Using the Internet to find information can be very convenient and useful.  On the other hand, it can be a crapshoot. 

Remember, anyone can publish something on the internet--they don´t necessarily need to know anything about what they are putting up there.  If they have a computer and a network connection, that´s all they need.  Since anyone can publish information on the internet, you need to pay attention to who the source of the information is. 

• Can you tell who the authors are?
• Do they have relevant credentials?
• Is the URL from a credible site? (starting from .org, .com,.edu)
• Is their an inherent bias due to their background?
• What is the purpose of the site (to inform, persuade, sell)?
• Who is the audience of the site?
• When was the site created/last modified?  Is the information still timely?
• Does the site contain actual, reliable information relevant to your research question?

One good way to get results on an internet search is to put in specific terms, as many terms as define your information need.  Thus, instead of putting in `tourmaline´, you could put in `tourmaline practical applications´, for example.  Also, look at the advanced search options to help narrow down your search.

Some commonly used search engines. 
      www.google.com
      www.hotbot.com
      www.yahoo.com
  and of course there are many more. 

The EAS Library also has a web page full of links to interesting Mineralogy web sites. 
     http://www.lib.purdue.edu/eas/geochem.html#mineral