
When you've searched, queried and pleaded for answers to your homework questions to no avail, who ya gonna call? Homework busters, that's who! Here's the scoop on real people (teachers, librarians, experts, authors, and fellow students) who will answer your most perplexing homework questions via e-mail.
[Editor's Note: An updated version of this topic can be found here: Homework Help]

Calling themselves "the oldest and largest free Q&A service on the Internet," All Experts boasts a network of a thousand question-answering volunteers. Find an expert by navigating through the subject directory. Clicking on your topic (such as Geography or Spanish), you'll be presented with an annotated list of volunteers. Each expert has a profile with ratings and comments from previous question askers, so you can choose your volunteer based on past performance.

At IPL KidSpace there are no previous questions and answers to peruse, just a form to submit your own query. Questions will be answered via email by a school librarian in a couple of days. Most likely, the volunteer will point you to Internet resources where you can find your own answer. What else would expect from a librarian? IPL KidSpace reminds us that our own school librarians are terrific (and live) resources that should not be overlooked.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if your class could submit questions to a real astronomer while studying the solar system? Or how about an entomologist to answer your bug questions? This site contains the Web addresses of fifty experts who are willing to answer questions. It is not as extensive a list as the Pitsco site (see below), but it is a good starting point.

Ask an Expert is a yellow page directory of experts, listing more than three hundred volunteers able to answer questions on topics from artificial intelligence to zoo keeping. Click your way through twelve categories to find your subject matter (for example, under Science and Technology I found four astronomers). To avoid bothering the volunteers with repeat questions, you should first review each expert's website, where you just might find the answer you are looking for. If not, you can email your question directly to the expert.

Published by the US Department of Education, the VRD Learning Center is both a directory of sites, and a place to ask questions. Start by drilling down the directory to find your subject (such as Mathematics to Algebra.) Although there is a link to Ask a Question (which requires free registration) on all the pages, if you continue to your topic page you'll find Top Sites, FAQs, AskA Services (third-party expert sites), and an archive of previously asked questions. There is also an excellent Etiquette section (look for the link at the bottom of any page) with question-asking dos and don'ts.
The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
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