Googling and Beyond: Searching the Web Effectively N. Mellendorf, Librarian Maine South High School Library Resource Center Park Ridge, Illinois

How do search engines work? Keyword Searching Any word on a page Not the subject or content of a page Results: lots of irrelevant stuff Ranking How often a keyword occurs How often someone links to a page Paid placement listings The Invisible Web Google indexes only 20% of the “visible” web Dynamic vs. Static web pages Database pages or Password protected pages

Keyword Searching

Any word on a page

Not the subject or content of a page

Results: lots of irrelevant stuff

Ranking

How often a keyword occurs

How often someone links to a page

Paid placement listings

The Invisible Web

Google indexes only 20% of the “visible” web

Dynamic vs. Static web pages

Database pages or Password protected pages

Improve your searching #1 “ Quotes” for exact phrase OR to allow any search terms Ireland OR Eire AND or + to require all search terms Computers AND Apple Computers + Apple NOT or - to exclude a search term Bush NOT Iraq Bush -Iraq Combine “ Steroids” and “Football” not “Baseball”

“ Quotes” for exact phrase

OR to allow any search terms

Ireland OR Eire

AND or + to require all search terms

Computers AND Apple

Computers + Apple

NOT or - to exclude a search term

Bush NOT Iraq

Bush -Iraq

Combine

“ Steroids” and “Football” not “Baseball”

Improve your searching #2 Domains -- one type of site .edu - a college/university .gov - a government site .org – an organization Example: mythology site:edu Definitions Define:ethnocentrism File types – one format PDF -- Adobe PDF document xls - Excel document ppt - PowerPoint document doc - Word document Example: evaluating web filetype:ppt

Domains -- one type of site

.edu - a college/university

.gov - a government site

.org – an organization

Example: mythology site:edu

Definitions

Define:ethnocentrism

File types – one format

PDF -- Adobe PDF document

xls - Excel document

ppt - PowerPoint document

doc - Word document

Example: evaluating web filetype:ppt

Search the Invisible Web: Directories Narrow your search from a broad category See how topics within a specific area are related May suggest new terms that are useful in conducting a search May be subject or organization specific

Narrow your search from a broad category

See how topics within a specific area are related

May suggest new terms that are useful in conducting a search

May be subject or organization specific

Search the Invisible Web: Googling Deep Google Scholar Peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts, and other scholarly literature Google Books Google Book Search index matches your search terms—you see “Book Results.” These links will lead you to a library or online store where you may borrow or purchase the books.

Google Scholar

Peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts, and other scholarly literature

Google Books

Google Book Search index matches your search terms—you see “Book Results.” These links will lead you to a library or online store where you may borrow or purchase the books.

Search the Invisible Web: Librarians’ Index to the Internet Librarian-selected sites Selection criteria: availability, credibility, authorship, external links, legality Evaluative criteria: authority, scope and audience, content, design, function, shelf life

Librarian-selected sites

Selection criteria: availability, credibility, authorship, external links, legality

Evaluative criteria: authority, scope and audience, content, design, function, shelf life

Search the Invisible Web: Infomine Includes databases, electronic journals, electronic books, bulletin boards, mailing lists, online library card catalogs, articles, directories of researchers, and many other types of information. Built by university librarians

Includes databases, electronic journals, electronic books, bulletin boards, mailing lists, online library card catalogs, articles, directories of researchers, and many other types of information.

Built by university librarians

When to skip the Web altogether… You need full-text articles from magazines and newspapers: use a subscription library database. You need scholarly articles from peer-reviewed and academic journals: use a subscription library database or book. You need an in-depth, original, narrative treatment of a topic: use a book.

You need full-text articles from magazines and newspapers: use a subscription library database.

You need scholarly articles from peer-reviewed and academic journals: use a subscription library database or book.

You need an in-depth, original, narrative treatment of a topic: use a book.