Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or part, of any images; any rental, lease, or lending of the program. Using the Internet for Educational Research Chapter 4

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Discussion Topics Strengths and weaknesses of the Internet for educational research Organization of the Internet Internet search strategies Educational research sites Communication on the Internet Citing Internet sources Evaluating information from the Internet

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Strengths and Weaknesses General issues – Plethora of information available on the Internet – Quality concerns Comparing ERIC and the Internet – Database indexing ERIC indexes over 1000 journals and maintains a common database of all entries The Internet indexes each journal and entry separately

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Strengths and Weaknesses Comparing ERIC and the Internet – Database organization ERIC offers a set of standardized subject headings that can be used to search the database efficiently and effectively The Internet offers no consistency in the use of vocabulary by which databases are constructed or searched – Quality control ERIC entries are all reviewed and have met high standards for quality The Internet information is not reviewed for quality

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Strengths and Weaknesses Comparing ERIC and the Internet – Currency of information ERIC contains material that is somewhat dated due to the submission, review, and database entry process The Internet materials tend to be more current – Text availability ERIC contains abstracts and bibliographic information The Internet contains full-text of articles

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Strengths and Weaknesses Comparing ERIC and the Internet – Access ERIC indexes journals mostly relevant to educational research in the United States The Internet provides access to research being conducted world-wide – Availability of other information ERIC contains research-based information only The Internet provides many other types of information (e.g., statistical databases, organization information, , etc.)

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Organization of Information Federal and state governments – URL extensions of.gov Universities and colleges – URL extensions of.edu Commercial sites – URL extensions of.com Organizations and associations – URL extensions of.org Community based free internet providers – URL extensions of.net

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Internet Search Strategies Three search mechanisms – Subject directories – Search engines – Meta-search engines

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Internet Search Strategies Subject directories – A subject directory is an online service that reviews and categorizes information on the web – Assets and limitations Websites are reviewed and categorized using common standards, thus increasing the likelihood of a good hit. The number of reviewed websites is small given the exponential growth of websites, thus a comprehensive search is unlikely.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Internet Search Strategies Subject directories – Types of questions relevant for subject directories Which states have educational research associations? Where would I contact the department of education in each state? Where would I find a regional educational lab? How many journals are published online?

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Internet Search Strategies Subject directories – Yahoo! Yahoo! – LookSmart LookSmart – NBCi NBCi – Open Project Directory Open Project Directory

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Internet Search Strategies Search engines – A service that categorizes websites by automated indexing of key terms in the website Search language Special search features Relevancy of hits

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Internet Search Strategies Search engines – Assets and limitations Large numbers of websites are automatically searched Ability to use search logic and options (e.g., words, phrases, case sensitivity, Boolean logic, etc.) Idiosyncratic nature of the indexing process Little if any consistency in database quality, size, and type across search engines

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Internet Search Strategies Search engines – Types of questions Does Allyn and Bacon maintain a web site for McMillan’s text? What are the standardized tests given to eighth grade students in specific states? In any information available on constructivist learning theory? What are the most recent articles written in a specific electronic journal?

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Internet Search Strategies Search engines – Google Google – Northern Light Northern Light – Alta Vista Alta Vista – HotBot HotBot – Teoma Teoma

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Internet Search Strategies Meta-search engines – A search engine that submits your search to several search engines – Assets and limitations Useful to search multiple search engines due to the lack of consistency across individual search engines Unique search language of each search engine make “meta” searches difficult No meta-search engine includes all the major search engines

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Internet Search Strategies Meta-search engines – Types of research questions Are there many web pages addressing experimental research designs? Does the web have any information on the historical report entitled “A Nation At Risk”?

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Internet Search Strategies Meta Search Engines – Dogpile Dogpile – MetaCrawler MetaCrawler – WebCrawler WebCrawler – VROOSH! VROOSH!

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Internet Search Strategies Information on subject directories, search engines, and meta search engines – NETC Internet Basics NETC Internet Basics – Search Engine Showdown Search Engine Showdown – Search Engine Watch Search Engine Watch – Research Navigator™ - see the Understanding Research section Research Navigator™

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Educational Research Sites US Department of Education (DOE)DOE State Education Agencies National Research Centers Regional Educational Labs Electronic journals – Electronic Journals in Education Electronic Journals in Education – Electronic Journals and Newsletters Electronic Journals and Newsletters – Education Line Education Line

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Educational Research Sites Conference proceedings and reports – EDAC Policy Analysis Archives EDAC Policy Analysis Archives – The Qualitative Report The Qualitative Report Access to online information through Research Navigator™Research Navigator™ Statistical web sites – NAEP NAEP – NCES NCES Associations and organizations – See Table 4.8

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Internet Communication Newsgroups discussion groups Listservs ERIC Educational Listserv Archive

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Citing Internet Resources General format – Author. (Date Authored) Title. Edition. URL: (Date Viewed). American Psychological Association. How to Cite Information from the World Wide WebHow to Cite Information from the World Wide Web Research Navigator™ - see the Citing Your Sources section Research Navigator™

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Evaluating Information Need to critically evaluate information due to the varying levels of the quality of the information Evaluating Websites for Educational Uses: Bibliography and Checklist Evaluating Websites for Educational Uses: Bibliography and Checklist

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Evaluating Information Criteria – Who is the author? – What reputation and qualifications does the author have? – Is the information objectively presented? – Are the facts or statistics verifiable? – Is there a bibliography? – Is the information current?