Three Categories of Searching Tools General directories Search
engines Specialized directories Examples News headings, weather,
stock market information, etc.
Slide 4
General Directories Are web sites that provide a large
collection of links arranged in categories. Content is hand picked.
Sites are selective and meet specific criteria. Sites are arranged
by categories Databases are smaller than a web search engine Good
for general rather that specific questions Generally pay a fee to
be listed
Slide 5
Examples... 1.Yahoo! Directory 2.Open Directory Project
(www.dmoz.org)www.dmoz.org 3. Librarians Internet Index
(lii.org)lii.org 4.Internet Public Library (ipl.org)ipl.org
Slide 6
Search Engines Use a search engine if your search contains
three or more concepts. If you suspect very little is written on
your topic. If your search needs to be exhaustive. Web search
engines allow you to use more sophisticated techniques (advance
searching). No human selectivity is involved in what is in the
database, as the searcher you provide the selectivity in furthering
your search.
Slide 7
Specialized Directories Collection of selected Internet
resources (links). Gives more sites on a specific topic. Provide
categories you can browse and also has a search feature. Provide
expertise in using web resources in an area of interest.
Slide 8
Examples of Specialized Directories REFERENCE TOOLS Refdesk
refdesk.com The Public Library Reference Ready Reference
www.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/ref00.00.00 ACADEMIC BUBL LINK
bubl.ac.uk/link Intute www.intute.ac.uk Hock, Randolph. The Extreme
Searchers Internet Handbook, p. 51- 53.
Slide 9
More Specialized Directories Project Gutenberg
www.gutenberg.org Library of Congress Gateway to Library Catalogs
lcweb.loc.gov/z3950/gateway.html Links to Books and Library
Catalogs Online Hock, Randolph. The Extreme Searchers Internet
Handbook, p. 51-53.
Slide 10
General Strategies There is no right or wrong way to search the
internet! Answer three basic questions... 1. Exactly what is my
question? 2. What is the most appropriate tool to start with? 3.
What search strategy should I start with? Hock, Randolph. The
Extreme Searchers Internet Handbook, p. 12.
Slide 11
Organize your Search by Concepts Think in terms of concepts
(and alternate terms). For example... Use grammatical variations,
(electricity, electrical); synonyms; or perhaps related terms. Keep
the search simple. Hock, Randolph. The Extreme Searchers Internet
Handbook, p. 13.
Slide 12
Boolean Logic is used for Searching Computer Databases AND OR
NOT ( ) Parentheses and quotes + Plus sign * Asterisk BOOLEAN
OPERATORS Use these operators between and around the keywords in
your searches.
Slide 13
Examples... AND (Narrows search and the search engine looks for
information that contains all of your keywords even if they are not
next to each other) Industrial AND pollution Biology AND molecular
Mautner, Christopher. Educators Internet Companion, p. 140.
Slide 14
OR College OR university (will return results with either word)
OR logic collates the results to retrieve all the unique records
containing one term, the other term or both. Examples...
http://internettutorials.net.boolean.asp.
Slide 15
NOT Media NOT television Returns results with websites having
the word Media and NOT television. Only one of the terms will be
present. Not logic excludes records from search results.
Examples... http://internettutorials.net.boolean.asp.
Slide 16
Parentheses and Quotes Putting parentheses or quotes around a
set of keywords will force the engine to match the entire word or
phrase as it stands. When you use a + after a phrase, followed
immediately by a keyword, the search gets even more specific.
Mautner, Christopher. Educators Internet Companion, p. 140.
Slide 17
Example... Using Quotations and the + Sign carpal tunnel
syndrome +treatment Mautner, Christopher. Educators Internet
Companion, p. 140.
Slide 18
Wildcard Searching Using the Asterisk * Place an asterisk at
the end of a word and the search engine will look for every word on
the site that begins with the word or letters. This is useful if
you are unsure of the spelling of keywords and can be used for also
searching a root word. Example: Bio* Results will include biology
or biography. Mautner, Christopher. Educators Internet Companion,
p. 140.
Slide 19
Did You Know... Most large search engines apply AND to your
search even if you do not specify it and enter two or more search
words. Hock, Randolph. The Extreme Searchers Internet Handbook,
page 70.
Slide 20
Search Results Different search engines may interpret or handle
the Boolean Search operators differently. If you get unexpected
results, check the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) link to see how
the search engine handles the operators. Mautner, Christopher.
Educators Internet Companion, p. 141.
Slide 21
Other Searching Tips 1.Set the search tool to display the
smallest number of results (10). 2.Use at least three search
engines to do a preliminary search. 3.Search using lower case
letters. 4.Use near. Example Albert near Einstein. Mautner,
Christopher. Educators Internet Companion, p. 141.
Slide 22
Benefits of Using Search Engines Larger, billions of records in
their databases No human selectivity of data Are designed for
searching, not browsing A search engine is actually a service that
facilitates searching
Slide 23
Search Engine Leaders Google Yahoo Search Ask.com
Slide 24
Alternative Approaches Reword the search Switch to a different
search engine Go straight to a known, reliable web site Experts use
a combination of skills in search techniques with knowledge of top
sources in multiple subject areas.
Slide 25
Plagiarism Part II
Slide 26
What is Plagiarism? Here is a definition from
www.dictionary.comwww.dictionary.com: pla gia rism Spelled
Pronunciation [pley-juh-riz-uhm, -jee-uh-riz-]noun 1.The
unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of
another author and the representation of them as one's own original
work. 2.Something used and represented in this manner.
Slide 27
Plagiarism... Failing to cite quotations and borrowed ideas.
Failing to enclose borrowed language in quotation marks. Failing to
put summaries and paraphrases in your own words. Hacker, Diana. The
Bedford Handbook, New York: RR Donnelley and Sons Company, 2002 p.
576.
Slide 28
Citing Quotations and Borrowed Ideas... Cite direct quotations
and Cite borrowed ideas (paraphrases of sentences, summaries of
paragraphs, statistics, diagrams etc.) Hacker, Diana. The Bedford
Handbook, New York: RR Donnelley and Sons Company, 2002 p.
577.
Slide 29
Plagiarism? Words, ideas, images and sounds need to be
documented and given credit if they are not your own. Failure to do
so may lead to charges of plagiarism whether intentional or
unintentional. Many schools have academic policies that point out
the consequences of plagiarizing material. Source:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/.
Slide 30
Common Knowledge This is information that can be found in a
number of general sources because it is commonly known. If
information is only found in one or two sources, or is
controversial, you should cite it. If in doubt, ask someone who has
expertise. WHEN IN DOUBT, CITE THE SOURCE! Hacker, Diana. The
Bedford Handbook, New York: RR Donnelley and Sons Company, 2002 p.
577.
Slide 31
Resources Used Hacker, Diana. The Bedford Handbook, New York:
RR Donnelley and Sons Company, 2002. Hock, Randolph. The Extreme
Searchers Internet Handbook, A Guide for the Serious Searcher. 2 nd
Edition. Medford: CyberAge Books, 2007.
http://internettutorials.net/boolean.asphttp://internettutorials.net/boolean.asp.
http://owl/english/purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/. Mautner,
Christopher, Timothy McLain, Vince DiStefano and David Kershaw,
eds. Educators Internet Companion, 6 th Edition. 1999.
www.dictionary.com.