Web Use 

Choosing a Search Engine
Searching Techniques
Evaluating Web Resources
Citing Web Resources

Choosing a Search Engine

Some of you may be familiar with searching online catalogs and databases such as ERIC.  On the web, we use search engines and subject directories.  All search engines work a little differently, so it is important to read the instructions and help files of those you use most frequently to take full advantage of their features.  No one search engine provides access to more than about 20% of the web, but they are the best we have at this point for locating information on the billions of web pages. There are three basic types of access tools to the WWW.
 

Subject Directories

These directories organize selected sites into categories and subcategories, but many also have a keyword search engine.  The sites included are selected, indexed, and sometimes even annotated by human beings.  They contain fewer websites, but generally are more selective. Subject guides or web pages with collections of links on a subject are often compiled by subject specialists, associations, or others interested in the topic.  Examples include the Argus Clearinghouse and the WWW Virtual Library.
 

Search Engines

While all search engines search a bit differently, they all offer keyword searching.  These engines search indexes of words on web pages compiled by spiders or robots (i.e., computer programs),  Many contain millions of websites and are updated frequently.  Most offer both a simple search feature and a "power" or advanced searching feature.  In this program, you will often want to go directly to the advanced searching mode.

Metaindexes

Metaindexes offer quick and somewhat superficial searches of multiple search engines at the same time.  They return the results in one database, but generally report only about 10% of total search results.
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Searching Techniques

Before you begin searching, it is important to define your information need and develop a search strategy.  The Library at UC Berkeley has created a worksheet to help a research analyze the topic (in PDF format).  Take a look at this.

Learning to do the most precise searches possible will save you time reading through thousands of irrelevant results.  Many of the same principles apply when searching electronic databases such as ERIC, Newsbank, and online catalogs.  The major differences are that these databases are selectively created by humans with subject headings and/or abstracts created by professionals whereas the Internet search engines are searching an index of the fulltext of millions of web pages not selected on any criteria.  Subject directories may be more selective but their criteria for selection are often unclear.

To get started in searching:
If you have no background in searching, start with Bare Bones 101: A Basic Tutorial on Searching the Web.  The first 10 lessons require less than 30 minutes to read through and provide all the basics you need to get started.  Lessons 11-18 provide more information on specific search engines. 

To develop your searching skills:
Once you have the basics, use one of the following options for more detailed information on search techniques:

Option 1. The Ohio State's net.TUTOR Searching 101 Tutorial
Six lessons requiring 15-30 minutes that deal with the entire search process.  Examples are from the web and from other online databases.  Practice exercises are included.
  1. Prepare before you search
  2. Decide how to search
  3. Construct your search
  4. Limit your search
  5. Refine your search
  6. Lesson REview


Option 2. The following sections of Danny Sullivan's Web Searching Tips. provide all the information you will ever need on the mechanics of searching the WWW. These deal with actually constructing the search once you know what you are looking for.  Look at these specific sections for searching basics:

      Search Engine Math
      http://www.searchenginewatch.com/facts/math.html
      Explains how to use the simple search features using +, -, and "".
Power Searching for Anyone
http://www.searchenginewatch.com/facts/powersearch.html
Describes special advanced searching features found in some search engines such as Match All, Title Searching, Wildcards, Proximity Searching, and URL Searching.
      Boolean Searching
      http://www.searchenginewatch.com/facts/boolean.html
      Describes the use of OR, AND, NOT, NEAR, and nesting.  If you think more in pictures, try Newsbank's description of Boolean operators.
      Search Assistance Features
      http://www.searchenginewatch.com/facts/assistance.html
      Special features for modifying results such as Related Searches, Results Clustering, Find Similar, Stemming, and narrowing by date provide yet more ways to do more precise searching.
      Search Engine Features for Searchers
      http://www.searchenginewatch.com/facts/ataglance.html
      Describes which search engines have which of the searching features.


For more indepth information, you could use either of these sites:

Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial from UC Berkeley's Library provides one of the more detailed online tutorials on using the Internet for academic research.  It provides information on both evaluating web resources, selecting search tools, and power searching.

For those of you who have LOTS of spare time and want a GREAT DEAL of information on searching, try lessons 1-12 of Complete Planet's Guide to Effective Searching of the Internet.

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Evaluating Web Resources

It is vital to learn to critically evaluate the information found on the web. Go through Internet Detective for background on evaluation of web sites. This is an indepth free, interactive, online tutorial that introduces users to the issues concerning the quality of information available on the Internet produced by the Development of a European Service for Information on Research and Education (DESIRE) Project.  You will need to register but it does not cost anything.  The entire thing can take about 1 hour, but it can be done in several sittings.  The tutorial provides  frequent quizzes with feedback.  "Examples" and "Try It Out" are especially good.  You can skip the section on Quality Services as it refers to very specific subject directories.  At the end, check you score on the quizzes by clicking "Statistics."

If you feel you want more information on this topic, check one of the following sites:

net.TUTOR: Evaluation of Web Sites  (Ohio State University)
http://gateway.lib.ohio-state.edu/tutor/les1/
Good basic introduction to evaluation of resources with some practice exercises that take 15-30 minutes.

Evaluating Information Found on the Internet (John Hopkins University, Milton S. Eisnehower Library)
http://milton.mse.jhu.edu:8001/research/education/net.html#2
Provides a good summary of the basic criteria with hints for recognizing these factors on a web page.

Alexander, J., Tate, M. A. Evaluating Web Resources.  (Wolfgram Memorial Library, Wiedner University)
http://www2.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-Library/webevaluation/webeval.htm
Divides web sites by purpose for evaluation.
Ormondroyd, J., Engle, M. and Cosgrave, T.,  How to critically analyze information sources. (Cornell University Library)
http://www.library.cornell.edu/okuref/research/skill26.htm
Guidelines for evaluating any type of information source - print or electronic.
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Citing Electronic Resources

You must give credit when you use the ideas of others in print or electronic format.  Failure to do so is plagarism, a very serious acadmic offense.  Over the years, you probably have used a standard citation format - APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), Chicago or other.  Check which you are to use in each class, but most will prefer the APA style as it is the standard in psychology and education.

While you may be familiar with citing books and articles, electronic resources are often problematic.  For more information on how to do this in the different styles, check one of the following sites.

ONLINE! Citation Styles
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html
Provides guideslines for APA, MLA, Chicago, and CBE styles for electronic resources.

Bibliographic Formats for Citing Electronic Information (Univ. of Vermont)
http://www.uvm.edu/~ncrane/estyles/
Guidelines for APA and MLA styles.

Classroom Connect's Citing Internet Resources
http://www.connectedteacher.com/newsletter/citeintres.asp
A simple format for citing electronic resources for kids.

APA Style

Electronic Reference Formats Recommended by the American Psychological Association
http://www.apa.org/journals/webref.html
Most specific guidelines from APA itself.

APA Style Electronic Formats (Mary Ellen Guffey)
http://www.westwords.com/guffey/apa.html

APA Style Guide (Willamette University)
http://library.willamette.edu/handouts/apagd.htm

MLA Style

MLA Online
http://www.mla.org/style/style_top_index.htm
Modern Language Association site provides guidelines for citing WWW and other resources.

MLA Style Guide (Willamette University)
http://library.willamette.edu/handouts/mlagd.htm

MLA: NoodleBib 2.0
http://www.noodletools.com/noodlebib/index.html
Interactive bibliography composer for MLA style providing citations for broad categories of materials.

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Eileen Schroeder
UW-Whitewater
Last updated 8/25/00