The Internet The Internet as a Search as a Search

ToolTool

Prepared by Ms. Emery, Summer 2006

With billions of web pages online, you could spend a lifetime surfing the Web, following links from one page to another.

Research and the InternetResearch and the Internet

The Internet can be a The Internet can be a great tool for great tool for research, but finding research, but finding quality web materials quality web materials and using them to and using them to your advantage can your advantage can be challenging.be challenging.

Why do we need to evaluate web Why do we need to evaluate web sources?sources?

Any person can publish Any person can publish anything on the Internet.anything on the Internet.

Web sources do not Web sources do not have to be professionally have to be professionally accepted or edited. accepted or edited.

Types of web pagesTypes of web pages

Informative pagesInformative pages

Personal web pagesPersonal web pages

Political/interest group Political/interest group pagespages

Marketing-oriented or Marketing-oriented or “infomercial” pages“infomercial” pages

Entertainment pagesEntertainment pages

What is a search engine?What is a search engine?

A search engine is an A search engine is an Internet tool that locates Internet tool that locates web pages and sorts web pages and sorts them according to them according to specified keywords.specified keywords.

searchenginewatch.comsearchenginewatch.com is a website that provides is a website that provides detailed information about detailed information about different search engines.different search engines.

Search Engines Break Down into Search Engines Break Down into Two CategoriesTwo Categories

Directories (Yahoo)Directories (Yahoo)

Indexes (Google)Indexes (Google)

DirectoriesDirectories

Good at identifying general informationGood at identifying general information

Classifies websites into similar categories Classifies websites into similar categories like a card catalog in a librarylike a card catalog in a library

The results of your search will be a list of The results of your search will be a list of websites related to your search termwebsites related to your search term

IndexesIndexes

Searches all contents of a websiteSearches all contents of a website

Uses software programs called spiders and Uses software programs called spiders and robots that scour the Internet, analyzing millions robots that scour the Internet, analyzing millions of web pages and newsgroup postings and of web pages and newsgroup postings and indexing all wordsindexing all words

Finds specific information such as biographical Finds specific information such as biographical informationinformation

Natural Language QueryNatural Language Query

You can ask your You can ask your question in plain question in plain English!English!

Meta Search EngineMeta Search Engine

Submit your query Submit your query simultaneously to simultaneously to multiple search multiple search engines by doing a engines by doing a metasearchmetasearch..

Momma.comMomma.com, , dogpile.comdogpile.com, and , and clusty.comclusty.com are are popular meta search popular meta search engines.engines.

Use search engines to your Use search engines to your advantageadvantage

Pick the right search engine Pick the right search engine for your research needs.for your research needs.– Yahoo and Google are Yahoo and Google are

common favorites.common favorites.– Hotbot locates information Hotbot locates information

based upon the popularity of based upon the popularity of the site.the site.

Refine your search Refine your search whenever possible.whenever possible.

Most Popular Search EnginesMost Popular Search Engines

50%

26%

13%

8% 3%

Google

Yahoo

MSN

AOL

My Way

The Top 5The Top 5

GoogleGoogle

YahooYahoo

MSNMSN

AOLAOL

ASK (Jeeves)ASK (Jeeves)

Your FavoritesYour Favorites

Create a folder called Create a folder called Search Engines Search Engines under your under your Bookmarks or Bookmarks or Favorites menu. Add Favorites menu. Add your favorite engines your favorite engines to the folder so you to the folder so you can easily access can easily access them whenever you them whenever you want to do a search. want to do a search.

Limit Keywords in a SearchLimit Keywords in a Search

It is a good idea to It is a good idea to read the directions read the directions for each search for each search engine to get the engine to get the most out of your most out of your search.search.

Use + or – to limit Use + or – to limit your hits.your hits.

+panther -pink

Online Information—Fact or Online Information—Fact or Fiction?Fiction?

Anyone with a computer Anyone with a computer and modem can become and modem can become an electronic publisher on an electronic publisher on the Internet the Internet – many web sources are not many web sources are not

checked for accuracychecked for accuracy

– some personal sites are some personal sites are used to express individual used to express individual opinions about issues, but opinions about issues, but not necessarily the factsnot necessarily the facts

Are these valid websites?Are these valid websites?

http://www.malepregnancy.com/http://www.malepregnancy.com/ – The first pregnant maleThe first pregnant male

http://www.geoffmetcalf.com/bread.htmlhttp://www.geoffmetcalf.com/bread.html – The dangers of breadThe dangers of bread

http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus.htmlhttp://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus.html – The tree octopusThe tree octopus

You Be the JudgeYou Be the Judge

Who is the author?Who is the author?

Who is the publisher?Who is the publisher?

What is the point of What is the point of view?view?

Are there references Are there references to other sources?to other sources?

How current is the How current is the information?information?

Identify the Web SiteIdentify the Web Site

Whenever possible, try to locate the home page.Whenever possible, try to locate the home page.

You can often do this by eliminating some information You can often do this by eliminating some information from the end of the URL.from the end of the URL.

.org.org .gov.gov .com.com .net.net .mil.mil

.edu.edu .us.us .au.au .uk.uk .biz.biz

http://www.microsoft.com/security/antivirus/mydoom.asphttp://www.microsoft.com

Domain Names—Country CodesDomain Names—Country Codes

In addition to the generic top-level domains, 244 national top-level domains (NTLD) were established for countries and territories, for example:

.au - Australia .ca - Canada .fr - France

.de - Germany .uk - United Kingdom

Examine for credibilityExamine for credibility

Credibility may be Credibility may be compromised by compromised by intentional intentional misinformation or by misinformation or by unintentional neglect.unintentional neglect.

Locating the name of Locating the name of the site’s creator may the site’s creator may be challenging. be challenging.

Credentials may be Credentials may be missing even if the missing even if the author’s name is author’s name is provided.provided.

Final WordFinal WordThe Internet is not the The Internet is not the only place to find only place to find information. While it information. While it abounds with a wealth of abounds with a wealth of information, it is not as information, it is not as good for historical good for historical information. Visiting the information. Visiting the library should always be a library should always be a consideration in consideration in conducting research.conducting research.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/pb48m to view the pros and cons with library vs. Internet research.

ReferencesReferences

http://www.learnthenet.comhttp://www.learnthenet.com

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/pp/Internet.ppthttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/pp/Internet.ppt