It’s easy to feel lost or overwhelmed when it comes time to do research for an assignment, especially when there are so many websites that aren’t always the most credible or reliable for helping you in a pinch. We thought it might be a good idea to compile a resource guide that will help you with everything from finding scholarly articles to walkthroughs that explain how to nail that paper format. Online dictionaries, encyclopedias, journal databanks and even official government websites are all valuable tools that should be in every student’s bookmarks, even if those resources don’t seem to apply to what you’re studying.

Here is a list of just a few of the resources out there for students, organized by category (for a more comprehensive list, check out this link). While you shouldn’t limit your research to only these sites, I think this list will be a great start in helping students identify what kinds of sources are credible and reference-worthy.

General Research

World eBook Library

Digital Librarian

MERLOT Multimedia Resource

 

Journal Article Databases

Directory of Open Access Journals

Google Scholar

LexisNexis

EBSCO Online Research Database

 

Statistics

U.S. Census Bureau Statistical Abstract

Bureau of Economic Analysis

U.S. Economy at a Glance

 

Dictionaries

Oxford English Dictionary

Lexicool Multilanguage Dictionary

 

Style and Formatting Manuals

Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting and Style Guide

APA Cheat Sheets

Strunk’s Elements of Style