4. Effective Internet Research
▪ A Search Engine is a program that allows you to search the Internet for
information. There are many search engines on the World Wide Web.
▪ You might have heard of search engines like Google, Yahoo!, or Bing. These
are very popular search engines.
▪ There are lots of other excellent search engines on the Internet that you may
never have heard of!
▪ Let’s look at the different types of search engines available on the Internet.
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5. Effective Internet Research
▪ Regular Search Engines vs. Metasearch Engines
𝗈 A regular search engine, like Google, Yahoo!, or Bing
searches the Internet based on a given search term.
▪ For example, typing “Global Warming” into Google
will give you 725,000,000 “hits” or sites to visit for
information.
▪ Type the same term into Bing and you come up with
111,000,000 hits.
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6. Effective Internet Research
𝗈 Why do Google and Yahoo! display different sites for
the same word?
▪ This is because of the way the engine searches!
𝗈 Google and Yahoo! use different search methods. While
many of the sites they show you are the same, some are
different.
𝗈 A Metasearch can streamline your search.
▪ A Metasearch has the ability to search several search engines.
▪ Examples of meta search engines include Kartoo, Yabado,
Dogpile and Zoo.
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7. Effective Internet Research
𝗈
𝗈
Let’s try using a metasearch engine to search
information on “Global warming”
Kartoo, (www.kartoo.com) is a metasearch engine that
will search many of the most popular search engines all
at once!
TRY IT: Go to www.kartoo.com and type in “Global warming”.
Scan the sites listed and look for sites that seem like they offer
good information.
How might a metasearch engine like Kartoo be more helpful than
a regular search engine?
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8. Effective Internet Research
▪ There are other different types of search engines
as well. Let’s look at two more search engines
that can help you get better information about
your topic.
𝗈
Duck Duck Go (www.baidu.com) is a search engine that
offers prompts to help clarify what you are really
searching for
TRY IT: Go to www.baidu.com and type in “Global
warming”.
Notice the results are 28,800,000
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9. Effective Internet Research
𝗈 Ask (www.ask.com) is a search engine that allows you
to type in a question rather than a search term. For
example, if you wanted to know if carbon emission
can lead to Global warming, you could ask a specific
question and get more detailed information.
5. TRY IT: Go to www.ask.com and type in “Can carbon
emission causes global warming?”
How does the information you get differ from the
information you got on other search engines? What else do
you notice on the right hand side? How might this help you
as well?
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10. Wading Through the Web
Other Helpful Resources
•Online encyclopedias are a great resource for
research. Try the encyclopedias listed below and
see what you think.
•Encyclopedia Britannica – www.britannica.com
•Encarta – www.encarta.msn.com
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12. Effective Internet Research
▪ Now that we have looked at different types of
search engines, we need to learn how to
make the most of your search!
𝗈
𝗈
Most search engines have something called an
Advanced Search. An advanced search allows you
to be more specific about what type of information
you are looking for.
When you visit a search engine, the Advanced
Search page is a great place to start!
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13. Effective Internet Research
▪ Let’s see how the Advanced Search option
works!
7. TRY IT: Go to www.google.com and type in “China
University of Geosciences”
You will see that there are over 38 million results.To narrow
those results, click on the settings icon and select
Advanced Settings. You will be able to choose exactly the
words or phrases you are looking for and be able exclude
words you are not. Since you are looking for information
about the CUG in Wuhan, you can exclude word such as
BEIJING by putting them in the none of these words box
with a minus sign.
-Also, you can narrow your search by selecting only the
most recently updated websites. Select PAST YEAR then
select ADVANCED SEARCH.
What do you notice about your search results?
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14. Effective Internet Research
𝗈
“ Smarter” searching on the Internet
Most Internet search engines also allow you to use a set of words or
symbols to narrow your search.
▪ AND – use this word when you want to find two words together. For
example “China University of Geosciences AND Petroleum
engineering”
▪ OR – use this when you can accept a couple of words. For example,
“China University of Geosciences OR Petroleum engineering”
▪ - (minus sign) – use this symbol when you want to exclude a word. For
example, “China University of Geosciences - Beijing”
▪ “quotations” – use quotation marks when you are searching for an exact
phrase. For example, if you were searching for a book title, you could
type “Petroleum engineering in China University of Geosciences” in
quotations and the search engine will look for that exact phrase.
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15. Effective Internet Research
Pros
“Pros and Cons” searching on the Internet
1. Access to vast knowledge: Internet offers a wealth
of information on almost any topic.
1. Inaccurate information: Not all online content is
reliable or accurate, making it essential to verify
sources.
2. Convenience: It's convenient to search from
anywhere with an internet connection.
2. Overwhelming choices: The abundance of
information can lead to information overload and
decision fatigue.
3. Speed: Information is typically accessible quickly,
saving time.
3. Privacy concerns: Online searches may be
tracked, potentially compromising privacy.
4. Diverse sources: You can access information from
various perspectives and sources.
4. Cybersecurity risks: Browsing the internet can
expose you to cybersecurity threats, like malware
and phishing.
5. Multimedia content: The internet offers a variety of
formats (videos, images, etc.) for learning.
5. Distractions: The internet can be a source of
distractions, reducing productivity.
6. Collaboration: You can easily connect with others
for research or information sharing.
6. Dependence: Relying solely on the internet for
information can lead to a lack of critical thinking and
research skills.
Cons
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16. Summary
Now you’re ready to start your own research project. Happy
Internet searching!
· Regular search engines
vs Metasearch engines
·Search engines that will
categorize the
information
·Search engines that will
allow you to ask a
question
·Using Advanced
Search
· Using words and
symbols to narrow
your search
Search Engines Internet Searching
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