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Searching the Internet
- 1. The InternetThe Internet asa Searchas a Search ToolTool Prepared by Ms. Emery, Summer 2006 With billions of web pages online, you could spend a lifetime surfing the Web, following links from one page to another.
- 2. Research and theInternetResearch and the Internet The Internet can be aThe Internet can be a great tool forgreat tool for research, but findingresearch, but finding quality web materialsquality web materials and using them toand using them to your advantage canyour advantage can be challenging.be challenging.
- 3. Why do weneed to evaluate webWhy do we need to evaluate web sources?sources? Any person can publishAny person can publish anything on the Internet.anything on the Internet. Web sources do notWeb sources do not have to be professionallyhave to be professionally accepted or edited.accepted or edited.
- 4. Types of webpagesTypes of web pages Informative pagesInformative pages Personal web pagesPersonal web pages Political/interest groupPolitical/interest group pagespages Marketing-oriented orMarketing-oriented or “infomercial” pages“infomercial” pages Entertainment pagesEntertainment pages
- 5. What is asearch engine?What is a search engine? A search engine is anA search engine is an Internet tool that locatesInternet tool that locates web pages and sortsweb pages and sorts them according tothem according to specified keywords.specified keywords. searchenginewatch.comsearchenginewatch.com is a website that providesis a website that provides detailed information aboutdetailed information about different search engines.different search engines.
- 6. Search Engines BreakDown intoSearch Engines Break Down into Two CategoriesTwo Categories Directories (Yahoo)Directories (Yahoo) Indexes (Google)Indexes (Google)
- 7. DirectoriesDirectories Good at identifyinggeneral informationGood at identifying general information Classifies websites into similar categoriesClassifies websites into similar categories like a card catalog in a librarylike a card catalog in a library The results of your search will be a list ofThe results of your search will be a list of websites related to your search termwebsites related to your search term
- 8. IndexesIndexes Searches all contentsof a websiteSearches all contents of a website Uses software programs called spiders andUses software programs called spiders and robots that scour the Internet, analyzing millionsrobots that scour the Internet, analyzing millions of web pages and newsgroup postings andof web pages and newsgroup postings and indexing all wordsindexing all words Finds specific information such as biographicalFinds specific information such as biographical informationinformation
- 9. Natural Language QueryNaturalLanguage Query You can ask yourYou can ask your question in plainquestion in plain English!English!
- 10. Meta Search EngineMetaSearch Engine Submit your querySubmit your query simultaneously tosimultaneously to multiple searchmultiple search engines by doing aengines by doing a metasearchmetasearch.. Momma.comMomma.com,, dogpile.comdogpile.com, and, and clusty.comclusty.com areare popular meta searchpopular meta search engines.engines.
- 11. Use search enginesto yourUse search engines to your advantageadvantage Pick the right search enginePick the right search engine for your research needs.for your research needs. – Yahoo and Google areYahoo and Google are common favorites.common favorites. – Hotbot locates informationHotbot locates information based upon the popularity ofbased upon the popularity of the site.the site. Refine your searchRefine your search whenever possible.whenever possible.
- 12. Most Popular SearchEnginesMost Popular Search Engines 50% 26% 13% 8% 3% Google Yahoo MSN AOL My Way
- 13. The Top 5TheTop 5 GoogleGoogle YahooYahoo MSNMSN AOLAOL ASK (Jeeves)ASK (Jeeves)
- 14. Your FavoritesYour Favorites Createa folder calledCreate a folder called Search EnginesSearch Engines under yourunder your Bookmarks orBookmarks or Favorites menu. AddFavorites menu. Add your favorite enginesyour favorite engines to the folder so youto the folder so you can easily accesscan easily access them whenever youthem whenever you want to do a search.want to do a search.
- 15. Limit Keywords ina SearchLimit Keywords in a Search It is a good idea toIt is a good idea to read the directionsread the directions for each searchfor each search engine to get theengine to get the most out of yourmost out of your search.search. Use + or – to limitUse + or – to limit your hits.your hits. +panther -pink
- 16. Online Information—Fact orOnlineInformation—Fact or Fiction?Fiction? Anyone with a computerAnyone with a computer and modem can becomeand modem can become an electronic publisher onan electronic publisher on the Internetthe Internet – many web sources are notmany web sources are not checked for accuracychecked for accuracy – some personal sites aresome personal sites are used to express individualused to express individual opinions about issues, butopinions about issues, but not necessarily the factsnot necessarily the facts
- 17. Are these validwebsites?Are these valid websites? http://www.malepregnancy.com/http://www.malepregnancy.com/ – The first pregnant maleThe first pregnant male http://www.geoffmetcalf.com/bread.htmlhttp://www.geoffmetcalf.com/bread.html – The dangers of breadThe dangers of bread http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus.htmlhttp://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus.html – The tree octopusThe tree octopus
- 18. You Be theJudgeYou Be the Judge Who is the author?Who is the author? Who is the publisher?Who is the publisher? What is the point ofWhat is the point of view?view? Are there referencesAre there references to other sources?to other sources? How current is theHow current is the information?information?
- 19. Identify the WebSiteIdentify the Web Site Whenever possible, try to locate the home page.Whenever possible, try to locate the home page. You can often do this by eliminating some informationYou can often do this by eliminating some information from the end of the URL.from the end of the URL. .org.org .gov.gov .com.com .net.net .mil.mil .edu.edu .us.us .au.au .uk.uk .biz.biz http://www.microsoft.com/security/antivirus/mydoom.asp http://www.microsoft.com
- 20. Domain Names—Country CodesDomainNames—Country Codes In addition to the generic top-level domains, 244 national top-level domains (NTLD) were established for countries and territories, for example: .au - Australia .ca - Canada .fr - France .de - Germany .uk - United Kingdom
- 21. Examine for credibilityExaminefor credibility Credibility may beCredibility may be compromised bycompromised by intentionalintentional misinformation or bymisinformation or by unintentional neglect.unintentional neglect. Locating the name ofLocating the name of the site’s creator maythe site’s creator may be challenging.be challenging. Credentials may beCredentials may be missing even if themissing even if the author’s name isauthor’s name is provided.provided.
- 22. Final WordFinal Word TheInternet is not theThe Internet is not the only place to findonly place to find information. While itinformation. While it abounds with a wealth ofabounds with a wealth of information, it is not asinformation, it is not as good for historicalgood for historical information. Visiting theinformation. Visiting the library should always be alibrary should always be a consideration inconsideration in conducting research.conducting research. Visit http://tinyurl.com/pb48m to view the pros and cons with library vs. Internet research.
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Editor's Notes
- #2 Rationale: Welcome to “Research and the Internet.” This presentation is designed to introduce your students to methods for effectively searching the World Wide Web and evaluating the content of web pages. The twenty-four slides presented here are designed to aid the facilitator in an interactive presentation of search and evaluation strategies. This presentation is ideal for the beginning of a research unit in a composition course or an Internet research assignment. This presentation may be supplemented with OWL handouts, including “Searching the World Wide Web” (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_websearch2.html), “Conducting a Productive Web Search” (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_websearch.html), and “Evaluating Sources of Information” (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_evalsource.html). Directions: Each slide is activated by a single mouse click, unless otherwise noted in bold at the bottom of each notes page. Writer and Designer: Jennifer Liethen Kunka Contributors: Muriel Harris, Karen Bishop, Bryan Kopp, Matthew Mooney, David Neyhart, and Andrew Kunka Developed with resources courtesy of the Purdue University Writing Lab Grant funding courtesy of the Multimedia Instructional Development Center at Purdue University © Copyright Purdue University, 2000.
- #3 Rationale: With the development of the Internet, students have found that conducting research is much easier and more convenient than searching through library stacks. While the Internet can be a great tool for research, locating quality materials can at times be a challenge. The following slides will offer tips on how to make the most of your Internet search. Activity: To generate discussion, the facilitator may ask students about their level of familiarity with the Internet. Also, the facilitator may ask students about the types of web sites they visit, as well as if they have their own personal web pages.
- #4 Activity: The facilitator might ask students why it is important to evaluate web sources. The answers offered on this slide highlight the importance of web source evaluation. . Key Concepts: Books and journal articles generally go through a long process of fact-checking, editing, and revising before being published. However, anyone with a computer and Internet access can post a web site. Just because the information is published online, it does not mean it is true or reliable. The facilitator may note that web sites change frequently and sometimes disappear quickly. Thinking about evaluation within the search process can help to make web browsing efficient and effective. Click the mouse after the title question.
- #5 Key Concepts: There are several different types of web pages on the Internet. Students researching the web tend to think that the majority of web pages are devoted to providing information. Generally, informative sites--pages that offer information for the public good without any type of overt political or sales agenda--are few and far between. Personal web pages tend to be devoted to an individual’s interests, hobbies, family, friends, or ideological beliefs. While researching, students may find personal web pages being used as a sounding board for a political agenda. Though some sites contain well-researched and reliable information, others do not. Political or interest group pages generally promote some type of cause or way of thinking. These sites will educate web surfers about their topics, but they may contain slanted or biased information. Their goal is to offer information in the hopes of changing a belief, gaining a vote, or earning a political contribution. Students have the hardest time distinguishing between pages that provide information and pages that try to sell a product. For example, a web site that informs about the benefits of aromatherapy may also sell aromatherapy products. While some “infomercial” sites clearly are promoting a product, the business agenda of other sites can be more difficult to assess. Finally, the Internet contains many entertainment-oriented web sites. These sites can range from movie news and games to cartoons and comic book sites. Still other pages are “joke” pages--pages that look like they contain serious information, but really contain elaborately fabricated content. If readers are not careful researchers, they may mistake these “joke” pages for reliable information. Click the mouse for each type of web site.
- #6 Key Concepts: This slide defines a search engine--a tool that can search through web pages and sort them according to specified keywords. Search engines are essential for researching the Internet: they have the ability to locate and sort through millions of web pages. Activity: The facilitator may choose to generate discussion by asking students to explain what a search engine is. Click after globe appears for the answer to the title question.
- #8 Activity: The facilitator may ask students about they types of search engines they use. They will list many for you--Yahoo, Alta Vista, Excite, Lycos, Hotbot, Infoseek, Northern Light, Snap, Dogpile, etc. Key Concepts: Each search engine searches the web in a slightly different way. Also, companies or individuals often must register their web sites with these different search engines, so the list that comes up on Yahoo may be completely different from the one that comes up on Lycos. A wide variety of search engines may be accessed at the OWL web site, located at owl.english.purdue.edu. When researching a topic, it is also a good idea to do some brainstorming about the best places on the web to locate information. Government agencies and non-profit groups may host web sites that offer useful information. Activity: The facilitator may choose either now or after the presentation to minimize the PowerPoint presentation, access Netscape or another Internet browser, or go the the collection of search engines on the OWL web site.
- #12 Key Concepts: Some search engines work better for specific types of searches. While Yahoo will take your keyword and sort information into categories, a search engine like Hotbot will bring up the ten “hottest” (or most popular) sites for your keyword. While Hotbot might be useful for assessing the popularity of web sites in a cultural analysis paper, Yahoo might offer a more comprehensive listing of sites.
- #16 Key concepts: This slide offers tips for using search engines. Since search engines do not all work in exactly the same way, it is a good idea to read the directions of your selected search engine prior to conducting a search. Also, using Boolean operators--words like “AND” and “OR”--can help to tailor a search to your needs. It is also a good idea to brainstorm a list of keywords that might fit your topic. The slide offers an example for a search on the tobacco lawsuits and settlements. Depending on the angle of your topic, you might choose a variety of these terms in combination with each other.
- #20 Key Concepts: A good way to determine the authorship of a web site is to try to locate the home page. This can be done by deleting some of the information from the right side of the web address. If you used a search engine and linked to a page with a very long web address with lots of slashes, try deleting information to the right of the slashes until you get to a smaller base address. Activity: Some information in the web address itself can clue you in to the type of web page you are viewing. The facilitator may choose to ask students what the five examples at the bottom of the slide indicate. A non-profit organization is indicated by .org. Government branches are indicated by .gov. Business sites are usually indicated by .com or .net. Educational institutions are indicated by .edu, but any student using a university web server will also have an .edu address. Official United States’ sites are indicated by .us. Sites published in the British Isles are designated .uk, while .au indicates Australian sites.
- #22 Key Concepts: After you identify the type of web site you are viewing, you must next assess it for credibility. Information in the web site depends in large part upon the author; unfortunately, the author’s name may not be clearly listed on the web site. If the author’s name is listed, credentials may not be provided. Furthermore, because web sites do not need to be fact checked to be published, we cannot necessarily rely upon the publisher to be honest.