1. Stop Searching and Start FINDING: Strategies for Effective Web Research Created by: Patrick Douglas Crispen Modified by: Mr. Carmichael

2. Our goals today... Discover the biggest mistakes made by most Internet users:Discover the biggest mistakes made by most Internet users: –Typing search terms in the wrong box. –Using the wrong tool at the wrong time. Talk about the differences between directories and search engines (and when to use each.)Talk about the differences between directories and search engines (and when to use each.) Learn some advanced Google searching techniques.Learn some advanced Google searching techniques. DO ALL OF THIS IN ENGLISH!DO ALL OF THIS IN ENGLISH!

3. The Biggest Mistake Typing search terms in the wrong box

5. Whitefish Bulldogs

7. The Second Biggest Mistake Using the wrong tool at the wrong time

8. Three questions Where would you find the telephone number or address of the Whitefish SchoolWhere would you find the telephone number or address of the Whitefish School –A telephone book Where you would find the definition of the word “pestilence?”Where you would find the definition of the word “pestilence?” –A dictionary Where would you find the name of the war that the Treaty of Westphalia ended?Where would you find the name of the war that the Treaty of Westphalia ended? –An encyclopedia

9. What would happen if you tried to look up the definition of the word “pestilence” in the telephone book?

10. YAHOO ISN’T A SEARCH ENGINE!... it is a directory.

11. Directories Usually human- compiled guides to the web, where sites are organized by categoryUsually human- compiled guides to the web, where sites are organized by category Major directories:Major directories: –MSN –Yahoo –Netscape ODP

12. What directories are good for... “What is the Web page address for some company, organization, or entity?” (or “who makes product X?”)“What is the Web page address for some company, organization, or entity?” (or “who makes product X?”) “Where can I find a list of Web pages that focus on a particular, ‘universal’ topic?”“Where can I find a list of Web pages that focus on a particular, ‘universal’ topic?” In other words, directories are GREAT for “telephone book” searches.In other words, directories are GREAT for “telephone book” searches.

13. What directories AREN’T good for... Directories are horrible for “encyclopedia” or “dictionary” searches.Directories are horrible for “encyclopedia” or “dictionary” searches. The only exception is if the topic is so universal that the directories have no choice but to link to a page or two that discuss that topic (and even then the selection will be slim.)The only exception is if the topic is so universal that the directories have no choice but to link to a page or two that discuss that topic (and even then the selection will be slim.)

14. Search Engines have three parts: 1.A spider (also called a "crawler" or a "bot") that goes to every page or representative pages on every Web site that wants to be searchable and reads it, using hypertext links on each page to discover and read a site's other pages.

15. Search Engines have three parts: 2.A program that creates a huge index (sometimes called a "catalog") from the pages that have been read.

16. Search Engines have three parts: 3.A program that receives your search request, compares it to the entries in the index, and returns results to you. -- Courtesy searchenginewatch.com

17. Directories v Search Engines Directories are human-compiled and have a small number of pages in their databases (usually in the low millions)Directories are human-compiled and have a small number of pages in their databases (usually in the low millions) Search engines are machine-compiled and have a HUGE number of pages in their databases (usually in the hundreds of millions or even the billions)Search engines are machine-compiled and have a HUGE number of pages in their databases (usually in the hundreds of millions or even the billions)

18. The Second Biggest Mistake -- Restated Using a directory as if it was a search engine... and then not understanding why you can’t find anything!

19. Top search sites – January 2002 1.MSN 2.Yahoo 3.Google 4.AOL 5.Ask Jeeves 6.LookSmart 7.Infospace 8.Overture 9.Netscape 10.AltaVista -- Courtesy Jupiter Media Metrix

20. Which ones are directories? 1.MSN 2.Yahoo 3.Google 4.AOL 5.Ask Jeeves 6.LookSmart 7.Infospace 8.Overture 9.Netscape ODP 10.AltaVista

21. Secondary results Most directories use a search engine as a backup (Yahoo and Netscape use Google, almost everyone else uses Inktomi)Most directories use a search engine as a backup (Yahoo and Netscape use Google, almost everyone else uses Inktomi) Why add the extra step?Why add the extra step?

22. How the sites stack up Most directories (like MSN and AOL) link to 2 or 3 million pages.Most directories (like MSN and AOL) link to 2 or 3 million pages. Most search engines (like AltaVista and Google) link to hundreds of millions of pages.Most search engines (like AltaVista and Google) link to hundreds of millions of pages. -- Courtesy searchenginewatch.com

23. Why do people predominantly use directories when search engines have more stuff? Because no one ever takes the time to teach us how to use a search engine!

24. The Third Biggest Mistake Not knowing how to use directories or search engines to actually FIND stuff

25. Search engine rule #1 Be specific... because if you aren’t specific, you’ll end up with a bunch of garbage!

26. Search engine rule #2 Use quotes to search for phrases. “Middle Ages”

27. Use quotes for phrases This works on every search engine and directory but Direct Hit, LookSmart, and MSN Search.This works on every search engine and directory but Direct Hit, LookSmart, and MSN Search. BUT, quotes do work for LookSmart's Inktomi results.BUT, quotes do work for LookSmart's Inktomi results. At MSN Search, it’s unpredictable about when this works.At MSN Search, it’s unpredictable about when this works.

28. Search engine rule #3 Use the + sign to require. Gary + Carmichael

29. Use the + sign to require This works on every search engine and directory but LookSmart.This works on every search engine and directory but LookSmart. But, the plus sign does work for LookSmart's Inktomi results.But, the plus sign does work for LookSmart's Inktomi results.

30. Search engine rule #4 Use the - sign to exclude. Carmichael - Discovery

31. Use the - sign to exclude This works on every search engine and directory but LookSmartThis works on every search engine and directory but LookSmart But, the - sign does work for LookSmart's Inktomi results.But, the - sign does work for LookSmart's Inktomi results. Also, the - sign will not work for preprogrammed results to popular queries at MSN Search.Also, the - sign will not work for preprogrammed results to popular queries at MSN Search.

32. The five rules 1.Be specific... because if you aren’t specific, you’ll end up with a bunch of garbage! 2.Use quotes to search for phrases. 3.Use the + sign to require. 4.Use the - sign to exclude. 5.Combine symbols as often as possible

33. On to the Research!!!

34. Domain abbreviations (last three characters in URL or address) edu - Educational institutions com - Commercial businesses gov - U.S. government mil - The U.S. military org - Other organizations net - Network/Internet Service Providers ~ - In a URL address, means an individual is responsible for the contents.us.jp.uk ca. wfps.k12.mt.us

35. Stop Searching and Start FINDING PowerPoint created by Patrick Douglas Crispen. This version modified for class use by Mr. C