Internet Research Third Edition Unit A Searching the Internet Effectively

Objectives Understand Internet search tools Create an Internet research strategy Identify the right keywords Perform a basic search Add multiple keywords Use phrases Analyze search results Cite online resources

Understand Internet Search Tools Internet search tools are services used to find information on the Web Four types of Internet search tools

Understand Internet Search Tools Each is better for different searches No search tool searches the entire Web

Understand Internet Search Tools Four types of search tools: search engines metasearch engines subject guides specialized search tools

Understand Internet Search Tools Search engines find Web pages containing keywords entered in a search form index the Web with spiders

Terms to Use Keywords Spiders describe the major concepts of your search topic Spiders programs that scan the Web indexing pages for search engines

Understand Internet Search Tools Metasearch engines simultaneously search keywords in multiple search engines

Understand Internet Search Tools Subject guides offer hierarchical subject categories through which you navigate to specific links

Understand Internet Search Tools Subject guides broad view of Internet topics arranged by subject hierarchical organization typically handcrafted professional, academic & commercial

Understand Internet Search Tools Specialized search tools find Web pages that are invisible to other search tools intelligent search agents query multiple databases simultaneously

Terms to Use Deep Web Intelligent search agents the part of the Web not indexed by spiders; also called the Invisible Web; probably 500 times the visible Web Intelligent search agents simultaneously search multiple specialized search tools

Creating an Internet Research Strategy a plan of action to reach your research goals

Creating an Internet Research Strategy Define topic and identify keywords Locate needed background information and identify additional keywords Choose the proper search tool

Creating an Internet Research Strategy Translate the topic into a search query Perform search Evaluate results Refine the search if necessary

Terms to Use Search query Search form words and symbols which you enter into a search form and which the search tool uses to search its index Search form the place on a search tool’s search page where you enter your query

Creating an Internet Research Strategy Define your research topic Find background information Identify keywords Choose the proper search tool Translate question into an effective search query Perform your search If not satisfied with the results, return to an earlier step in the process to refine the search Evaluate your search results If satisfied with the results, be sure to note the information you will need to cite Web pages later

Identifying the Right Keywords Identify Keywords determine which words will best return the results you need

Identifying the Right Keywords Summarize your topic in a statement Pull potential keywords from the statement Define words & find background information Identify synonyms and related terms CD screen tour: interpreter converts instructions one instruction at a time

Terms to Use Synonyms Stop words words that have similar meanings words that search tools do not search

Performing a Basic Search Perform a basic search enter keywords into a search form and search for relevant links

Performing a Basic Search Websites change frequently― appearance, design & even address If a text box or button in the text has changed, look for a similar one If a link indicated in the text is no longer there, tell your instructor

Clues to Use Most search tools allow you to press [Enter] to start a search Results vary between search engines largely because: their spiders search different parts of the Web their ranking algorithms for results are different

Adding Keywords = common mistake made when searching the Internet using too few keywords to describe a topic =

Adding Keywords = using too few keywords to describe a topic many irrelevant results =

Clues to Use Most search engines search according to the order in which you place your keywords Place your most important keyword first

Using Phrases Use phrases Phrase searching search for two or more words in a particular order Phrase searching method of searching to keep your words in the correct order

Using Phrases Most search tools understand you want to search for a phrase when you enclose keywords in quotation marks

Using Phrases If you search for: “solar energy” two keywords: results are required to contain both words anywhere on the page in any order two keywords in quotation marks: results are required to contain this exact phrase (or the words together in this exact order) solar energy “solar energy”

Use a Phrase When Searching The name of a person: “Bobby Orr” The name of a place: “Memphis Tennessee” The name of a business/organization/institution: “Course Technology”

Use a Phrase When Searching: The title of a film/show/recording: “A Hard Day’s Night” The title of a book/newspaper/magazine: “Ball Four” A song/poem when you only know a few words: “you may say I’m a dreamer”

Analyzing Search Results Analyze search results understand clues available on a search results page before clicking links

Analyze Search Results Find keywords in the search results Decipher the URL Note the ranking of results Look for subject directory links Look for cached pages Navigate between search results pages

Terms to Use URL Uniform Resource Locator Algorithms unique address of a Web site or page Uniform Resource Locator Algorithms mathematical formulas used to rank Web sites according to the terms used in a search query

Terms to Use Cached page copy of a Web page on a search engine’s computer

Citing Online Resources Cite Online Resources use a standardized format to cite the online sources

Citing Online Resources Cite resources when you use a standardized citation format, you or anyone reading your work, can easily return to the resources you used

Citing Online Resources Two widely accepted citation formats are Modern Language Association (MLA) American Psychological Association (APA)

Clues to Use Assume that everything on the Web is copyrighted If you use a fact, quotation, image, or piece of text from the Web, you must cite the source If you do not cite your source, you are guilty of plagiarism

Searching Effectively Includes Familiarity with search tools Understanding citing resources Creating a research strategy Identifying useful keywords

Searching Effectively Includes Performing basic searches Using multiple keywords Searching with phrases Analyzing search results Citing online resources

Searching the Internet Effectively End