Unit 3 Review

 

The Internet is a global information system, made up of linked computer networks from all around the world.  ONE part of the Internet is the World Wide Web.  This is the part of the Internet that can be searched by search tools such as Google.

 

Websites on the Internet come from many different sources, including companies, colleges & universities, the government, the military, non-profit organizations, and individuals.   You can get an idea of what kind of organization a web page is coming from just by looking at the web address, or URL.  Part of each URL includes a domain name, such as:

 

.edu – U.S. educational institutions

.gov – U.S. government

.com – typically commercial organizations

.org – typically non-profit organizations

 

You may also see country codes in domain names, such as .in for India, .jp for Japan, and .uk for the United Kingdom.

 

What’s NOT available (for free) on the web?   Most books and magazine, newspaper and journal articles are not available for free on the web.  Most libraries, though, do provide access to online books and articles through databases that they buy.

 

Since there’s no one person or organization in charge of the web, the quality of web pages varies greatly.

 

 

Web Search Tools

 

When searching for web pages on a topic, it’s important to pick the right search tool for the job.   Web search tools include:

 

Subject Directories – tend to be smaller and more selective than larger search engines.  Subject directories typically do not offer advanced search features.  Subject directories tend to be good for broad topics and for academic research. 

 

Search Engines – tend to have a very large collection of websites that they search through.  Search engines typically offer advanced search features that can help you focus in on the sorts of web pages you’re looking for. 

 

Search engines are good if you need to be comprehensive, if you are searching for a really specific or uncommon topic, or if you just want to find the web page of a company or organization.

 

 

Meta-search Engines search several search engines at once, though they typically return just a limited number of websites from each separate search engine.  There are also not many options for using advanced searching techniques. 

 

Meta-search engines can be useful when you are searching for a unique term – something that wouldn’t require advanced searching techniques or that wouldn’t retrieve more than a few results per search engine.

 

For a list of Subject Directories, Search Engines and Meta-Search Engines, go to: www.nvcc.edu/library/internet.htm

 

Web Search Strategies

 

-          Determine what kind of web search tool to use:  subject directory, search engine, or meta-search engine.  Which one you choose will depend on what your topic is.

 

Uncommon Topic?  Pick a search engine or meta-search engine

 

Broad Topic?  Pick a subject directory

 

Really Specific Topic?  Pick a search engine, or possibly a meta-search engine

 

Doing Academic Research?  Start with a subject directory

 

 

-          Choose appropriate search terms-- be specific, but not TOO specific!.

 

-          Use advanced search strategies as appropriate

Search engines typically have advanced search features that let you do such things as:

-          search for phrases, such as “global warming,”

-          search for websites only from a particular domain, such as .gov or .edu,

-          search for web pages from a specific website, and

-          look for your search terms only in the web page title.. 

 

-          Think about what organization or what kind of website might have the information you need.

 

-          Use more than one search engine or directory, since no one search tool covers ALL the web.

 

 

Web Site Evaluation   

Look at:

Content

Authority (is the source credible/reliable?)

Purpose (is the site trying to educate you?  Convince you of something…?)

Date  (is it up-to-date?)

Level of difficulty

 

Citing Web Sites and Web Pages

 

Examples:

 

Web page in MLA style

Davis, Jeanie Lerche.“Children and Sweetened Drinks: What's a Parent to Do?” WebMD.  2007.  Web. 6 July 2009.


"About Malaria." Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute. Johns Hopkins University, 2005. Web. 8 July 2009.

 

Web page in APA style

Davis, J.L. (2007). Children and sweetened drinks: What's a parent to do?" Retrieved July 6, 2009, from  http://children.webmd.com/features/children-

and-sweetened-drinks-whats-a-parent-to-do

 

 

About malaria. (2009). Retrieved July 8, 2009, from Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute Web site:

        http://malaria.jhsph.edu/about_malaria

  

 

For more details about how to create citations for information from the web, consult either of the following:

 

1.      A style manual

-          For MLA:  MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (call number LB2369 .G53 2009); in the INDEX, look up “Web Publications,” then look for the “in works cited” section.

-          For APA:  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (call number BF76.7 .P83 2001); in the TABLE OF CONTENTS, check the “Reference List” chapter for Electronic Media.

2.      Online citation sites: http://www.nvcc.edu/library/bow_citingref.htm