Select Page

Unit 1: Internet Research

Mastering Online Research for Special Education Advocacy
Basic Principles of Special Education

By the end of this unit, you will know how to:

   Bookmark Websites using the most common platforms

   Organize your Bookmarks using best practices for structuring bookmarks

   Find and Manage Saved Bookmarksby editing and renaming bookmarks for better organization

 Use Advanced Research & Bookmarking Tipsusing browser extensions

Unit 1 Resources

Introduction to Internet Research

As a Non-Attorney Special Education Advocate™, you’ll often come across helpful information online. This may be through Google Scholar, educational websites, or government resources. But without an organized system, that valuable information can quickly become difficult to retrieve.

In this section, we’ll explore:

    • The importance of digital research for advocacy
    • How to find credible research for advocacy
    • Best practices for organizing and storing research

How to Bookmark Websites

Saving useful websites is essential for efficient research and quick reference. In this section, you’ll learn how to create and organize bookmarks on different browsers and devices.

Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Go to the webpage you want to bookmark.
  2. Click the star icon on the right-hand side of the address bar.
  3. A popup will appear—rename the bookmark and choose a folder.
  4. To create a new folder, click “More…” in the popup.

Video Walkthrough: Organizing Chrome Bookmarks

Chrome Bookmark Help

Chrome (Mobile)
  1. Open Chrome and navigate to the web page.
  2. Tap the three dots in the lower-right corner.
  3. Tap the “Share” button, then tap “Bookmark.”
  4. Bookmarks are saved in the “Mobile Bookmarks” folder.
  5. To access bookmarks, tap the three dots again → Bookmarks.

Chrome for Mobile Help

Safari (iPhone)
  1. Tap the “More” button, then tap “Add Bookmark.”
  2. Tap the “Show Bookmarks” button.
  3. Tap “Edit” to create folders, rename, or reorder bookmarks.
  4. To sync bookmarks from your Mac, go to Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → Turn on Safari.

Safari Bookmark Guide

Firefox (Desktop & Mobile)

To Add a Bookmark:

  1. Open the page, tap the menu (three dots or lines).
  2. Tap “Add” next to Bookmarks.

To Find a Bookmark:

  1. Tap the menu → Bookmarks.
  2. Scroll or search to locate your saved page.

To Remove a Bookmark:

  1. Tap the menu → Bookmarks.
  2. Find the bookmark, tap the three dots → Delete.

To Move/Edit a Bookmark:

  1. Tap the menu → Bookmarks → Edit.
  2. Tap “Folder” to move it or create a new folder.

Firefox Bookmark Guide

Organizing Bookmarks & Research

Having a system to organize what you find online is key to being an effective NASEA®. Without one, important information is easily lost. This section introduces a folder-based strategy that works across browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

Use Folders by Topic

Create main folders for big topics (e.g., IDEA Law, FAPE, Evaluations), and use subfolders for specific cases or resources.

j

Rename for Clarity

Change long or vague page titles into something short and descriptive so you know exactly what the link is.

Think Like a Librarian

Structure your research so you can access it later—use consistent naming and keep things tidy.

Save Your Spot: NASEAT® Bookmark Folder

To help you easily return to each unit, follow the instructions below to create a bookmark folder called “NASEAT®” in your browser. Every time you start a new unit, save it in this folder so you never have to worry about losing your place.

Chrome (Windows)

Step 1: Click the ★ star icon in the address bar.

Step 2: In the small popup, click the “Folder” dropdown.

Step 3: Click “Choose another folder”, then click “New folder” at the bottom. Name it NASEAT, then click Save.

Safari (Mac)

Step 1: Go to the page you want to bookmark and press Command + D.

Step 2: In the dialog box, click the dropdown next to “Add this page to” and select “Favorites” or “Bookmarks.”

Step 3: Click “New Folder,” name it NASEAT, then Save.

Firefox (Windows/Mac)

Step 1: Press Ctrl+D (Windows) or Command+D (Mac).

Step 2: In the popup, click the folder drop-down and select “Choose…”

Step 3: Click “New Folder,” name it NASEAT, and click Add.

Finding & Managing Saved Bookmarks

Knowing how to find, edit, and clean up your saved bookmarks is just as important as creating them. Here’s how to manage your saved resources in Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.

U

Pro Tip: Use Search!

Most browsers let you search your bookmarks—use keywords to quickly find what you saved.

Chrome (Desktop & Mobile)
  1. Tap the three dots (top-right or bottom menu).
  2. Select “Bookmarks.”
  3. Open any folder to see saved links.

To Edit or Move Bookmarks:

  1. Open Bookmarks > Find the bookmark > Tap the 3-dot menu.
  2. Select “Edit” to rename or “Move” to change the folder.
Safari (iPhone)
  1. Tap the book icon, then go to the Bookmarks tab.
  2. Tap “Edit” to rename, delete, or reorder bookmarks.
  3. To move bookmarks, drag and drop them between folders.
Firefox (Desktop & Mobile)

To View Bookmarks:

  1. Tap the menu button → Select “Bookmarks.”
  2. Scroll through folders or use the search bar.

To Delete a Bookmark:

  1. Tap the menu > Bookmarks > 3-dot menu beside the link.
  2. Select “Delete.”

To Edit or Move a Bookmark:

  1. Go to Bookmarks > Tap 3-dot menu > Select “Edit.”
  2. Choose a different folder or create a new one.

advanced

Advanced Research & Bookmarking Tips

Once you have the basics down, these tips will help you go even further with organizing your research and keeping it synced across devices. These are especially helpful for full-time advocates or parents researching complex cases.

Sync Across Devices

Use Chrome Sync, Firefox account, or iCloud with Safari to keep your bookmarks available on phone, tablet, and desktop.

Use Extensions

Tools like Raindrop.io, Pocket, or Evernote Web Clipper can help you tag, save, and search research more effectively.

Export Bookmarks

Back up your bookmarks by exporting them to an HTML file. Useful if switching browsers or storing a local copy for your records.

We’re listening: Help us Improve this unit.

How Well Do You Know Internet Research?

Test your knowledge with our interactive assessment. 

Current Status

Not Enrolled

Price

Closed

Get Started

Take this Course

Resources

Workbook

This link will take you to the folder that has both the Workbook and the Answer Key. It is highly suggested to print the Workbook, fill it out, and then open the answer key for reference.

Workbook and Answer Key

Downloadable PDFs

This link will take you to the text version of this unit

Unit text

References