The internet can be a great place for research. Google is quick and easy to use, links to vast amounts of free and current information, includes government sites, many research organisation, and specialist blogs.
The downside to Google is it does not discriminate and won't give the best results for academic information. Unlike the the Library's resources that are chosen for quality, you'll have to evaluate all information that you find on the Internet before you use it in your assignments.
When evaluating think about:
​Google Search Engine Tools
Searches scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines from journal articles, eBooks to conference papers. Items are ranks by citations. Recent and popular items are often restricted behind Publishers' pay-walls.
Student can use citations found in Google Scholar to search Library Search and access the full text if available.
Provides a sophisticated search interface to retrieve more specific results similar to the functionality of the library databases. You can use search operators (AND, OR, NOT) and other punctuation to get limited resulted rather than the million plus, typical of Google.
You can search within specific domains e.g. .ac.uk or websites: www.gov.uk.
Arduino - Arduino (Genuino outside of the U.S. and U.K), a hardware and software company, project, and user community that designs and manufactures computer hardware, open-source software, and microcontroller-based kits for building digital devices and interactive objects that can sense and control physical devices.
Ars Technica - Online magazine publication for technology news, tech policy analysis, breakdowns of the latest scientific advancements, gadget reviews, software, hardware, and nearly everything else found in between layers of silicon.
British Computer Society - The British Computer Society is a professional body and a learned society that represents those working in Information Technology both in the United Kingdom and internationally. Its objectives are to promote the study and application of communications technology and computing technology and to advance knowledge of education in ICT for the benefit of professional practitioners and the general public.
EFQM - European Foundation for Quality Management is a not for profit membership foundation which aims to share what works, through case studies, online webinars, working groups, conferences and thematic events.
Fritzing - Fritzing is an open-source hardware initiative that makes electronics accessible as a creative material for anyone. They offer a software tool, a community website and services in the spirit of Processing and Arduino, fostering a creative ecosystem that allows users to document their prototypes, share them with others, teach electronics in a classroom, and layout and manufacture professional pcbs.
Futurizon - Futurologist, Ian Pearson's blog on the technology of the future. Pearson claims 85% accuracy when looking 10-15 years ahead, using over 30 years experience as a futurologist and engineer.
Hands On Java - An on-line laboratory manual for learning Java.
Intellectual Property Office - The Intellectual Property Office is the official UK government body responsible for intellectual property rights including patents, designs, trade marks and copyright.
Out-Law.com - Out-Law is part of Pinsent Masons, an international law firm. The site provides free guides, articles and news stories relating to everything from the drawing up of on-line contracts and agreements to issues of taxation and defamation
Schneier on Security - Security technology blog from Bruce Schneier, Chief Technology Officer of Resilient, an IBM Company, a fellow at Harvard's Berkman Center.
TED - Enables you to view hundreds of talks and presentations given during TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) events. These focus on themes such as the future of technology, evolution, future predictions, new media and innovative solutions to global problems such as poverty, and conservation.
The Computer Society - The IEEE Computer Society is a world leading membership organization dedicated to computer science and technology; a trusted information, networking, and career-development source for a global community of technology leaders that includes researchers, educators, software engineers, IT professionals, employers, and students.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology - The IET is one of the world’s largest engineering institutions. The IET is working to inspire, inform and educate future, engineers and technicians, and all those who are touched by, or touch, the work of engineers.
The Royal Academy of Engineering - The UK’s national academy for engineering, to advance and promote excellence in engineering.
W3Schools - W3Schools is a web developers site, with tutorials and references on web development languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, SQL, and Bootstrap, covering most aspects of web programming.