Searching the Web

Searching the Web Tricks and Treats? Presented by Katherine Nuss & Cassandra Shieh Catholic News Service Library & Information Services

Objectives
1. Help you develop better Web search skills
Use the right tools for finding various types of information
Create good search strategies & queries
2. Provide tips on how to evaluate and critique information found on the Web
Guide for evaluating Web sites
Identify misinformation on the Web
Be more selective when choosing sources of information available on the Web

What is the Web?
collection of graphical pages on the Internet that can be read and interacted with by computer
Consists of pages authored by reputable publishers of information and “anyone with a computer and a modem, requiring no editing or checking for factual accuracy”
[From: Netlingo.com ( http://www.netlingo.com/lookup.cfm?term=Internet ) & Anne P. Mintz, editor. Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet . Information Today, Inc., 2002, p. xvii.]

How do we find relevant information on the Web?

Web Search Tools
Search engines
Metasearch engines
Web subject directories
Library portals

Search Engines

Metasearch Engines

Web Subject Directories

Library Portals
Librarians’ Index (LII)
InfoMine (UCR)
Power Reporting
PoynterOnline’s Resource Center
Marquette University Library’s subject index
Library of Congress’ Federal Research Division’s Country Studies

Search Engine Myths
Search engines provide a comprehensive coverage of the Web.
All search engines are created equal.
There is much overlap in search engine coverage.
If I can’t find it in Google, then it doesn’t exist on the Web.
A search engine’s index is always current.
Search engines automatically sort results by relevance.
If you found a Web page once using a search engine, you’ll find it again.
[Chris Sherman and Gary Price. The Invisible Web: Uncovering Information Sources Search Engines Can’t See . Information Today, Inc., 2001.]

Devise Search Strategy DEFINE YOUR QUESTION SELECT INFORMATION SOURCE FORMULATE QUERY PERFORM SEARCH RECORD RESULTS & STRATEGY EVALUATE RESULTS

QUICK Web Search Tips
ALWAYS ask yourself where you would most likely find type of information? Then go straight to the source.
Select most appropriate type of search vehicle
ALWAYS type more than one word in the query field
Remember to use advanced search features
Search for words that should be on a web page, not broad keywords
Frustrated? Seek help. Contact a librarian.

Beyond Search Engines: What is the Invisible Web?
“ Text pages, files, or other often high-quality authoritative information available via the World Wide Web that general-purpose search engines cannot, due to technical limitations, or will not, due to deliberate choice, add to their indices of Web pages. Sometimes also referred to as the ‘Deep Web’ or ‘dark matter.’ “
[Chris Sherman and Gary Price. The Invisible Web: Uncovering Information Sources Search Engines Can’t See . Information Today, Inc., 2001, p. 57.]

Beyond Search Engines: How to Find Content on the Invisible Web
Pay attention to links found on Web sites from Government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations
Use industry gateways/portals
Check resource links in library guides
Build a favorites/bookmark list of Web sites you find

Misinformation on the Web
Beware of agenda-driven sites
Opinions stated as fact can be dangerous
Errors get repeated in news sources
Scrutinize methodology and source of statistics – identify bias, if any
Always question, compare and verify
Mintz, Anne P. (editor) Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet . Information Today, Inc., 2002.

Evaluating Web Sites
Know how to spot unreliable sites
Check URL for clues
Site sponsors: Is site bombarded with advertising?
Is the site frequently linked to or reviewed?
Use authoritative portals to check on sites
Follow 5 Criteria for Evaluating Web sites

Web Site Evaluation Criteria
Accuracy
Authority
Objectivity
Currency
Coverage
[From Kapoun, Jim. “Teaching undergrads WEB evaluation: A guide for library instruction.” C&RL News, July/Aug. 1998, v. 59, #7. http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues1998/julyaugust6/teachingundergrads.htm ]

Evaluation Criteria #1
ACCURACY
Who is the author of the site?
Can you contact him/her?
Are the author’s credentials listed?
What’s the purpose of the document?
Is the information presented as fact accurate?

AUTHORITY
Who is the publisher of the document?
Publisher’s credentials?
What’s the reputation of the publisher?
Check URL domain.
Are they experts in the field?

OBJECTIVITY
What are the goals/objectives for the page/site?
How detailed is the information?
What opinions (if any) are expressed by the author?
Is there an information bias?

CURRENCY
When was the document produced?
When was it updated?
How up-to-date are its links?
Are there dead links present?
Does the information appear to be outdated?

Evaluation Criteria # 5
COVERAGE
Are the links evaluated and do they complement the subject of the document?
Is the information presented cited correctly?
Is there a fee to obtain the information or is it free?

Ethics & the Web
Copyright laws do apply to Web documents as much as they apply to print documents
Read a Web page’s copyright statements carefully – don’t just click through it
Follow copyright permission request instructions
Use of material should always be credited and cited accurately
See CPA’s “Fair Publishing Practices Code” (revised May 2004)

Other Resources for Journalists
Print reference books (almanacs, encyclopedias, directories, dictionaries)
News media (diocesan/secular newspapers, television/video programming, radio broadcasts & transcripts)
Government Sources (agencies, reports, stats)
Academic Institutions
Organizations & Associations

QUESTIONS? Contact us at CNS: Katherine Nuss Cassandra Shieh [email_address] 202-541-3286/3254

Presentation Bibliography
Bates, Mary Ellen. Mining for Gold on the Internet: How to Find Investment and Financial Information on the Internet . McGraw-Hill, 2000.
Hane, Paula J. Super Searchers in the News: The Online Secrets of Journalists and News Researchers. Information Today, Inc., 2000.
Kapoun, Jim. “Teaching undergrads WEB evaluation: A guide for library instruction.” C&RL News, July/Aug. 1998, v. 59, #7. [Accessed 5/20/04 from: http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues1998/julyaugust6/teachingundergrads.htm ]
Mintz, Anne P. (editor) Web of Deception: Misinformation on the Internet . Information Today, Inc., 2002.
Notess, Greg R. “Internet Search Techniques and Strategies,” ONLINE , July 1997. [Accessed 5/20/04 from: http://www.onlinemag.net/JulOL97/net7.html ]

Presentation Bibliography Notess, Greg R. Search Engine Showdown: The Users’ Guide to Web Searching. [Accessed 5/20/04 from: http:// www.searchengineshowdown.com ] “ Pandia’s 17 Recommendations for Net Searching.” Pandia’s Internet Search Tutorial, [Accessed 5/20/04 from: http:// www.pandia.com/goalgetter/recommendations.html ] Sherman, Chris and Gary Price. The Invisible Web: Uncovering Information Sources Search Engines Can’t See . Information Today, 2001. [ http://www.invisible-web.net ] Sullivan, Danny (editor) and Chris Sherman (associate editor). Search Engine Watch . [Accessed 5/20/04 from: http:// www.searchenginewatch.com ]

Searching the Web

by cshieh on May 03, 2007

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Searching the Web — Presentation Transcript