Publisher, Date of Publication.
    • Example: Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. Simon & Schuster, 1993.
  2. A Book with Two or Three Authors
    • Format: Last name, first name (of author #1) and complete name in normal order (of author #2). Title of Book. Publisher, Date of Publication.
    • Example: Richter, Peyton, and Lucy Ricardo. Voltaire. Twayne, 1980.
    • Note: If a book has more than 3 authors, you may list the first author only and then type et al which means and others.
  3. A Book with an Editor
    • Format: Follow name or names with a comma and the word editor(s). Then continue entry as above.
    • Example: Swisher, Clarice, ed. Victorian Literature. Greenhaven Press, 2000.
  4. World Wide Web Site
    • Format: Name of author (if given). “Name of article or webpage.” Name of website. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the website, date of posting or last revision. Medium of publication. Day month year of access. .
    • Example: “Jimi Hendrix.” Biography.com. A&E Television Networks, 2013. Web. 21 Sept. 2015. http://www.biography.com/people/jimi-hendrix-9334756?page=2.
  5. An Encyclopedia Article
    • Format: Author, if known, last name first. “Title of article.” Encyclopedia. Edition date. Medium of publication.
    • Example: Lipking, Lawrence. “Realism.” The World Book Encyclopedia. 2000 ed. Print.
  6. World Book Online Encyclopedia Article
    • Format: Author, if known, last name first. “Title of article.” World Book. World Book, 2013. Web. Date of Access.
    • Example: Coffman, Edward M. “World War I.” World Book. World Book, 2013. Web. 2 Sept. 2013
  7. Full-Text Articles from Periodicals on an Online Database (e.g. Infotrac or Elibrary)
    • Format: Author. “Title of article.” Title of Journal Date of publication : Number range of pages (if given). Name of database. Medium of publication. Date of access.
    • Example: Anderson, J. “Keats in Harlem.” Newsweek 8 Apr. 1999: 34-9. eLibrary. Web. 2 Sept. 2013.
    • Example: Russo, Michelle Cash. “Guide to Graphic Novels.” School
    • Library Journal. August 2004: 178-83. InfoTrac. Web. 3 September 2013.
  8. A Collection of Essays by Different Authors
    • Format: Last name, then first of the author of the particular essay. “Title of Essay.” Title of Collection. Ed. Name of editor. City: Publisher, Date. Page numbers. Medium of publication.
    • Example: Rachels, James. “Can Ethics Provide Answers?” Taking Sides, Clashing Issues on Controversial Moral Issues. Ed. Satris, Stephen. Guilford, CT: Dushkin, 1996. 4-13. Print.
  9. An Article from a Magazine, Weekly, or Monthly.
    • Format: Author, last name first. “Title of Article.” Name of Magazine (no punctuation following) Date with number first and no punctuation: page number(s). Medium of publication.
    • Example: Meacham, Jon. “The New Face of Race.” Newsweek 18 Sept. 2000: 38-41. Print.
    • Example: Kramer, Milton. “Dreamspeak.” Psychology Today Oct 2000: 56+. Print.
  10. An Article from a Journal that uses Volume Numbers
    • Format: Author, last name first. “Title.” Name of Journal (no punctuation) Volume Number. Issue Number if given (no punctuation) (year): page numbers. Medium of publication.
    • Example: MacDermott, W.N. “The Ghost of Playmate #945.” Ghost Wings 1.1 (1999):14-15. Print.
  11. An Article from a Newspaper
    • Format: Author, last name first. “Title.” Newspaper date: page number. Medium of publication.
    • Example: Ogurcak, Janice L. “Eating Disorders: A Matter of Life and Death.” Williamsport Sun-Gazette 17 Sept. 2000: E1+. Print.
  12. A Pamphlet
    • Format: Use the same format as a book.
    • Example: Irwin, Theodore. To Combat and Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect. New York: Public Affairs Committee, 2000. Print.
  13. A Lecture
    • Format: Name. “Title.” Location. Date. Lecture.
    • Example: King, Donald. “Tour of Old Montoursville.” Montoursville Borough Building. 9 September 2000. Lecture.
  14. A Film
    • Format: Director. Title. Company, Date. Medium of publication.
    • Example: Spielberg, Stephen, dir. War Horse. Dreamworks Pictures, 2012. Film.
  15. An Article in an Anthology
    • Format: Author, if known, last name first. “Title of Article.” Title of Anthology. Ed. name of editor. City: Publisher, Date. Page Numbers (without “p.”). Medium of publication.
    • Example: Porter, Katherine. “Pale Horse, Pale Rider.” Norton Anthology of WorldMasterpieces. Eds. Maynard Mack et al. New York: Norton, 1979. 1606-47. Print.
  16. An Interview
    • Format: Name of person interviewed. Personal Interview. Date.
    • Example: Huff, C. Raymond. Personal Interview. 2 September 2004.
  17. E-Mail Message
    • Format: Sender. “Subject of message.” E-mail to recipient. Message date.
    • Example: Claudius, Ed. “Penn State Football Strategy Tips.” E-mail to Joe Paterno. 25 Sept. 2003.
  18. Personal Site
    • Format: Author. Home page. Date of access and site address.
    • Example: Buckle, Bruce. Home page. 1 Sept. 2004

Note: Strive to provide as much identifying information as possible with electronic sources, so that if the reader cannot locate the material through your stated web address, it might be found with a network searching tool. In addition, since many Internet sites and resources can sometimes disappear altogether, consider downloading the file or printing the material you use, so that you can verify it if the site is inaccessible later.

The Style of the Works Cited Page

  • The page title of Works Cited should be centered one inch from the top of the page.
  • Alphabetize the list of sources by the author’s last name. If no author, alphabetize by title for that source.
  • Do not number the entries.
  • The first line of each entry is flush with the left margin. All subsequent lines for each entry is indented 0.5 in.
  • Double space each entry.
  • Double space between each entry.
  • When listing more than one work by the same author, alphabetize the works according to the first important word in each title. Do not repeat the author’s name; instead, type three hyphens and a period. Then skip two spaces and type the title.
  • Use appropriate shortened forms to give the place of publication (OH for Ohio) or the publisher’s name (Random House for Random House, Inc.).
  • Do not use p. or pp. to indicate page numbers. Cite multiple page numbers in the following ways: 3-7 or 127-29.
  • All months that are more than four letters long should be abbreviated (Mar for March).
  • Do not use a comma between a journal title and its volume number (College English 40).
  • Use the colon in citations for articles in periodicals to separate the year of publication from the page numbers (English Journal 7 July 1999: 113-28).
  • Use the colon in citations for articles for periodicals to separate year of publication from page numbers (“The First Person Narrator in The Catcher in the Rye.” English Journal 7 July 1989: 113-28).

So You Think You Know Google

Google Tips and Tricks

Search Operators

You can use search operators and other punctuation to get more specific search results. Except for the examples below, Google Search usually ignores punctuation. Search operators are words that can be added to searches to help narrow down the results.  Don’t worry about memorizing every operator, because you can also use the Advanced Search page to create these searches.

Symbol / OperatorHow to Use it
+Search for Google+ pages or blood types
Examples: +Chrome or AB+
@Find social tags
Example @agoogler
$Find prices
Example: nikon $400
#Find popular hashtags for trending topics
Example: #thowbackthursday
–When you use a dash before a word or site, it excludes sites with that info from your results. This is useful for words with multiple meanings, like Jaguar the care brand and jaguar the animal.
Examples: jaquar speed -car or pandas -site:wikipedia.org
“When you put a word or phrase in quotes, the results will only include pages with the same words in the same order as the ones inside the quotes. Only use this if you’re looking for an exact word or phrase, otherwise you’ll excluse many helpful results by mistake.
Example: “imagine all the people”
*Add an asterisk as a placeholder for any unknown or wildcard terms.
Example: “a * save is a * earned”
..Separate numbers by two periods without spaces to see results that contain numbers in a range.
Example: camera $50..$100
site:Get results from certain sites or domains.
Examples: olympics site:nbc.com and olympics site:.gov
related:Find sites that are similar to a web address you already know.
Example: related:time.com
ORFind pages that might use one of several words.
Example: marathon or race
info:Get information about a web address, including the cached version of the page, similar pages, and pages that link to the site.
Example: info:google.com
cache:See what a page looks like the last time Google visited the site.
Example: cache:washington.edu

Career and College Planning

1. Occupational Outlook Handbook – Online database with careers from the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Sample Citation:
“Lawyers.” Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 24 Oct. 2017, www.bls.gov/ooh/legal/lawyers.htm. Accessed 4 Jan. 2018.

2. Career Books – Reference and regular

  • Use online catalog to find call number.
  • Regular books– three week sign-outs.
  • Reference books– overnight.

3. Interviews and job shadowing

  • Remember to take a list of interview questions with you.
  • You may also sign out a micro cassette recorder for exact quotes.

Sample Citations:
Taormina, Dan. Personal interview. 10 October 2020.
Keiser, Linda. Telephone interview. 4 January 2021.

4. Websites– see listing below. Use EasyBib to format your Works Cited citations.

5. If you take AP courses, check out which credits your AP exam scores could transfer into as college credit. Visit the CollegeBoard website to search.

Career Web Sites

Parenthetical References (MLA Format)

When you use information from an external source, you are responsible for giving credit to that source. You are obligated to document the words, ideas and evidence of other writers that you use in your research paper. The use of parenthetical references enables you to document a source briefly, clearly, and accurately.

The general rule for parenthetical references is to provide just enough information within the text of the paper to locate the source, which will have full details explained on the Works Cited page. Brevity can be accomplished by:

Citing the author’s last name and the page number(s) of the source in parentheses at the end of the sentence that contains the material being documented.

The citation should appear after the text of the sentence but before the end mark.

After the last word or quotation mark, leave a space, then type a parenthesis.

Give the author’s or editor’s last name, leave a space, then put the page reference, parenthesis, then a period.

If you are able to use the name of the author of the material you are quoting or paraphrasing in your text, then the parenthetical reference consists of the page number(s) only.

The parenthetical references in the body of your paper must match the information in the entry on the Works Cited page.

Basic Citation for Short Quotation: Signed Source with One Author/Editor (Book, Magazine, Encyclopedia, Newspaper)

Example (author’s name not used in text of paper):

“Robert Frost was considered by many to be America’s unofficial poet laureate” (Rand 85).

Example (author’s name used in text of paper):

In Frost’s poem “After Apple Picking,” critic Walter Beacham also feels that the reference to sleep indicates the narrator’s fear of “the thought of death” (7).

Basic Citation for Long Direct Quotation

If a quotation runs to more than four typed lines in your paper, then it is treated differently. It is usually introduced by a sentence ending in a colon. Then the quote begins on a new line, indented ten spaces from the left margin. The right margin remains the same as the rest of the paper. The quote is double spaced with no quotation marks. Place the period after the last word of the quotation for a long, direct quote. Space twice, then place the parenthetical reference with 2 spaces between the author’s name and the page numbers.

Miller’s play plainly depicts the failure of love in the Loman family as one critic states:

Biff’s anger at his father derives partly from Willy’s weakness and helplessness, partly from his bitterness, but partly also from his love for him, a love which won’t cut Biff loose from his own sense of guilt. To absolve his father would be to admit to his own weakness and culpability. (Bigsley 131)

Citation for a Work that has Two or More Authors or Editors

After the quotation mark, leave a space, then write or type a parenthesis.

If two authors are used, list the name of the authors in the order as they are listed in your source, separating the names with the word “and.” After the last name, leave a space, then page number(s), a parenthesis, and a period.

Example: “The social history of the United States between 1940 and 1965 was marked by greater variety than during any other generation since the Civil War, but movements towards social equality and conformity dominated the period” (Malone and Rauch 223).

Example: “A writer is an artist in a sense. Instead of brushes and paints, he uses words to create his pictures. He asks you to use your senses to make an image in your mind” (Swinburne, Pastva, and Owen 16).

Citation for a work with more than three authors

In a citation with more than three authors, give the first author’s last name followed by et al., without any intervening punctuation.

Example: During the last 1990s, what was already known as English Alley also became known as a hotbed of Byzantine intrigue (Shields et al. 170).

Citation for a Source Without an Author Listed, Such as a Magazine, Newspaper, or Encyclopedia

When an author is not listed, use the title of the article in your parenthetical reference. If the title is short, you may use the full title. If the title is long shorten it, making sure to use the first word or words of your Works Cited entry. The article’s title must be enclosed in quotation marks.

Example: “In the aftermath, architects must balance traditional aesthetic aspirations with the demand that buildings be safe, even from terrorists” (“Architects and Oklahoma City” 32).

Citation Taken from an Interview

If you use a quotation from an interview, you must cite it. Cite the name of the person interviewed, leave two spaces, then write the word interview with a small i.

Example: One World War II veteran who entered Nagasaki after the atomic bombing noted that the city “had a stark look, gray cast over everything” (Schade interview).

Use of More Than One Work by the Same Author

If you are using two or more books or articles by the same author, you must give the author’s name and the work’s title in your parenthetical reference. Leave a space after your quotation mark. Type a parenthesis, then give the author’s last name followed by a comma. Leave one space, then give a shortened title of the work followed by a space, then the page number(s), and end with a parenthesis and a period.

Example: Steinbeck is frequently identified as a “proletarian writer of the 1930’s” interested in the “socioeconomic and political problems of the Great Depression” (Lisca, Nature 87).

Example: It is fervently hoped that migrant workers may be given “the right to live decently” (Liscca, “Grapes” 81).

Citing from an Electronic/Online Source

For electronic sources, use whatever name appears in your Works Cited entry.

Do not use page numbers. For example, if Stephen Galloway is the author of a database article, the parenthetical reference would be (Galloway).

If an article is given with no author and no page, list the title of the article in quotation marks for your reference (“U.S. Immigration by Country”).

Citing from Literary Works

  • Citing from a Novel or Short Story
    • Give the author’s name, (unless it is referred to in your text), leave a space, then give the page number, followed by a semi-colon. Leave a space, then give the chapter (ch.) or the section (sec).
    • Example: Early in Lord of the Flies, Simon demonstrates his need for a hideaway separate from the others: “He bent down and wormed his way into the center of the mat. The creepers and the bushes were so close that he left his sweat on them and they pulled together behind him.” (Golding 52; ch.3).
      • This tells the reader that the passage is by William Golding, page 52, chapter 3.
    • Example: Another character in The Scarlet Letter who strongly impacts upon Hester Prynne is her illegitimate daughter, Pearl. Hawthorne attributes Pearl’s sometimes erratic and even violent character to the “warfare in Hester’s spirit at that epoch” that eventually become “perpetuated in Pearl” (86; ch. 6).
      • This tells the reader that the passage is from page 86, chapter 6.
  • Citing from Poetry
    • Passages of poetry should be incorporated into your text with quotation marks. Use a slash (/) with a space on each side to separate lines.
    • Example: In the poet, “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer,” Walt Whitman shares his dislike for analytical evaluation of the universe when he states: “When I heard the learn’d astronomer / When the proofs, the figures were raised in columns before me / . . . How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick” (1-2, 5).
      • This tells the reader that the passage is lines 1, 2, and 5 of the poem. The ellipsis (three spaced periods) indicates omitted lines.
    • Example: In “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” the narrator begins: “Whose woods these are I think I know. / His house is in the village, though;” (Frost 1-2).
      • This tells that read that the passage is written by Robert Frost and are from lines 1 and 2.
  • Citing from Drama
    • Like poetry, lines from a drama are separated within your text by a slash (/). Do not cite page numbers. With a drama, cite the title of the play, (unless it is stated in the text), the act, scene, and line numbers, with periods and one space separating the various numbers.
    • Example: Macbeth demonstrates his belief in the witches prophecies when he exclaims: “They have tied me to a stake; I cannot fly / But, bearlike, I must fight the course. What’s he / that was not born of woman? Such a one / Am I to fear, or none” (5. 7 1-4).
      • This tells the reader that the passage is from Act 5, Scene 7, lines 1-4. The Play title is not mentioned here because the name of the character quoted (Macbeth) is the same as the title of the play itself.

Primary and Secondary Resources

Definition: “Primary Sources are actual records that have survived from the past, such as letters, photographs, or articles of clothing” (Library of Congress, 2000).

Other examples of primary sources are:

interviews, eyewitness accounts, personal journals, diaries, speeches, experiments, observations, videotapes, films, and historical documents.

A copy of the speech of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address would be a primary source. The actual image of the original speech could be found at the Library of Congress’ American Memory– http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/gadd/ga.html

Definition: “Secondary Sources are accounts of the past created by people writing about events sometime after they happened” (Library of Congress, 2000).

Examples of secondary sources are:

nonfiction books, fiction books, encyclopedias, atlas, almanac, newspapers, popular magazines, audio-visuals and online databases.

Website Quality Checklist

AUTHORITY:

  • Is the author listed?
  • Are the authors credentials listed? Is the author an expert in the area?
  • Is the author’s affiliation listed?
  • Can you contact the author?
  • Is there an organization that takes credit for the site?
  • What can you determine about the site by reading the URL suffix?
  • .gov=government; .org=organization; .edu=educational; .com=commercial

BIAS:

  • Does the site present both sides?
  • Does the publisher of the site have an inherent bias such as religious affiliation, political party, industry lobby, or right-to-life/pro-choice?
  • Are opposing viewpoints acknowledged respectfully?
  • Do the pages include links to support their ideas?
  • Is there a bibliography cited?

CONTENT:

  • Is the content appropriate? Does it suit your needs?
  • Is the content organized in a manner that is easy to use?
  • Is the content accurate?
  • Are there spelling or grammatical errors?
  • Are there useful links connecting from this site?

DATE:

  • Can you tell when the site was created?
  • Has it been updated since its creation?
  • How up-to-date are the links?

Websites by Research Topic

Biography

General – www.biography.com

http://www.infoplease.com/people.html

POWER Library’s SIRS Discoverer database

People in History – http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/

People in Science – http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/

Authors – http://www.online-literature.com/author_index.php

POWER Library’s Contemporary Authors database

Careers

See “Careers and College Planning” link on right.

Civil War

Find maps, biographies, photographs, historical documents and more at http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/

Find selected Civil War photographs, as well as technical information about taking photographs at the time of the war, from the Library of Congress at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwphome.html

Find a brief timeline of the Civil War on the Library of Congress’s website at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/tl1861.html

Learn about the great battles of the Civil War, view Civil War maps and photos, participate in essay/poster contests, complete crosswords, and more at http://www.civilwar.org/

Search Civil War era records for your ancestors at http://www.ancestry.com/civilwar150

Geography

Learn about geography, geographic information systems, and careers in geography; find out where a place is and what a place is like; or make a map online at http://www.geography.com/students.html

Take map quizzes at http://www.ilike2learn.com/ or http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/

Learn about geology and the dynamic Earth at the Smithsonian online by going to http://www.mnh.si.edu/earth/main_frames.html

Explore various geographical issues in the Encyclopedia of Earth at http://www.eoearth.org/topics/view/49460/

Use Google Earth to fly to any place in the world and view 3D buildings and terrain at http://www.google.com/intl/en/earth/index.html

Health

POWER Library’s Consumer Health Complete database

Learn how to apply for your driver’s license, take practice driving tests, and learn safe driving habits at http://driving-tests.org/pennsylvania/

Watch videos, play games, take quizzes, and learn more about sex, relationships, abstinence, and birth control at http://stayteen.org/

Find honest, accurate information about your health at http://teenshealth.org/en/teens/

Learn about drug and alcohol abuse at https://teens.drugabuse.gov/

Discover a variety of teen health resources at https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/teenhealth.html

Find information about nutrition and healthy dieting at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/teens

Learn about responding to and preventing bullying at http://www.stopbullying.gov/

Find reliable, useful information on a variety of health and wellness topics at http://www.girlshealth.gov/

Explore health questions and answers or ask your own questions at http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/

Discover how to evaluate health information on the web at https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/evaluatinghealthinformation.html

Holocaust

Visit the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum at http://www.ushmm.org/

Explore the Holocaust through the Jewish Virtual Library at http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/holo.html

Discover articles, pictures, videos and speeches from the Holocaust at http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-holocaust

Find in-depth information about the Holocaust at http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/holocaust/resource_center/index.asp

View the print edition of The Holocaust Chronicle online at http://www.holocaustchronicle.org/

Listen to audio files and read transcripts of survivor testimonies at http://www.bl.uk/learning/histcitizen/voices/holocaust.html

Find a collection of art, photos, poems, memories and factual information about the Holocaust at http://remember.org/

View a timeline of the Holocaust at http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/timeline.html

Religions

Research beliefs, history, rites and rituals, texts, and other aspects of various religions provided by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) at www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions

Find objective, unbiased facts about various religions at www.religionfacts.com

Science Current Events

Visit the homepage of Science News, a magazine of the Society for Science & the Public, at http://www.sciencenews.org/

Find breaking news about the latest scientific discoveries at http://www.sciencedaily.com/, where all articles are freely accessible with no subscription fees

Find breaking news from MSNBC Science at http://www.nbcnews.com/science

Explore topics such as space, animals, health, environment, technology, and even strange scientific news at http://www.livescience.com/

Read the latest science and health news from the New York Times at http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/index.html

Shakespeare

Find the complete works of Shakespeare at http://shakespeare.mit.edu/

Use the Shakespeare Resource Center at http://www.bardweb.net/ to find links from all over the web containing information on William Shakespeare

Find a biography of William Shakespeare at http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/

Find plot summaries, analyses, study guides, practice quizzes, biographical information, and more at http://www.shakespeare-online.com/

Find complete works, summaries, quotes, film adaptations, quizzes and more at http://absoluteshakespeare.com/

U.S. Government

Visit the U.S. government’s official web portal at http://www.usa.gov/

Use the student gateway to the government to find information on education, career development, military service, financial aid and more at http://www.students.gov/STUGOVWebApp/Public

Visit the White House at http://www.whitehouse.gov/

Visit the Library of Congress at http://www.loc.gov/index.html

Track the U.S. Congress at http://www.govtrack.us/

Track federal spending at http://www.fedspending.org/

Search for and comment on U.S. government regulations from nearly 300 federal agencies at http://www.regulations.gov/#!home

Find the U.S. Code at http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/ or http://uscode.house.gov/