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Civil & Environmental Engineering: Finding Reliable Information on the Internet

This guide contains resources and guidance to help students studying Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Information on the internet

 

We all use Google, but when looking for information on the internet, it's essential to check that your information is reliable and not the work of someone looking to spread misinformation. 
The internet helps find information like: 

  • Fact sheets 
  • Open data 
  • Government policies 
  • Guidelines and procedures 
  • Reference information 

If you are unsure if the information you found is sound, you can use our techniques for evaluating sources.

It's extremely important that you evaluate each source before using them in your assessments, particularly if you are using information you found on the internet. The C.R.A.P Test is a way to evaluate a source based on the following criteria:

  • CURRENCY: When was it written? Is it current enough for your topic?
  • RELEVANCE: Does it relate to your topic or answer your question? 
  • AUTHORITY: Who created the information? What makes the author an expert (credentials, known and respected)? 
  • PURPOSE / POINT OF VIEW: Why was it written? Is the author’s purpose to sell, persuade, entertain, or inform?

We all use Google, but when looking for information on the internet, it's essential to check that information is reliable, up-to-date, and unbiased.

Using Google to locate information

 

Google is often the way to find information online. There are 2 simple searching tips that can help you quickly locate sources. You can use these tips by themselves or combine them. 

Tip 1: Search by File Type

Reports are most often shared in PDF format on websites. By limiting your search by file type, it can help you locate reports.

To do this, add the phrase filetype:pdf into your google search. 

Google Web Search

Tip 2: Search by Domain

Filtering your search results by the domain will help you filter your search down to specific types of websites. For example, if I was looking for government reports I could filter my search to Australian government websites by adding site:gov.au to my search.

Other domains you could try include:

  • .org or .org.au for organisations
  • .edu or .edu.au for educational institutions
  • .com.au for Australian websites
Google Web Search