Online Resources

Sources of Facts and Data

Online Encyclopedias: finding facts fast

• Encyclopedia Britannica: new pay version for full archive (first two paras free); free access for journalists)
• Encarta.com: many entries free, rest you pay
• Encyclopedia.com: concise, free articles
• Reference.Yahoo.com: search across several titles
• Xrefer: one-stop search of 50 reference titles

Fact Portals: links to sources of information

• Refdesk: Colin Powell's favorite site, says NYT
• Martindale's Reference Desk: resources galore
• BJPinchbeck's Homework Helper: a school kid's best friend

U.S. Government: links to sources of information

• Thomas: Legislative information
• Firstgov
• Fedstats
• Federal Web Locator

Research Help: get your answers here

• IPL Pathfinders: Internet Public Library research assistance
• Ask.yahoo.com: answers for every day questions

Statistical and Math Help: numbers, numbers, numbers

• Niles Guide to Data on the Internet: access stats of all kinds
• Statistics.com: more stats
• Stats.org: deeper look at statistics; how journos use stats
• Online Conversion: 8,000+ calculators

Online Maps: changing atlases forever

• NG's Map Machine: dynamic maps tied to govt. data
• Maps.com Explorer: interactive satellite/aerial maps
• SpaceImaging.com: what you see on TV
• DRIVING DIRECTIONS: Mapquest.com, MapBlast.com & Yahoo Maps

Facts about Countries: basic data

• WorldInformation.com 
• Economist's Country Briefings
• CIA World Factbook
• COMPARING COUNTRIES: get data on various nations
• NationMaster.com: compare stats about different countries:
• UN CyberSchoolBus InfoNation

Phone, E-mail, Web Info - find people and businesses

• PHONE NUMBERS: use these before you dial directory assistance
• Switchboard: U.S. business and personal phone numbers 
• International Lookup: more international numbers
• REVERSE DIRECTORIES: lookup by number
• WhitePages.com
• Infospace
• AnyWho: search for phone numbers by address & distance
• Freeality: various search tools in one place 
• MESA: worldwide e-mail search
• BetterWhois.com: Search for domain names; also see NetworkSolutions.com

Business Information: research companies online

• Hoover's Online: business profiles 
• 10kWizard: info on publicly traded companies 
• Niles Guide to Data on the Internet: access stats of all kinds 
• Links for business journalists 

Public Records Help: accessing court records & databases

• Search Systems' Public Records: 12,000+ public record databases 

Medical Information: medical/drug lookup

• WebMD
• MayoClinic.com
• Merck Manual
• PDR
• RxList

Legal Information: U.S. law

• Supreme Court
• Findlaw
• Cornell Legal Information Institute

Books: finding titles, new and old

• BookFinder.com: used and out of print books

Movies: Hollywood and beyond

• IMDb: Internet Movie Database

Translation Websites: get the gist

• FreeTranslation.com instant translation for several languages; also see world.altavista.com; systransoft.com
• Arabic-English translation: Ajeeb.com

Online Tutorials: learn almost anything about almost anything

• How Stuff Works
• eHow
• So You Wanna
• About.com: personal guides on hundreds of topics

Tech Tutorials: computer help

• Webopedia.com
• WhatIs
• Computers 101: tips on buying a computers and other tech tips 

Tracking Rumors: never spread lies again

• About.com Urban Legends
• Snopes.com