Teaching the
Ten Steps to
Better Web Research
By Mark E. Moran & Shannon A. Firth
Dulcinea Media

Links to studies & articles discussed
are at the end of this presentation and
at
http://bit.ly/teachtensteps

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Educator Reviews of Dulcinea Media

Educator Reviews

Educator Reviews

Our generation

Their generation

So, are “digital natives” experts at effectively
finding information on the web, evaluating it and
putting it to use?

“Digital natives are
extraordinarily sophisticated
and strangely narrow.”1

• After a year long information literacy program,
most fifth grade students continued to rely
entirely on Google and “never questioned the
reliability of the websites they accessed.” 2
-- Vrije University Netherlands

 Even when high
school students
found a good
source...

... they did not
recognize it and
instead
launched a new
search.

 “Students’ high level of
browsing… at the expense of
thinking about information
need, planning for strategies
and evaluating obtained
information.” 3
-- Shu Hsien L. Chen (2003)

• “Electronic media can “overwhelm youth with
information that they may not have the skills or
experience to evaluate.” And literacy skills
overlap with safety skills. 4
-- Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet &
Society, March 2010

• Students without access to librarians teaching
Web research skills show up at college “beyond
hope”….”they have learned to ‘get by’ with
Google.”5
-- University College London

 “[S]tudents’ level of faith in their search engine
of choice is so high that they do not feel the
need to verify for themselves who authored the
pages they view or what their qualifications
might be.” 6
-- Eszter Hargittai, et al
Northwestern University
Int’l J. of Communications 4 (2010)
College Students in 2010

• Not one of the 600 college students surveyed
"could give an adequate conceptual definition of how
Google returns results….the word ‘magic’ came up a
lot.” 7
--ERIAL study (Illinois)

In 2010 Dulcinea
Media Surveyed
300 middle
school and
high school
students in New
York. 8
In 2010 Dulcinea
Media Surveyed
300 middle
school and
high school
students in New
York. 8

How do you begin your search?
• Almost half of middle school students chose “I
type a question.”

If a search doesn’t give you good
results...

I think real hard.

I focus on the
encyclopedia.

II punch thepunch the
screen.screen.
Just kidding, LOLJust kidding, LOL..

How do you decide if an online article is a
good source to use for a school report?

If it has the
information I need,
then it’s good for me.
If it sounds good, I
know it’s right, and it
has good vocab.

“I don’t know.
I just go with it.”

How often do you check
the author of an article?

• About 2/3 of students say they “rarely or never”
check the author of an article.

“It doesn’t really
matter who wrote it.”..”

How often do you check to see when
an article was written or last updated?

• Half of high school students and about 3/4 of
middle school students say they “rarely or never”
check the date of an article.

I can’t find it.

In Conclusion….
A majority of students:
 don’t know how to form a sound search query;
 don’t have a strategy for dealing with poor
results;
 can’t articulate how they know content is
credible;
 don’t check the author or date of an article.

Students’ Primary “Strategy”
... wildly firing random
terms into a search box,
and hoping they’ll get
lucky.

Why Teach Web Research?
“[T]he [b]illions spent to wire schools and
universities is of little use unless students know
how to retrieve useful information from the oceans
of sludge on the Web.”9
-- Geoffrey Nunberg,
Professor
UC Berkeley School of Information

“Participation Gap”
 Students with
support are
finding ways to
thrive in
complex digital
information
environment. 10

A “New Divide”
 Students with access
to librarians teaching
Web research skills
“take prize of better
grades” in college.5

An Informed Internet Citizenry
“[I]nitiatives that help educate people in this domain
– whether in formal or informal settings – could
play an important role in achieving an informed
Internet citizenry.”6
---Eszter Hargittai, et al

Improving Internet skills starts with educators

 Emerging research indicates that many teachers
do not have the necessary skills to navigate the
Internet.
-- Barbara Combes, Professor,
Edith Cowan University, Australia

“Students see educators
modeling an effective
research process and
learn from it.”
-Colette Cassinelli
librarian/ technology teacher
Portland, OR

 Parents, teachers, librarians & friends need to
play a role in scaffolding a learning environment.
10
-- John Palfrey, Co-director, Berkman Center, Sept
2010.

 Those without access to web research
training show up at college “beyond
hope”….with an “ingrained coping
behaviour”… “they have learned to ‘get by’
with Google.”5
-- University College London

There is No Quick Fix
 Effective web research skills cannot be
learned in a week, a semester, or a year.

Not Integrated into Curriculum
 Research skills often are taught only by
librarians are not always reinforced by
classroom teachers.

 “[L]leaving information literacy to librarians alone
suggests a failure to understand the scope of
the problem.”9
-- Geoffrey Nunberg

 Web research skills must be taught throughout
primary school years to break the “culture of
use” currently seen in this generation of users.
-- Barbara Combes

A New Approach?
 Educators must teach broad concepts and
strategies, not how to use specific tools.
-- Authors of ERIAL study

“Use better interfaces and more sophisticated
indexing methods to nudge students, incrementally,
toward competence.” 7
- Casper Grathwohl
Oxford University Press

 "Unless we can
demonstrate some
measurable payoff to
searching, students
aren’t going to do it.” 7
- Lisa Rose-Wiles, Librarian
Seton Hall University

A New Approach?
“We have shown the importance of looking at the
whole process of information seeking and
content evaluation from the first decision about
which search engine or Web site to consult
initially to the final stage of settling on a page
with the sought-after content.”7
---Eszter Hargittai, et al
Northwestern University
Int’l J. of Communications 4 (2010)

A New Approach to Web Research
• Teach Ten Steps for Better Web Research.
http://www.SweetSearch.com/TenSteps

How Do Effective Researchers Behave?
• Start general with several keywords
• Try new combinations in a systemic manner
• Use more precise, or even natural language.
• Look well beyond the first few results, and return
often to favorite, reliable sites.

Step 1: Where to Search
• The Internet may not be the best place to
start; databases may help you find what you’re
seeking far faster.

Step 1: Where to Search
• Don’t count on search engines to do all the
work for you. Ask a librarian or teacher to
recommend individual sites.
• Use student-friendly tools for aggregating
your own favorite sites. e.g. Symbaloo or Diigo.

Step 1: Where to Search
• Give students
a list of 10 sites.
• Students must select and
defend their sources
before they start writing.
-Michelle Baldwin
-Teacher, Anastasis Academy

Step 1: Where to Search – Learn from Others

Step 2: Try Several Search Engines
• Suggest a two-week “Google Holiday” to
lessen dependency.
• Introduce meta-search engines (eg. Zuula).
More about search engines: http://bit.ly/bO7FbB

http://springfieldlibrary.wikispaces.com

Step 2: Try Several Search Engines…..
• SweetSearch searches
35,000 websites that research
experts have evaluated and
approved.
• SweetSearch4Me features
sites for emerging learners.
•We created these, yet don’t
use them exclusively– we use
the full range of resources.

Step 3: Dig deep for the best results
• Many websites rank high for reasons
unrelated to the quality of their content.
• Professionals and academics don’t “optimize”
their content for search engines, so it usually
does not appear at the top.
• Don’t stop at the first page!!

Step 3: Dig deep….
• Google and other search engines optimize their
results for adults, who want to know “what
happened today.”
•Google continually strives to deliver “fresher”
results.
• For school research, “fresher” is not usually
better.

Step 3: Dig deep….
• With Yolink users can browse search results in
context without opening them.
• Integrated into SweetSearch, Yolink can be used
on other sites through a browser add-on.
•SweetSearch = “better indexing,” Yolink = “better
interface” suggested by Oxford University Press.

Step 4: Think Before You Search
“If you don’t know
where you’re going,
you’ll probably end
up somewhere else.”
- Yogi Berra

Students should rewrite
assignments in their
own words.
Next, students should
write out the questions
they want their research
to answer.
-Angela Maiers,
- Digital Literacy expert
Step 4: Think Before You Search

Step 4: Think Before You Search
 Writing questions
helps students
explore the topic from
different angles.

Step 4: Think Before You Search
Writing questions helps students focus
in on the area of interest to them.

Step 4: Think Before You Search
Thorough questions
let students know
when their research
is complete–when
their questions have
been answered.

Questions --> Good Search Terms
 Extract keywords from your questions.
Pair main keywords serially with lesser
keywords.
 Choose nouns instead of verbs.

Take a bottoms up approachTake a bottoms up approach..

Cover the Whole Field
 Use 2 or 3 keywords;
 in many combinations;
 important words first;
 adjust incrementally;
 cover the “whole field.”

Search Engines, Not Answer
Machines
The goal:
 Provide keywords in the search box
 that help you find documents
 that are helpful to your research.

Match Words in Search Box to
Words on the Page
“Imagine your dream document.
What words would the author of that
document definitely include?”
-Joyce Valenza
Never Ending Search
School Library Journal

Teach students not to
expect magic “answers.”

Instead, help
them find relevant
and authoritative
resources from
which they can
extract their own
answers.

Step 5: Make Search Engines Work for You
• Connectors AND and OR can be moderately
effective.
• Quotation marks are a critical tool students
should know when to use.
• But advanced search options are the best way
to mandate or exclude certain words.

Step 5: Make Search Engines Work for You
• Learn the AROUND function.
• Search “Kennedy" AROUND(10) “moon” and
the top results will be ones in which Kennedy
appears within ten words of moon.
•NOTE: both search terms must be in quotes,
AROUND must be capitalized, and the number
must be in parentheses.

Step 5: Make Search Engines Work for You
• As you search, add new keywords.
• Avoid “looping” by documenting your search
with a bookmarking tool, or keep a written
record.

Step 6: Don’t Believe Everything You Read
Students should think like a detective.
•A dose of healthy skepticism is required.
•Information is only as good as its source.
• No single element determines credibility.
•ALWAYS verify critical information with
several sources.

Step 7: Find Primary Sources
•Think of primary sources such as photos,
diaries and newspapers as “eyewitness
accounts” – which are generally more reliable
than second-hand information.
More: http://bit.ly/6CnTrq

Step 7: Looking at the Original Source?
• If you suspect a site may not be the original
source of information, google a key phrase.
• If the phrase appears on another site,
evaluate the credibility of that site.
More: http://bit.ly/9k6a2v

Step 8: Who Published the Article?
• Do editors or experts review the information?
Is it thorough?
• Do the author and publisher have a well-
established reputation? Search their names in a
search engine.

Step 8: Who Published the Article?
• If the site does not provide the name of the
publisher and its editors you cannot rely
on it.
• Even if it “looks good or sounds good.”

Step 8: Who Published the Article?
• See 10 Reasons Why
Students Can’t Cite
Wikipedia.
More: http://bit.ly/dlxX6i

Step 8: Who Published the Article?
• Assessing the top level domain (.com. .gov,
.org, .edu) is not as useful as commonly
believed.
• Be wary of sites containing words like
"free/discount/best/your/Web.”
• Be critical of sites where advertisements blend
with content.

Step 9: Why Was the Article Written?
• Always ask, “why did the writer write this?”
• Is the site trying to sell you something?
• Does the site have any social or political
biases? Eg. WhiteHouse.gov is not a neutral
source for information on U.S. Presidents.

Step 9: Why Was the Article Written?
• Many websites that appear to offer valid
information but were created for another
purpose.
•More: http://bit.ly/9dzELE

Step 10: When was information written
or last revised?
• Determine when an article was published or
last updated.
• If you can’t, then confirm the currency of the
information elsewhere.
• Use a news search engine, add the current
year as a search term, or Advanced Search
Options to restrict dates (imperfect).
More: http://bit.ly/9dzELE

The End?
Yes, but it’s only the beginning of our efforts to help
educators teach students how to use the Web
effectively.
In Fall 2013, Mark Moran and Angela Maier will
release their co-authored book, “Digital Literacy:
Lessons for Leaders and Learners.” Sign-up for our
newsletter to be kept updated on our progress.
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/info/newsletter.html

Works Cited:
1. Born Digital
2. Els Kuiper, Monique Volman and Jan Terwel. “Students' use of Web literacy skills and strategies:
searching, reading and evaluating Web information.” Information Research: Vol. 13, No.3,
(September, 2008.http://www.informationr.net/ir/13-3/paper351.html
3. Shu-Hsien L. Chen. “Searching the Online Catalog and the World Wide Web.” Journal of
Educational Media & Library Sciences, 41 1 (September 2003) 29-43
4. On “Empowering Parents and Protecting Children in an Evolving Media landscape” Berkman
Center for Internet & Society. February 24, 2010. http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/node/5951
5. UCL. “Information behavior of the researcher of the future”: 11 January 2008.
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/programmes/reppres/gg_final_keynote_11012008.pdf
6. Eszter Hargittai etal, “Trust Online: Young Adults’ Evaluation of Web Content,” International
Journal of Communications 4 (2010), 468-494, 1932-8036/20100468
(cont’d)

Works Cited:
7. Steve Kolowich, Searching for Better Research Habits, Inside Higher Ed, September 29, 2010
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/09/29/search
8. Mark E. Moran and Shannon Firth, “A Study of Students Online Behavior,” March 2010.
http://blog.findingdulcinea.com/2011/06/a-study-of-students-online-research-behavior.html
9. Geoffrey Nunberg, “Teaching Students to Swim in the Online Sea,” The New York Times,
February 13, 2005.
10. Project Information Literacy Smart Talk, no. 3, John Palfrey, "Rethinking Plagiarism in the
Digital Age?" September 1, 2010. http://projectinfolit.org/st/palfrey.asp
11. Media Post: Google Research Focuses on Search Failures, September 21, 2010
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=136114&nid=118854

Dulcinea Media Links:
Survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/82BM99Z
SweetSearch 10 Steps: http://www.SweetSearch.com/TenSteps
Yolink: http://www.yolinkeducation.com/education/
Primary Sources: http://bit.ly/6CnTrq
Original Source? http://bit.ly/9k6a2v
Can’t Cite Wikipedia: http://bit.ly/dlxX6i
Who? http://bit.ly/9dzELE
Why? http://bit.ly/aTfAPo
When? http://bit.ly/cZDEig