Tips to Researching on the Internet Guide for the Researching Tips Worksheet

A browser allows you to navigate the World Wide Web. The most common browsers are: Chrome, Firefox, Explorer, and Safari Choosing a Browser

Using a Browser Menu – Includes all options available for the program. URL – (Uniform Resource Identifier) Used for specific web addresses. Browser Window – Allows you to view sites Bookmark Bar – Mark the pages you will visit often Search Bar – Allows you to do a random search

Search Engines help you find information and items in databases by using keywords. Basically you would use one that you feel the most comfortable using. Google is the most used today with over 40 billion pages and over 300 million searches every day. Choosing a Search Engine

Searching Tips: 1. Use specific terms: Keep your search simple, use as few words as possible. If your search is not what you are looking for, then add more descriptive words until you find what you are looking for.

Searching Tips: 2. Choose your words carefully Choose words that are likely to appear on the site. Instead of searching “my head hurts”, search “headache”.

Searching Tips: 3. Don’t worry about the little things Don’t stress about spelling, the search will pick up the most common words to fit your search. Also, search engines don’t distinguish between capitals from lowercase. So don’t capitalize words.

Searching Tips: 4. Don’t use common words or punctuation: Words like the and a are called stop words and are usually ignored in a search, the same with punctuation. However if a common word is important to your search, then use it, such as The Giver.

Searching Tips: 5. Use quotations for exact phrases. using quotation marks around a phrase will return only those exact words in that order.

Searching Tips: 6. Use the minus operator ( - ) to narrow your search. words with several meanings could return too many unwanted results. For example when you search for bears you get results for Chicago Bears, so put search in as bears –chicago, and Chicago Bears will not appear in the results.

Searching Tips: 7. Find Quick Answers Type in the topic you request and then the city or zip code, then the answer will display. Examples: weather: salt lake city movie:84651 A search engine can also be used as a dictionary or calculator. Examples: define: search engine calculate: 5 * 845

Searching Tips: 7. Find Quick Answers Type in the topic you request and then the city or zip code, then the answer will display. Examples: weather: salt lake city movie:84651 A search engine can also be used as a dictionary or calculator. Examples: define: search engine calculate: 5 * 845

Learn about privacy settings: Social networking sites and online forums have plenty of settings, and you should learn them all. Facebook Who can see your information? Who can see your photos? Who can send you messages? Consider using a different picture than your self for profile photo

Choose your online identity carefully For some online communities, it’s best to use a made-up screen name that doesn’t give any clues that reveal your identity. Be accountable Don’t post anything you don’t want linked to you

Imagine everyone can see what you write Even setting your setting to private things you say spreads Socail networkers share what they see Can spread like wildfire Nothing is ever deleted It is always on someone's server, , Facebook or phone

Only write something online you’d say in person The “golden rule” of online etiquette. Following it saves lots of trouble, yet it is violated time and again Less likely to damage peer relationships Get in trouble at school, embarrass herself Worst of all, make a mistake that affects your future

Limit “netspeak” Experts urge against adopting the “netspeak” and Internet acronyms, as these create bad habits. “We are becoming a society of people who can't spell, can't speak and can't add.” What might fly among peers might be disrespectful to an adult family member. If your social media maven writes Facebook posts that would make her English teacher proud, she’s actually building skills that help her in school and in life. Imagine that!

Don’t engage in flame wars Don’t engage in flame wars. There’s nothing wrong with a spirited debate, but it’s important to sign out if a conversation becomes too heated. Tempers can easily escalate when conversations unfold in real time, and no good can come from joining in. Vent any frustrations with an adult rather than continuing the debate online.

It’s not always nice to share Websites of all kinds have made it easy to “share” something with one simple click. This makes social networking more fun Resist the urge to share private messages or pictures. Even limited-privacy messages and pictures—those that are sent to a selected group of people—should be kept private. If someone sends something inappropriate to you, DON’T join in the sharing frenzy that may follow.

Don’t steal online The Internet makes it easy to enjoy an unlimited supply of entertainment. One in five 11-year-olds say they regularly download music, video games, movies and TV shows illegally. Obtaining entertainment through file sharing websites is stealing, and it’s punishable by fines or even jail time. Free streaming websites and gaming platforms play by the rules.

Know when to log off Social networks, instant message programs and texting make it easy to communicate with their loved ones, but it’s important to know when to log off. Ascher says children must learn when it’s better to talk on the phone or face to face. “Ninety-three percent of what we communicate is nonverbal; it’s what we see,” she says. “And even a great video of me won't communicate the confidence of my handshake, my smile or how I enter a room.”

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