How do I search the Internet?
- Narrow your topic and its description; pull out key words and
categories
- Use a search engine: does it contain a directory of topics?
Find the best combination of key words to locate information you need;
Enter these in the search engine
- Get assistance from your local research librarian
- Refer to known, recommended, expert, or reviewed web sites
- Refer to professional portals
that may have directories or collections by topic
- Review the number of options returned.
If there are too many web sites, add more keywords.
If there are too few options, narrow/delete some keywords,
or substitute other key words
- Review the first pages returned:
If these are not helpful, review your key words for a better description
- Use advanced search options in search engines:
Search options include
- Key word combinations, including boolean strings
- Locations where key words are found
For example: in the title, 1st paragraphs, coded metadata
- Languages to search in
- Sites containing media files (images, videos, MP3/music, ActiveX,
JAVA, etc.)
- Dates web sites were created or updated
- Research using several search engines
Each search engine has a different database of web sites it searches
Some "Meta-Search" engines actually search other search engines!
If one search engine returns few web sites, another may return many!
- Evaluate the content of the web sites you've found:
Refer to the Study Guide "Evaluating web site
content"
- Track your search:
List resources you checked; the date your checked them
Identify the resource, especially its location and the date you found it
- When printing, set your options to print the
Title of the page | the Web address | the date printed
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What are some resources?
- Search engines
Search Engine
Colossus
links to search engines from 148 countries
- Directories that organize information and links
- Open Directory Project
a comprehensive human-reviewed directory of
the web
- IPL2
features a searchable, subject-categorized
directory of authoritative websites; links
to online texts, newspapers, and magazines;
and the Ask an ipl2 Librarian online
reference service
- Infomine
a comprehensive virtual library and
reference tool for academic and scholarly
Internet resources, including Web sites,
databases, electronic journals, bulletin
boards, listservs, online library card
catalogs, articles, directories of
researchers, and other types of information
- Web sites devoted to particular topics, including text, graphics,
movies, music files.
Examples include
Internet Directory for
Botany,
Phone-soft Internet Directory International
organic Chemistry, Stock
photography (royalty free)
- Government documents, forms, laws, policies, etc.
U.S. Government
Printing Office disseminates official information from all three branches
of the United States Federal Government
- Services and information by
non-profit organizations and by for-profit businesses
- LISTSERVs or discussion groups:
L-Soft:
browse any of the 50,686 public LISTSERV
lists on the Internet, search for mailing
lists of interest, and get information about
LISTSERV host sites
- Resources at your local (public) library
These may require membership or registration
- Newspaper, journal, magazine databases
Often restricted to subscribers, require registration, or can be fee-based for
access
International conventions of copyright govern the use and
reproduction of all material:
all information should be properly cited
Flash exercise
contributed by
Gustav Holz and
Dr. Brad Hokanson, Graphic Design I (DHA 5341) School of Design,
University of Minnesota
Website overview: Since 1996 the
Study Guides and Strategies web site
has been researched, authored, maintained and supported by
Joe Landsberger
as an international, learner-centric, educational public service. Permission is granted to freely copy, adapt,
and distribute individual Study Guides in print format in non-commercial educational settings that benefit learners. Please be aware that the Guides welcome, and are under, continuous review and revision. For that reason,
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Linking to the Guides is encouraged!
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