Searching the Internet

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Searching the Internet

• LIB 120
• Amanda Izenstark

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Things to keep in mind

• What type of information do I need?
• Facts?
• Analysis?
• Statistics?
• Opinions?
• Objective?
• New?
• Historical?

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Who might have the information?

• Do you already know who might have it?
• The government?
• A non-profit organization?
• An educational institution?
• Do you have no idea where to start?

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What dates does the information I need cover?

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What dates does the information I need cover?

• Remember the Internet as we know it today didnt
  exist 15 years ago

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How should I search?

• Use the skills youve learned in this class!
• Search engines generally have an Advanced Search
  option that lets you target your search.
• Some use Boolean, some use characters to
  approximate Boolean searching.

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How should I search?

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Spelling counts!

• Make sure youve spelled your search terms right!
  
• Some search engines will offer you spelling
  options (Google).
• Because the Internet doesnt have an editor or an
  editorial board, many pages have typos in them.

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What kind of tool should I use?

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Search Engines

• Google www.google.com
• AlltheWeb www.alltheweb.com
• AltaVista www.altavista.com
• Teoma www.teoma.com

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Directories

• Yahoo www.yahoo.com (You have to scroll down
  the page to find the directory.)
• Open Directory Project www.dmoz.org

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Meta-Search and Others...

• Dogpile -- searches other search
  engines www.dogpile.com
• Vivisimo -- Clustering Engine www.vivisimo.com
• Daypop -- Current events search
  engine www.daypop.com

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Combination Sites

• Googles Directory search utilizes the Open
  Directory Projects directory.
• Yahoos search at the top of the page utilizes
  third party search engine providers -- they
  bought FASTSearch

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Search Engine Math

• -

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Using Search Engine Math

• sleep deprivation caffeine
• finds the exact phrase sleep deprivation and
  the word caffeine in my results
• sleep deprivation caffeine -childdoes the
  above, but removes the words child or children
  from my results

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The Advanced Search

• The Advanced Search functions allow

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Remember to EVAULATE!

• Do you have a manageable number of results?
• Are the results you get relevant?
• Do your results make sense?
• Rephrase your search if youre not getting what
  you expect
• Or ask for help!

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Limit your search!

• In the Advanced Search you can limit sites by
  domain
• .gov
• .org
• .edu
• .uri.edu
• .ac.uk

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Open sites in a new window

• RIGHT click on a link and select Open in New
  Window.
• This lets you keep your search results AND
  explore the sites you get.

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Here today, gone tomorrow?

• The Web is a volatile place.
• Information may be there today, but when you look
  for it tomorrow, it may be gone
• SAVE sites that are particularly useful File
  Save As

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What is out there, really?

• Materials created by non-profit organizations to
  inform and persuade people
• Sites created by companies
• Sites created by individuals
• Stuff in the public domain
• Statistics from the government
• Some information produced by researchers
• Some really old books -- published before 1920

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Whats NOT out there?

• Some sources say as much as 96 of scholarly
  information is NOT on the web that means only
  4 is!

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Ask yourself

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A Few More Search Tools

• LookSmarts FindArticles www.findarticles.com
  A free site for articles, not as extensive as a
  database.
• Elseviers Scirus www.scirus.comA free science
  search engine from the publisher Elsevier.
• PubMed Central www.pubmedcentral.nih.govFree
  archive from the National Library of Medicine.
• Internet Public Library www.ipl.orgService of
  the University of Michigan.
• BUBL Link bubl.ac.uk/linkBritish directory
  using LC Subject Headings.