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What can you
research on the Internet?
The Internet is more than a series
of wordy web pages.
You can search the Internet with
"search engines," web sites
that have listings, or search
-
portals or web
centers that organize information
and links
-
web sites devoted
to particular topics, including
text, graphics, movies, music files
-
databases such as
journals, newspapers or
professional documents
-
government
documents, forms, laws, policies,
etc.
-
services and
information by non-profit
organizations and by for-profit
businesses
-
directories of
names and personal information
-
personal web pages
or vanity pages
-
communications
through e-mail
-
discussion groups
or Listservs
What limits my
search? Some information is
-
in the "public
domain" and can be freely
accessed and used, such as U.S.
government documents
-
unrestricted for
use by disclaimers within the web
site
-
copyright
protected, with restricted use
determined by national and
international laws
-
not copyright
protected since the copyright has
expired
-
conditionally
protected with "copyright
disclaimers" located on the
web page/site
-
limited in access
by first registering, subscribing,
or requiring personal information
for use or access
-
restricted by
passwords
-
intentionally
excluded from search engines
All information should
be properly cited.
Refer to the Study Guide for links on citing
your sources
in the MLA (Modern Language
Association) and APA (American
Psychological Association) styles.
How do I search the
Internet?
-
Narrow your
topic and its description; pull out
key words and categories
-
Begin with
known, recommended, expert, or
reviewed web sites
-
Refer to
professional portals
that may have directories or
collections by topic
-
Use a search
engine*:
does it contain a directory of
topics?
-
Use a search
engine: enter your key words
Find the best combination of
key words to locate information you
need;
Enter these in the search
engine
-
Review the
number of options returned.
If there are too many web sites,
add more keywords.
If there are too few options,
narrow/delete some keywords,
or substitute other key words
-
Review the first
pages returned:
If these are not helpful, review
your key words for a better
description
-
Use advanced
search options in search
engines:
Search options include
-
Key word
combinations, including boolean
strings
-
Locations where
key words are found
For example: in the
title, 1st paragraphs, coded
metadata
-
Languages to
search in
-
Sites
containing media files (images,
videos, MP3/music, ActiveX,
JAVA, etc.)
-
Dates web sites
were created or updated
-
Research using
several search engines
Each search engine has a different
database of web sites it searches
Some "Meta-Search"
engines actually search other
search engines!
If one search engine returns
few web sites, another may return
many!
-
Evaluate the
content of the web sites you've
found:
Refer to the Study Guide "Evaluating
web site content"
-
Track your
search:
List resources you checked; the
date your checked them
Identify the resource, especially
its location and the date you found
it
-
Monitor and
evaluate your progress
-
Get help if
needed
*
For a listing of search
engines,
as well as other resources and
suggestions on searching the
Internet,
please see E-guide
for research issues and The
Internet Search Guide from the
University of St. Thomas'
Libraries, or the Search
Engine Colossus, with links to
search engines from 148 countries.
Feedback to improve
this page
(please specify which page)
The Study Guides and Strategies web site was created and is
maintained by Joe
Landsberger,
academic web site developer at the University
of St. Thomas (UST), St. Paul, Minnesota. It is collaboratively
maintained across institutional and national boundaries, and last revised
September 04, 2002 .
Permission is granted to freely copy, adapt, print,
transmit, and distribute
Study Guides in settings that benefit learners. On the WWW, however, please link
rather than put up your own page since pages are frequently modified and
improved in consideration of educational research. No request to link is
necessary. Additional contributions and translations are warmly
received.
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