This document provides guidance on improving search skills and evaluating online information. It discusses evaluating a website's domain, extensions and URLs to determine reliability. Search strategies like using Boolean operators and the Alta Vista host and URL commands are explained to help find targeted information. Evaluating an author's credentials, links, and updating websites is advised. Using sites like archive.org's Wayback Machine and easywhois.com can help verify information when author details are missing. Sample search techniques are demonstrated.

1. How to improve yourand search like a pro! Barbara De Santis Sayreville Public School August 31, 2010

2. Today’s plan Approach for evaluating information Search strategies

3. Credits Alan November Link at http://novemberlearning.com/resources/information-literacy-resources/i-information-literacy-quiz/

4. Handout and PPT online at www.tinyurl.com/bsdblog (presentation tab)

5. Is it REAL?

6. Domain? Extension? www.domain.ext Personal? Read the url

7. www.sayrevillek12.net www.yahoo.com www.nasa.gov www.af.mil What is the domain?

8. www.tcnj.edu www.laurelhurst.pps.k12.or.us www.nagoya-u.ac.j www.ama-assn.org What is the domain?

9. www.sayrevillek12.net www.yahoo.com www.nasa.gov www.af.mil What is the extension?

10. www.tcnj.edu www.laurelhurst.pps.k12.or.us www.nagoya-u.ac.j www.ama-assn.org What is the extension?

11. Handout ( popular extensions)

12. Some extensions are more reliable than others? (i.e., .gov versus .com.)

13. You can shorten the url zapatopi.net/treeoctopus.html zapatopi.net/treeoctopus.html The forward slash = another directory Use zapatopi.net as the entire domain.

14. Is it personal? www.blog.discoveryeducation.com/bsdbsd www.tcnj.edu/~goglobal/undergraduate/documents/StudyAbroadatTCNJPDF.pdf

15. Name ~ % Blog, users, members, group Clues

16. www.blog.discoveryeducation.com/bsdbsd www.tcnj.edu/~goglobal/undergraduate/documents/StudyAbroadatTCNJPDF.pdf

17. Read the url Domain? Extension? Personal? Read Review

18. Does it make sense? Match or conflict Evaluate the content THINK

19. Evaluate the content Links Updated?

23. Does it make sense? Links Updates Evaluate - Review

24. Ask about the Author Writer? Publisher?

25. Sometimes the author is listed.

26. So who is the author?

27. If no author is listed www.easyWhois Enter the domain name -i.e., sayrevillek12.net

28. 1. Go to www.easyWhois.com

29. 2. Enter the entire domain (including the extension)

30. 3. View results.

31. No author listed- use www.easyWhois.com

32. So who is the author? (truncate) 1. Go to www.easywhois.com and enter the entire domain in the search field.

33. Does this make sense?

34. Ask about the Author - Review www.easyWhois Enter the domain name sayrevillek12.net

35. Look at Links Links from the site (forward links) Links to the site (back links)

36. Links from the site Mouse over the link See the url in the lower left hand corner

37. Move your mouse over the links. Check url in the lower left hand corner.

39. Where are they linked?

40. All linked to the same site

41. Links to the site Use the link command in altavista Go to www.altavista.com

42. Links to the site In the search box enter link:entireurl (no spaces) Example: link:www.sayrevillek12.net (include www and the entire domain)

43. 1. Go to www.altavista.com

44. 2. Entire the complete url (includes www.domain.ext) in the search window.

45. 3. View results.

46. Links to MLK site

47. Links to Tree Octopus

48. Look at the Links Review Links from the site Mouse over and view Links to the site Use link command at www.altavista.com

49. The way it used to be Wayback Machine www.archive.org Enter url Look at past pages

50. 1. Go to www.archive.org

51. 2. Enter the url.

52. 3. Results. Select page to view.

53. Older version of MLK page.

54. Review:Is it REAL?

55. What sites to use (handout) All grades All About Explorers: http://www.allaboutexplorers.com California's Velcro Crop under Challenge: http://home.inreach.com/kumbach/velcro.html The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus: http://www.zapatopi.net/treeoctopus Dog Island Free Forever: http://www.thedogisland.com Victorian Robots: http://www.bigredhair.com/robots/index.html Middle /HS School Dihydrogen Monoxide: http://www.dhmo.org Feline Reactions to Bearded Men: http://www.improbable.com/airchives/classical/cat/cat.html Clones R Us: http://www.d-b.net/dti/ Dehydrated Water: http://www.buydehydratedwater.com/ Petrol Direct: http://www.petroldirect.com/ For you only Martin Luther King: http://www.martinlutherking.org (NOT for students)

56. Search Strategies Engine versus Directory Who is on top? Boolean operations Special Commands

57. What’s the difference? Search Engine Directory

58. http://www.learnthenet.com/animated-internet/how-search-engines-work/index.php

60. Examples Search Engine Directory

61. Search strategies How they work (or which site goes first?)

62. There are equations, (but not this one!)

63. The factors include: Paid (sponsored- at the top) Search term is the url Search term is in the title Based on # links to the site (different for each service)

64. For our students: The first link might not be the best!

65. Search strategies Boolean Operators It is all in 3 little words- and, or , not

66. And ( or the +)

67. Or ( you get everything)

68. Default setting for most engines

69. Not ( or the -)

70. Searching smarter Virtual index Use altavist.com host url

71. Alta Vista host command Why? Find all the pages from a specific domain Narrow large sites

72. Alta Vista Host Command Here’s how Searches based on extension Can add key words Example

73. Sample host command You are looking for schools in NJ. 1. www.altavista.com 2. In the search box, enter host:k12.nj.us (hint- No spaces)

75. Sample host command You are looking student lessons from NASA 1. www.altavista.com 2. In the search box, enter host:nasa.gov + “student lessons’’ (hint- space around the + sign)

77. Why use the host command?

78. Another example

79. If you still don’t believe…

80. Alta Vista url Why? Find all urls containing your key words. Wider response

81. Alta Vista url command Here’s how Searches based on terms in the url Can add key words Example

82. No host? Use the url command You are looking for schools with butterfly gardens. Words in the url might include k12 1. www.altavista.com 2. In the search box, enter url:k12 + butterfly

83. url command Using url:k12 will include all web addresses including k12 (not just using it as an extension) Larger number of responses

84. Questions?

85. Photo credits http://blogs.webmd.com/eye-on-vision/uploaded_images/child-with-glasses-istock-747730.jpg http://www.we-teach-reading.com/images/bigstockphoto_child_typing_message_from_lapt_2051542.jpg thinkhttp://www.quickandsimple.com/cm/quickandsimple/images/ST/child-homework-istock-de.jpg http://2013readsandreacts.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/depressed-child1_2112.jpg