‘Make sure you use reliable websites to cite your works’ does this line sound familiar? Well, all through our high schools and colleges we are taught to use ‘content rich’ websites; websites that are reliable and do not misquote or misrepresent information or present opinions as facts. So, what websites should we refer to when working on assignments or projects? Which website will give us the best amount of information and will be safe to cite in the references? In essence, it really depends on the kind of information you are looking for. Let’s have a look at a number of websites in various categories.
PBS Online
This website gives you the chance to explore into the lives of different personalities as well as historical events responsible for making these great personalities. Supported by videos, episodes, galleries and glossaries, this website gives you a great insight into the deeper history of all past events. You can stream through the interviews conducted about these people and can use these resources as an important basis for your content.
BBC: History
Yet another website based on the premise of history, BBC history doesn’t fail to impress the researcher: hosts of activities, features, games, exhibitions and photo galleries all leave the researcher awed. The different categories which can be found on the BBC website include Church and State, Archaeology, ancient history, War and Culture, society and conflict, family history and the likes. So if you’re on the lookout for some good history resource, BBC History is the way to go!
LitSum
This is an online resource that ‘sums’ it all for you: yes, you can get hold of all the summaries you would have ever wanted along with all the pertinent books you require. So, you don’t need to spend days and nights reading books only to find they weren’t even relevant! Just log onto this website and get a gist of the websites in question.
Google Books
When it comes to researching, how can Google not come in context? Google books is a website dedicated to scholars and researchers; it enables them to look for books online through the ‘advance book search’ option. Moreover, you can select the ‘full view’ option to ensure that your search results give you only the books that are available online with all their contents and you don’t miss on anything important. Additionally, Google books also gives you the option to download PDF facsimiles of specific books.
Library Of Congress
This is a wholesome collection of images, documents, letters, manuscripts, artworks and much more. Online exhibitions of the LOC are centered on particular themes which further add to the diversity of the available information. Examples of themes include the Colonial America and the Civil Wars.
So, it really depends on the type of project you are carrying out and the type of information you require. Nevertheless, some general websites such as the Google books, LOC and LitSum, do provide you a great deal of direction whatever your topic of research may be.
Scott Heron is based in Edinburgh. He has 5 years of experience as a freelance SEO consultant. Scott writes articles about SEO friendly strategies, and forming attractive content on your website. To find out more, click here.