SEARCHING THE INTERNET

1

• SEARCHING THE INTERNET
• An Overview

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What is a Search Engine

• electronically gathers Internet information into
  an index to be searched using keywords, narrowing
  terms, and Boolean logic
• when you use a search engine you are NOT
  searching the Internet but searching that
  engines own index
• different search engines use different indexing
  methods so they can give different results
• i.e. altavista.com, ask.com, google.ca

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Who is Altavista?

• a leading provider of search services and
  technology
• continue to advance Internet search with new
  technologies and features designed to improve the
  search experience for consumers
• Awarded 61 search-related patents, more than any
  other Internet search company

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Who is Altavista? (contd)

• Delivers Internet's first Web index (1995)
• First multilingual search capabilities on the
  Internet
• First Internet search engine to launch Image,
  Audio, and Video search capabilities
• Most advanced Internet search features and
  capabilities multimedia search, translation
  language recognition, and specialty search

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What is a Metasearch Engine?

• finds results from multiple search engines
• some rank results
• i.e. www.dogpile.com, www.ixquick.com
• Open your browser to view these Metasearch
  Engines

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What is a Boolean Operator?

• Used to narrow a search
• To include or exclude words
• Boolean logic consists of three logical
  operators
• OR
• AND
• NOT

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Examples of Boolean Operators

• Query    I need information about cats.
• Boolean logic    OR
• Search    cats OR felines
• Query    I'm interested in athletes in
  basketball.
• Boolean logic    AND
• Search    athletes AND basketball
•  

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More Examples

• Query    I'm interested in radiation, but not
  nuclear radiation.
• Boolean logic    NOT
• Search    radiation NOT nuclear
• Query    I want to learn about cat behaviour.
• Boolean logic    OR, AND
• Search    (cats OR felines) AND behaviour
• Open your browser and choose www.altavista.com to
  search these examples

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Online Research

• When you are using the web for research the
  preparation process and steps to completing your
  research paper are
• a) know how to choose a topic
• b) know how to discover resources
• c) know how to gather information
• d) know how to prepare for writing
• e) know how to write the paper

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Guidelines when using a search engine

• Only use Wikipedia to get the bearings on a
  subject not for content
• Use keywords to perform your search
• Keep the search narrow
• Check that your source is credible (check date
  creation, who the author is, if the site is
  biased/opinion or states facts)

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Guidelines when using a search engine (contd)

• Read the About Page section (who posted, when,
  last update, who author)
• Should check your facts on more than one website
• Use factual information

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Documenting your web source

• Topic Steve Nash Statistics
• URL address -http//www.nba.com/playerfile/steve_n
  ash/index.html?navpage
• Author - NBA Media Ventures, LLC
• Date posted October 12, 2010
• Date accessed the site Wednesday, October 13,
  2010
• Title of the article Players Steve Nash
• Publisher of the website - Turner Sports
  Entertainment Digital Network

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Works Cited

• Electronic resources should be cited as
• Author, Article Title. Title of the website.
  Version s or revision s. Publisher
  Information (Date and Name). Page s if
  applicable. Date you accessed the material. URL
  if required or for your own information.
• NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Players, Steve Nash.
  NBA.com. 2010 Turner Sports Entertainment
  Digital Network. 13 Oct. 2010 lthttp//www.nba.com/
  playerfile/steve_nash/index.html?navpagegt

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Rewards of knowing how to conduct proper research

• gain valuable knowledge
• can save time
• important to learn how to search properly and
  effectively so you can weed out what you dont
  need