As a student with low vision and an unpredictable chronic illness, I spend a lot of time learning asynchronously outside of the classroom. Even when I do attend classes in-person, I often search for study resources online to explore topics in-depth or get explanations about topics that confuse me in class. Here is a list of my favorite strategies for how to search for study resources online, from the perspective of a student studying data science and assistive technology.
Start with the library
I can’t read standard print, so I bypass the library bookshelves in favor of the robust databases and online study resources offered by my college library and local public library. While both types of libraries can have overlapping services, I use different tools and resources from each institution.
Examples of online study resources offered by the college library can include:
- Digital copies of textbooks, including optional textbooks for courses that students aren’t required to purchase.
- Excerpts of required readings for classes in multiple file formats, such as PDF, EPUB, and HTML.
- Meetings with a research librarian to help with locating resources or narrowing down a specific topic.
- Services offered by the Writing Center, which can provide feedback on papers.
- Online tutoring services for specific classes— these may also be listed on department websites.
- Research databases that can be used to search for articles, digital books, videos, sound recordings, and other information on a topic.
- Documents and guides for working on research papers or using a particular software.
Examples of online study resources offered by the public library can include:
- Free tutoring services— my local library offers Brainfuse for K-12, college, and lifelong learning
- Streaming film services such as Kanopy, which has several documentaries and educational videos
- eBook services like Libby that provide access to digital books and audiobooks that can be read with assistive technology
- Databases for local newspapers, news outlets, and historical archives
- Recommended reading lists for content on a particular topic, or recommendations for similar books
- Subscriptions to national newspapers, such as Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
Another helpful library available at no cost for students with print disabilities is Bookshare, which offers over a million books in multiple file formats. Bookshare can also convert books into accessible formats for students that need them for school at no cost.
Related links
- Online College Library Resources For Digital Access
- My Favorite Digital Library Resources For Low Vision
- Brainfuse Online Tutoring and Low Vision Accessibility
- Accessing The News With Assistive Technology
- Behind The Scenes: How Bookshare Books Come To Life
- Ten Cool Things You Didn’t Know About Bookshare
Filter searches for a specific website or domain extension
Instead of scrolling through random websites that might not have accurate information, I use a search filter to find content from websites with .edu as the domain, since those are run by educational institutions and often are compliant with web accessibility guidelines. This is especially beneficial when studying for a test, as professors from other universities post practice tests, or I can find old tests from my university that have been officially released by professors. This can be done by typing “site:edu” without quotation marks and then writing the search query.
Some examples of potential search queries can include:
- site:edu discrete math test
- site:edu z-table
- site:edu geol 101
- site:edu how to create a tagged PDF
Another option is to search from results from a specific website, such as a college website, homework help tool, or blog/website that has a lot of posts or pages. This can be done in the following ways:
- Use the keyword “site:” (without quotation marks) and type in the URL for the website, followed by a space and the search query of interest. For example, searching “site:veroniiiica.com math” without quotation marks would provide results for content on my website that mentions math.
- In some web browsers like Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome, type the name of a site without the www prefix, and then press the tab key to search directly on the website. This is not available for all websites, but this will display results directly on the website’s search page instead of on a search engine page.
Related links
- How To Run Effective Web Searches
- Helpful Ways To Bookmark Websites For Low Vision Users
- US Government Programs For Blind/Low Vision Residents
- Adapting Accessible Z-Tables: Math Problems and Low Vision
Find lectures and information in specific file types
When I was taking a geology course, I found a great study resource from another college professor when searching for PowerPoint files (ppt/pptx) on a specific topic. This can also be useful for searching for Word documents (doc/docx), HTML files (html) that can be enlarged with browser zoom, datasets (csv), or images (png) that can be enlarged with pinch-to-zoom.
To search by file type:
- Type the phrase filetype (all one word) followed by a colon
- Type the file format extension that is being requested, such as DOCX, PDF, or PNG. Do not use terms like “document”, “image”, or software names like Microsoft Word.
- Add a space between the file extension and the search query of interest.
For example, to find docx files related to functional visual assessment templates, I would search filetype:docx “functional visual assessment” either with or without the quotation marks.
Related links
- File Formats For Low Vision and Print Disabilities
- Using Anthology Ally With Low Vision
- Sideloading and Low Vision
- Free Braille Art and Tactile Image Libraries: World Braille Day 2024
Look for cheat sheets and summary documents
Cheat sheets are frequently recommended as a study resource in my programming classes, but the documents my professors share can sometimes be hard to read if there is a lot of text crammed into one page or multi-column layouts. Searching for the name of a programming language followed by “cheat sheet”, “summary”, or “crash course” is a great way to find a list of code snippets, terms, and common functions/characteristics of writing in a particular language, or navigating a particular library. This strategy can also be used to find formula sheets or notes from other students on a variety of topics, many of which are typed.
When searching for cheat sheets for programming languages, I use the “filetype:html” search filter because I often struggle to read PDFs since I can’t change the font size or text spacing.
Related links
- How To Create An Accessible Formula Sheet
- Pre-Teaching Programming Languages To Visually Impaired Students
- Accessible Python IDEs For Low Vision
- A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
Search keywords across multiple websites at once
Sometimes I want to search for a keyword across a specific subset of websites, such as websites for digital flashcards, blogs/organizations that are an authority on a topic, or specific news outlets. In this situation, I pair the “site:” keyword with the OR operator to search multiple websites that I list out.
To search multiple websites:
- Type the keyword of interest.
- Add an open parenthesis and write the keyword site:
- List the websites/domains to include in the search separated by the | symbol (known as OR operator). For example, if I wanted to search my site and Perkins School for the Blind, I would write (site: veroniiiica.com | site:perkins.org)
- Add parenthesis to the end of the query.
As a data science student, examples of websites I might include in a query include Quizlet, StackOverflow, Posit, GitHub, W3Schools, and other educational sites.
Related links
- How I Use Quizlet With Low Vision
- Free Accessible Coding Resources With Large Print Options
- Tips For Teaching R Programming To A Low Vision Student
- How I Access Historical Documents With Low Vision
Use citation tracking to look for related papers
One of my professors would frequently refer to papers they wrote on a topic during lectures, and I often found their explanations confusing when I would ask a question. I know firsthand that authors often over-explain their own work or feel that the information is “obvious” to the audience, and I was curious how other people in the field would talk about this topic. To accomplish this, I used citation tracking to find other papers that had cited the paper from my professor, and read how the other researchers had described the topic of the paper or connected it to something else. Citation tracking can be done within a library database, Google Scholar, or looking at the DOI link associated with a paper.
In addition to reading content that had cited a specific paper, I also browsed through the citations of the original paper to view prior information on the topic, and read papers from the other co-authors that had mentioned the same subject in different contexts. This is something I would start doing a lot more often in graduate school, but it really helped in undergrad when it came to understanding complex material.
Related links
- How I Read Research Sources With Assistive Technology
- How I Find Research Sources In Accessible Formats
- How I Outline Research Papers With OneNote
Related: Find websites that also link to a specific page
Similar to citation tracking, another option for finding online study resources is to search for websites that also link to a given page. For example, if my professor shared a link to a math tutorial, I could search online to see if anyone else has linked to the same math tutorial and find related content. This has been helpful when searching for web articles and social media posts/threads that go in-depth on a particular topic.
This can be done by typing the word “link” without quotation marks, followed by a colon and no spacing between the URL. For example, if I wanted to find other pages that linked to my website, I would run a search for “link:www.veroniiiica.com” without quotations.
Browse hashtags and lists on social media for a given topic
Social media is a great tool for finding online study resources! Browsing hashtags and accounts run by professors, subject matter experts, textbook companies, museums, and other educators is a great way to find online study resources in a variety of formats. Examples of websites that I have personally used as a student include:
- Text-based platforms like Twitter (X) and BlueSky
- Instagram hashtags
- YouTube videos, playlists, and channels
- Wakelet
Wakelet is especially useful for searching for lessons or study resources on a particular topic, as the platform is targeted at educators putting together multimedia content for their students. Text-based platforms like X and BlueSky have been especially useful for finding programming resources and tutorials that others post, as well as connecting with content creators.
For those wondering why I didn’t include TikTok or short-form videos, I have a medical condition triggered by strobe and flashing lights and cannot browse these types of platforms safely, so I can’t vouch for their effectiveness.
Related links
- How I Use Pinterest For Studying In College
- Wakelet Accessibility Features For Low Vision
- BlueSky Accessibility Features For Low Vision
- Avoiding Flashing Lights On Social Media
- How To Make Your Instagram Feed Accessible For Visual Impairment
- How I Watch Concert Videos Without Strobe Lights
Search for resources using Google Lens
Powered by the Socratic tool, Google Lens can provide homework help across various subjects by connecting learners with additional resources for learning a topic. For example, I could take a picture of a math problem and get a detailed explanation of how to solve these types of problem, a step-by-step guide to finding the solution, and videos/websites from trusted academic sources that can provide more information about a topic.
Examples of how I use homework help with Google Lens includes:
- Getting help with a challenging math problem, or recognizing text from a math problem that I can copy into another application
- Receiving an explanation for a chemistry, physics, or biology question
- Browsing other sources and information about history or literature, as well as grammar explanations for writing
It’s worth noting that I don’t actually use the Homework feature for doing my homework or any other graded assignments— that’s against the honor code! But it is helpful for tutoring or studying, especially if I couldn’t see the original lesson very clearly.
Related links
More ideas for searching for study resources online
- Museum websites and social media accounts are a great tool for finding educational resources. I share more about this in How To Make Virtual Museums Accessible For Visual Impairments
- Need one-on-one help? Check out Choosing A Tutor For Low Vision Students
- Looking for ways to find audio study resources? I share a few tips in The Best Study Tips For Auditory Learners
- Writing a paper on something related to visual impairment and not sure where to start? I list a few ideas in How I Write Research Papers On Accessibility Topics
- Need more study advice? Read The Best Study Tips For Visually Impaired Students
Published August 1, 2019. Updated January 2025