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Google is NOT where you found the information!
Google found the information and connected you to it, but the information was found on a website. You need the information from that individual website to properly cite it!
Remember, you need to use CREDIBLE sources! Follow this advice from Common Sense Media!
Evaluate the website you want to use.
Identify the owner of the site by looking at the site header and the URL. Scroll to the bottom and see if you can learn anything more about the organization or person who is in charge of the website.
Do a Google search on the site owner's name, and review the results to see what other sites say about this site. Note that you are not just clicking the top result and avoiding clicking “sponsored” results but also looking down the list for credible sources. The Wikipedia entry is a good place to start, especially the "References" section, which links out to primary sources.*
Do a Google search on the author's name (also add the source name to help narrow down results), and review the results to see what other types of articles the author has written.
Check for bias.
Bias means having a preference for one thing over another in a way that’s unfair. Someone can be biased in favor of others or against them and that is unfair in either case because the belief is subjective and not based on fact. A website about how great Northern Guilford Middle School is being run by Mrs. Wheat would show bias FOR NGMS. It's important to know what bias the website has and to attempt to find the most unbiased information you can.
Corroborate the ideas.
Corroborate means finding an additional source that confirms or supports a news story, article, or piece of information. You should always check to see if you can find the same information in other locations because if it's only in one place you should question whether or not it's true.
Log in to NCEdCloud and check out Britannica and EBSCO for some resources you can trust. These are credible resources you don't have to stress about...work smarter, not harder! :)
Use Creative Commons approved images, videos, and music!
Pixabay is full of lots of images you can use without giving credit at all! Check each image to see the rules and expectations before you use it in a project!
Openverse has TONS of Creative Commons images. Each picture will tell you how to properly cite it under Creative Commons in your presentations or projects!
Want to find Creative Commons approved images in a Google Search?
Google Image Search > Tools > Usage Rights > Creative Commons licenses
Check out this collection of sites that offer free video and sound for use in your projects!
Do you know how to be a good digital citizen?
Play Digital Compass and find out!
Digital Compass by Common Sense Education teaches students the fundamentals of digital citizenship through a choose-your-own-path interactive game, designed for grades 6–8.
Did you know that Google Docs will create citations for you? It's amazing and SO easy!
When in Google Docs, click on Tools and choose Citations
The default is MLA, but if you need another style you can choose it from the dropdown here!
Here is where you will choose what type of source you are adding. You will most likely be using a book or a website. It will ask you how you accessed it (how you read it).
If you are citing a website, copy and paste the URL in! This will allow Google to pick up as much information as possible about your source. Click Search.
If Google can locate all the information it needs, it will look like this. Click Continue.
If Google is unable to locate all the information it needs, it will look like this. Click Continue.
PAUSE
At this point, double check that all the information found is correct. YOU are responsible for this citation. If Google messes it up, YOU need to correct it. DOUBLE CHECK the INFORMATION!
Add in any information that is needed and check to ensure that all the information listed is correct.
Now your citation is complete!
To add an in-text citation, click on "Cite" which will pop up when you hover over your citation. This will add the correct in-text citation to your document.
To create your Works Cited/Bibliography citation, just click Insert Works Cited. You can do this at the end once all your citations are created and will create your entire Works Cited in order!
MLA formatting is not easy, so take your time to figure it out!
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