vandenbosch2010 04-13search the-internet
DESCRIPTION
How to search the internet more effectively. A slide presentation by Tom Vandenbosch to an audience of educational textbook writers (ANAFE)TRANSCRIPT
How to Search the Internet More Effectively?Tom Vandenbosch [email protected]
Introduction: research and the Introduction: research and the InternetInternet The Internet can be a The Internet can be a
great tool for research, great tool for research, but finding quality web but finding quality web materials and using materials and using them to your them to your advantage can be advantage can be challenging.challenging.
By the end of this By the end of this session, you should be session, you should be able to do a more able to do a more targeted Internet targeted Internet search.search.
Outline of the presentation
How search works Selecting keywords Your search toolbox
Basic search Advanced search Search options Google Scholar, Google Books
Validating web sources Some final words
Outline of the presentation
How search works Selecting keywords Your search toolbox
Basic search Advanced search Search options Google Scholar, Google Books
Validating web sources Some final words
How search works
Outline of the presentation
How search works Selecting keywords Your search toolbox
Basic search Advanced search Search options Google Scholar, Google Books
Validating web sources Some final words
Keyword search...
What now?
discussion
Search techniques:How can I find what I'm looking for?
1 2
3 4
Think how the page you are looking for will be written.
Use the words that are most likely to appear on the page.
Describe what you need with as few terms as possible.
Choose descriptive words.
Tips for selecting keywords
How to find those “perfect keys”?
1. What is it I’m looking for? (think about common keywords)
2. How would someone else talk about it? (what words would they use? how would THEY describe it?)
3. Which of those terms would be most common?
4. Which of those terms would be very specialized to this topic?
5. What kind of thing would make me happy? (do I want a single web page, a definition, a collection, an image.... or …?)
Outline of the presentation
How search works Selecting keywords Your search toolbox
Basic search Advanced search Search options Google Scholar, Google Books
Validating web sources Some final words
Basic search commands
“…” Exact phrase “I hate the Internet”- To exclude a search
term (forbidden terms)
cow -mad
* Words starting with people*
NEAR
Adjacent words trees NEAR farms
AND+
To require all search terms
agroforestry AND Faidherbia+agroforestry +Faidherbia
OR To require any search terms
Project OR programme
Advanced search commands
filetype:
Restrict search to specific filetype
zoology filetype:ppt
site: Specific domain or country search
site:.edu, site:.ke, site:.org
related:
Web pages similar to a specified web page
related:iucn.org
after: Modified after a given date
after:MM/DD/YYYY
before: Modified before a given date
before:MM/DD/YYYY
define: Provides a definition of words
define:agroforestry
What happens if you click on Show options ?
Search options
Using search options
Using advanced search
Advanced search
Advanced search
Advanced search
Language tools
Language tools
Google Scholar
http://scholar.google.com Peer-reviewed papers, theses, books,
abstracts, and other scholarly literature
Google Books
http://books.google.com Google Book Search index matches
your search terms—you see “Book Results.” These links will lead you to a library or online store where you may borrow or purchase the books.
Outline of the presentation
How search works Selecting keywords Your search toolbox
Basic search Advanced search Search options Google Scholar, Google Books
Validating web sources Some final words
Validate the authority
Pair share brainstorm ideas:
How do you decide ifsomething is true?
discussion
Why evaluate web sources?Why evaluate web sources?Why evaluate web sources?Why evaluate web sources?
Any person can publish Any person can publish anything on the Internet.anything on the Internet.
Web sources do not have Web sources do not have to be professionally to be professionally accepted or edited.accepted or edited.
Some personal sites are Some personal sites are used to express individual used to express individual opinions about issues, but opinions about issues, but not necessarily the facts.not necessarily the facts.
You be the judgeYou be the judge Who is the author?Who is the author? Who is the Who is the
publisher?publisher? What is the point of What is the point of
view?view? Are there Are there
references to other references to other sources?sources?
How current is the How current is the information?information?
……
Examine for credibilityExamine for credibilityExamine for credibilityExamine for credibility
Credibility may be Credibility may be compromised by compromised by intentional intentional misinformation or by misinformation or by unintentional neglect.unintentional neglect.
Locating the name of the Locating the name of the sitesite’’s creator may be s creator may be challenging. challenging.
Credentials may be Credentials may be missing even if the authomissing even if the authorr ’’s name is provided.s name is provided.
Organic results and sponsored links
Sponsored links (advertising)
Organic (or natural) search results
Outline of the presentation
How search works Selecting keywords Your search toolbox
Basic search Advanced search Search options Google Scholar, Google Books
Validating web sources Some final words
Some final wordsSome final words There is also the There is also the Deep Hidden WebDeep Hidden Web, or the , or the
Invisible WebInvisible Web.. The Internet is not the only place to find The Internet is not the only place to find
information. While it abounds with a wealth information. While it abounds with a wealth of information, it is not as good for historical of information, it is not as good for historical information. information.
Visiting the library should always be a Visiting the library should always be a consideration in conducting research.consideration in conducting research.
Visit Visit http://tinyurl.com/pb48m to view the to view the pros and cons with library vs. Internet pros and cons with library vs. Internet research.research.