Welcome to the INTERNET Surfing the World Wide Web using Problem Solving Skills for Research Projects

Just Google It? WRONG ANSWER! Internet research takes a lot more work than “googling” a topic! Before beginning any research project, you need to know a few things: 1. What is your task? 2. Where can I find the information? (sources) 3. What do I do with all the information? 4. How can I put this all together?

Task Definition What is your problem??  Define the information problem you need to solve.  Identify the information needed in order to complete your task or solve your information problem.  This step involves understanding exactly what your teacher wants you to do or what exact information you need to find.

Getting the Information THINK of all the places you can get the information needed to solve your problem.  Print materials  Non-print materials  Electronic materials

Spanish Speaking Countries Interviews Books Websites T.V. Shows Videos Streaming Videos Magazines experts Geological Organizations

Locate and Access Locate the sources of information Find the information within the sources 1,130,000 web sites with information on Spanish speaking countries

I’ve googled. Now what? A search engine will provide you with hundreds of thousands or even millions of web sites that relate to your topic. There are several search engines:  Google  Bing  Ask  Dogpile  Altavista  Alltheweb

Once you’ve found some websites, you need to make sure they are good sites. NEVER USE A WIKI PAGE AS A SOLE SOURCE OF INFORMATION!! Wikipedia is not always a reliable source of information. Double check info against other sites!

5 things to look for!! Once you have found information sources, you need to evaluate them on 5 areas: ◦ Authority ◦ Accuracy ◦ Objectivity ◦ Currency ◦ Coverage

Authority Who designed this website or webpage? Purpose (why was this page or site started?) Verify the legitimacy (is there a phone number or postal address for more info?) Qualifications of the author (does this person have expertise or extensive knowledge about the topic?) Copyright protected (is the ownership of the material cited on the page/site?)

ACCURACY Is there a reference section for factual information provided? Grammar Responsibility statement Are graphics of good quality?

OBJECTIVITY Is this a PSA or for profit site? Is there advertising on the page? If advertising is on the site/page, is it clearly defined and not included in the instructional or informational content?

CURRENCY Are there any identifiable dates on the page/site? Any indication that the information is current? Do graphics state when the information was obtained? Does the information state if it is from a specific edition or volume?

COVERAGE Is the website completed or is it still under construction? If content is outdated, is it noted that the information is outdated and that attempts have been made to locate a more accurate source?

How to determine more reliable websites Not a wiki page Very little or no advertisements Site is current (latest information) Well written without grammar & spelling errors Web address ends with: .org .edu .gov

Check it out! Minimal advertising

Copyrighted and dated

Address ends with “.org” No advertising on page

Tells you the information is updated. Information has and ISBN #, which is provided by the US ISBN Agency and allows the information to be published.

I know what I need and where to get it!! How do I start??? This is known as Using your information! Once you know your task & have located the information sources– you will have to READ to get facts from the information. Always, always, always– TAKE NOTES! Take the important facts from what you read and put those facts into your own words.

DO Paraphrase or jot down facts Only take facts that you need Make sure the facts go with your topic Write down the source of information (cite the reference) Title of work, author, date and web address!

DON’T Copy word for word from the source Add information that is not relevant to the topic Forget to cite your sources Forget the purpose of the research Print out a web page and claim it as your work!!

Notes Example for Chile What is really important here? Location, Geography Climate For anyone who has ever been fascinated by geography, the long, impossibly thin line of Chile has always produced a tiny moment of astonishment. Chile stretches over 4,300 km (2,700 mi) along the southwestern coast of South America, a distance roughly the same as that from San Francisco to New York, or Edinburgh to Baghdad. At the same time, its width never exceeds 240 km (150 mi), making the country more than eighteen times longer than its widest point.

Chile stretches over 2,700 miles along the southwestern coast of South America Chile’s width never exceeds 150 mi The country is more than eighteen times longer than it is at its widest point. In a Nutshell:

Synthesis—putting it all together Once you have taken notes, organize your facts into well written paragraphs for your report or project. Always include a bibliography or list of resources. There are specific rules for citing sources of information. Use MLA format for most projects and papers in middle or high school.

The following are standard MLA rules for citing sources: ◦ Book  Okuda, Michael, and Denise Okuda. Star Trek Chronology: The History of the Future. New York: Pocket, ◦ Website  Lynch, Tim. "DSN Trials and Tribble-ations Review." Psi Phi: Bradley's Science Fiction Club Bradley University. 8 Oct

◦ Encyclopedia Article  Sturgeon, Theodore. "Science Fiction." The Encyclopedia Americana. International ed

Evaluate your work Before you turn in your project or paper, does it meet all of the criteria set forth by your teacher? Does it answer the question or solve the problem? Did you follow the rules??

Give it your BEST!! You will receive a better grade if you: ◦ Start to work early ◦ Don’t wait until the last minute ◦ Follow Directions!! ◦ Ask questions if you need help ◦ Put in enough time to get the job done ◦ DO YOUR BEST ON ALL PARTS OR PHASES OF THE PROJECT!!