How to find and evaluate free, useful online resources for seniors

1. How to Find and Evaluate
Free Online Resources
Teresa S. Welsh, Ph.D.
teresa.welsh@usm.edu

2. Types of Web Sites
 Advocacy
 Seeks to influence people'
opinion
 Promotes a cause

 Business
 Promotes a product ,
service, customer support

 Informational
 Provides factual info on a
topic or topics
 News
 Provides current info on
local, regional, national, or
international events/topics
 Personal
 Author is person or family
with no official org affiliation
 Entertainment
 Games, music, animation, or
video for entertainment
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3. Criteria to Evaluate Web Content
1. Currency – Is there a date created or updated on the
Web page and is it current or appropriate?
2. Authority – Is the author/creator of the Web page
named and do they have expertise?
3. Reliability – Is the domain .edu .gov or .mil (most
reliable), .net or .org (depends on org), or .com
(least reliable)? Is content objective/unbiased,
accurate?
4. Scope – Is the information complete? Is it basic or
advanced? Who is the intended audience?
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4. Web Indexes Compiled by Info
Specialists
 http://www.ipl.org/
 Internet Public Library
 http://www.itcompany.com/inforetriever/
 Internet Library for Librarians
 http://libraryspot.com/
 https://scout.wisc.edu/archives/index.php?P=Advanced
 Internet Scout Project
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5.  http://www.beaucoup.com/
 http://www.dmoz.org/
Meta-Search Engines
 http://www.dmoz.org/
 http://mamma.com/
Vortals (Subject Specific)
 www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/lesson4.shtml
Search Engines Compiled by Robots
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6. 6
 and (default) (limits search results)
 or (expands search results)
 “ ”
 +
 -
 ~
 ..
 *
bound (exact) phrasebound (exact) phrase “blue sky”“blue sky”
requiredrequired +google+google
withoutwithout -yahoo-yahoo
synonymssynonyms ~automobile~automobile
year rangeyear range president 1940..1960president 1940..1960
wildcardwildcard “francis * coppola”“francis * coppola”
(one or more words in a phrase)(one or more words in a phrase)
Searching
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7. 7
Searching
 Domain library site:usm.edu
 File type filetype:pdf
 Images
 Local search pizza Hattiesburg
 Within URL or Title
 allinurl, inurl, allintitle, intitle
 www.google.com/intl/en/help/features.html
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8.  Google Translate translate.google.com/
 Toolbar toolbar.google.com
 Book Search books.google.com
 Scholar/Citations scholar.google.com/
 Documents, Spreadsheets docs.google.com
 Picasa (upload photos) picasa.google.com
 Google Guide www.googleguide.com
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9. Free Online Databases:
 eric.ed.gov/
 Education Resources Information Center
 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?otool=wiuwiblib
 PubMed
 www.ingentaconnect.com/
 IngentaConnect
 www.osti.gov/scitech/
 SciTech Connect
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10. Free Tech Tools:
 https://www.openoffice.org/
 Similar to Office Suite, compatible w/Word, Excel, Ppt
 http://www.wix.com/
 Create a personal Web page
 http://animoto.com/
 Create a video photo album with background music
 http://pixlr.com/
 Photo editor
 http://www.skype.com/en/
 Video call anywhere for free
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11. Virtual Cloud:
 Sign up for free account www.dropbox.com/
 Save files in various formats to virtual cloud:
photos, documents
 Access Dropbox account from computers, phone
 Can invite persons to share access to specific
folders
 Syncs files from multiple computers
 Dropbox tutorial at SlideShare
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12. Fun Apps
 Create a Bio Poem cuip.uchicago.edu
/~adarice/cwsite/poems/ biopoemform.htm
 Create Cartoons www.toondoo.com/
 Delicious.com bookmarks delicious.com/
 Create Map www.google.com/mapmaker
 Create Your Own Newsletter paper.li/
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13. More Useful Sites for Seniors
 Free senior newswire, resources
http://savvysenior.org/
 Weebly.com Web site, blog builder
http://www.weebly.com/
 The Internet Archive/Wayback Machine
http://www.archive.org
 Instagram Phone App filter images, post to Facebook,
Twitter, Tumblr http://instagram.com/
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14. Where can I find free medical info?
 http://nihseniorhealth.gov/
 Information by topic
 Health videos
 Free Tips on Healthy Aging e-newsletter
 http://www.webmd.com/
 Search by symptom, health condition, medication
 http://www.mayoclinic.org/
 Symptom checker, First-aid guide
 http://www.pdrhealth.com/
 Search by drug name, health condition, or disease
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15. Medical Info for Specific Illnesses
 Heart Disease
 http://www.heart.org/
 http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
 Cancer
 http://acor.org/ and http://www.cancer.org/
 http://www.cancer.gov/
 Diabetes
 http://diabetes.org/
 http://ndep.nih.gov/
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16. Keeping a Healthy Body, Mind
 go4life.nia.nih.gov/
 Exercises, Tip sheets
 www.helpguide.org/life/senior_fitness_sports.htm
 Exercise & Fitness over 50: Tips for Getting Started
 www.lumosity.com/
 Brain games to exercise memory & attention
 www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/
 7 Brain-Boosters
 www.alz.org/ and www.alzinfo.org/
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17. Anti-Aging Nutrition
 www.nutrition.gov/life-stages/seniors
 www.helpguide.org/life/senior_nutrition.htm
 What your body needs, Tips for healthy eating over 50
 www.doctoroz.com/videos/
 Dr. Andrew Weil
 Supplements, super foods, breathing exercise
 www.doctoroz.com/slideshow/anti-aging-foods-gallery
 32 foods that fight aging
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18. Where can I find business and
investment information?
 www.usa.gov/topics/money/investing/tips.shtml
 www.bbb.org/council/
 Better Business Bureau
 www.sec.gov/investor/seniors.shtml
 SEC Investing Tips for Seniors
 www.investor.gov/news-alerts/
 Tips to Avoid Investor Fraud
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19. How can I find US government info?
 www.usa.gov/Topics/Seniors.shtml
 Consumer protection, fed & state
agencies, money/taxes, retirement,
travel/recreation
 www.c-span.org/live/
 videos, podcasts, smartphone app
 US Government Manual
 Official Handbook of US gov
 Lists gov agencies, contact info
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20. What about info on congressmen?
 Congressional Directory
 Bios of congressmen
 www.govtrack.us/
 Tracks congress voting record
 http://www.opensecrets.org/
 Fundraising amounts, top donors
 http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
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21. What about Mississippi info?
 www.ms.gov/content/Pages/ServicesResidents.aspx
 Online services for residents
 www.statelocalgov.net/state-ms.cfm
 List of links to state by department, county, cities
 www.866ourvote.org/state/ms
 Miss. election information
 www.visitmississippi.org/
 www.deep-south-usa.com/mississippi/
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22. How can I find historical info?
 www.loc.gov/
 Digital images, historic newspapers, audio
 American Folklife Center, American Memory
 mhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/
 Smithsonian exhibit
 www.archives.gov/index.html
 Veterans service records, historical records, photos
 mdah.state.ms.us/new/
 State archives, digital images, public reading room
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23. How can I find historical videos?
YouTube Videos www.youtube.com/
Create a free account, subscribe to channels
Favorite Videos
The Southern Miss Story
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=z--6nAEEAO4
Beatrix Potter Collection at OLLI
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbRRFg9-tkU
de Grummond Children’s Literature Exhibit
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKuqEEJ6dgk
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24. How can I find genealogy info?
 http://home.ancestry.com/
 https://familysearch.org/
 http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/
 http://usgenweb.org/
 http://www.findagrave.com
 Cemetery search
 mdah.state.ms.us/arrec/gen_research.php
 libguides.lib.usm.edu/genealogy
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25. Where can I find travel tips?
 www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/trip-planning/
 www.getyourguide.com/
 www.tripadvisor.com/
 www.retiredbrains.com/
 www.usa.gov/Topics/Seniors/Travel.shtml
 Amtrak Senior Discount
 Federal Parks & Recreation Senior Pass
 $10 lifetime pass
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26. Mississippi Resources
 mississippibelieveit.com/home/
 www.mlc.lib.ms.us/ServicesToLibraries/BPHLS.html
 Blind, physically handicapped library services
 Audio books, braille books & magazines, large-print books
 www.gulfcoast.org/
 www.natchezms.com/
 www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm
 Natchez Trace beautiful, historic scenic drive
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27. Hattiesburg Resources
 www.hattiesburg.org/
 www.hattiesburgms.com/
 downtownhattiesburg.com/
 Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association
 www.hattiesburghistoricneighborhood.com/
 www.hattiesburgms.com/cultural/museum
 African-American Military Museum, Armed Forces Museum
 www.hahsmuseum.org/
 Hattiesburg Area Historical Society
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