Instead of “When is Thanksgiving?,” for example, you could search, “When is Thanksgiving 2018?” For research questions (like, for example, “Which scientists set the groundwork for quantum physics?”), try an academic search engine like RefSeek, Google Scholar, or BASE.

For example, you could search “Where is the best place for clam digging in Washington state?” to get clam digging locations specific to Washington.

(-): cuts out a word (i. e. “-cats” to cut out results about cats) (~): includes synonyms (i. e. “~funny” to include synonyms like silly or hilarious) (): include relevant terms (i. e. “math” might include “algebra” or “statistics”) (OR) include one or the other term (i. e. “cats OR dogs” includes either cats or dogs) If you want to find the best resources for studying statistics including relevant terms except “trigonometry,” for example, you could search, “What are the best learning resources for statistics*? -trigonometry”.

You could, for example, search “Where will the 2020 Olympics be held?” and limit the results to 2016 and onward.

You could, for example, ask your smart home device, “Where is the closest pizza delivery service and when does it close?” Many smartphones also have a similar feature that allows you to ask questions aloud. If yours does, ask it a question using the same technique.

If your question is, “Where was Vincent van Gogh born?,” for example, you could search his name in an online encyclopedia and read the beginning of his biography. Some popular online encyclopedias include Wikipedia, Scholarpedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, Infoplease, and HighBeam Encyclopedia.

Some popular academic websites include Academia, JSTOR, and Bartleby. You could, for example, search for lectures or articles on beluga whale lifespans if your question is, “How do I make a life cycle diagram for beluga whales?”

If your question is, “Which Italian restaurant in my city has the best reviews?”, for example, you could check Yelp.

Some popular Q&A websites include Quora and Reddit. Asking these sites may be less helpful for research question, as they tend to be less credible than academic sites.

University libraries are especially equipped for handling research questions, and many offer their services for free or a reduced fee to non-students.

If you have a question about dinosaurs during the Jurassic period, for example, you could search “paleontologists Jurassic period. "

Many field professionals work as researchers or professors at a university. You could check the university they work at for their email address, if this applies to your intended contact. If you’re looking for Dr. Jake Smith’s contact information, for example, and he works at Cambridge University, you could search “Dr. Jake Smith Cambridge University. "

Dear Dr. Smith, Hello! My name is John, and I’m a student at Harvard University. I enjoyed reading your research on twentieth-century art history and had a question for you about Salvador Dali. Would you consider his early work part of the surrealist or dada movement and why? I’m fascinated by surrealism and was curious about how Dali’s work matured into that art form over time. Thanks so much for your help! Best, John Doe If your professional does not have an email but offers a snail mail address, you could always send a letter instead.

After sending the first follow-up email, do not contact the professional again until they contact you first. They may be too busy to answer the question at this moment.