Website and Search Tips for Adding a Little More Information

When rewriting or preparing a presentation, it's always a good idea to keep searching for more helpful information and details about your topic. Just this week I noticed that many students needed help finding better websites. Many students had only looked at Wikipedia or other difficult-to-read websites. Here are some ideas on expanding your search to find better and easier-to-read information!

1. Check the homepage for your city or attraction! 

Most cities have a tourism homepage and so do most attractions. Do a Google search for your attraction and look for the attraction's name in the web address or the term "official website" or "homepage." It will usually be one of the top websites on a Google Search. Check out this cool video that you can find on the Tokyo Tower homepage! http://www.tokyotower.co.jp/eng/secret/ You could find almost all the information for a paragraph on the Tokyo Tower just by watching this video and taking notes! It's also much more interesting and easy to understand than the Wikipedia page. How about your attraction? Have you visited its homepage? Check it out!

Here's a link to Paris, France's official website. It has tons of information that is up-to-date, along with many pictures! http://en.parisinfo.com/  Have you checked your city's official website? Take a look!

2, For easy-to-read information, do a Google search using the word "facts." 

For example, you can search for "Rome facts" or "the colosseum facts." By doing this search I found some really interesting and easier to read websites. Here was the top result: http://www.eatingitalyfoodtours.com/blog/ancient-rome-for-kids/  It included a cool picture of a statue which represents the legend of the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus:

There was also a really interesting article about the Colosseum, which was MUCH EASIER TO READ than the Wikipedia page. http://www.localnomad.com/en/blog/2013/10/01/10-interesting-facts-about-the-colosseum-in-rome/ This article has tons of interesting facts and great pictures!

Have you tried doing a Google search for your city or attraction using the word "facts"? Give it a try! You might find some great extra information for your essay or presentation!

3. Search Youtube! 

You never know what you will find - some videos will not be useful, but it's no big deal - click on another one! Here's an interesting video about the Berlin Wall where you can see different sites along the wall!

4. Try some other search words in Google. 

For example: "Wellington travel advice", "Seattle travel tips", "Beijing tour." To find good information it takes what we call in America "Google-fu" (this word combines "Google" and "kung-fu.")

5. Finally, try searching with the specific question you need to answer:

 "What is the climate in London?", "How old is The Eiffel Tower?" "What can you buy at the Floating Market in Bangkok?", etc. This is often the fastest way to find the information you need. However, be careful. Do not trust a site like Yahoo Answers or Ask.com, unless the person answering gives a website to a more reliable article you can trust! Check that article!

Alright, I hope these tips can help you with your last pieces of research! If you want any help finding information, please also feel free to visit me or to ask the people at the lounge!

What are your tips for finding good information? Have you found any really excellent websites or videos? Do you have any other questions about searching? Let me know in the comments!