1. How to Search the Internet More Effectively?
Tom Vandenbosch
t.vandenbosch@cgiar.org
2. Introduction: research and the
Internet
The Internet can be a
great tool for research, but
finding quality web
materials and using them
to your advantage can be
challenging.
By the end of this session,
you should be able to do a
more targeted Internet
search.
3. 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
4. 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
6. 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
9. Tips for selecting keywords
1
3
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.
2
4
Choose
descriptive
words.
10. How to find those “perfect keys”?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is it I’m looking for? (think about
common keywords)
How would someone else talk about it? (what
words would they use? how would THEY
describe it?)
Which of those terms would be most
common?
Which of those terms would be very
specialized to this topic?
What kind of thing would make me happy? (do
I want a single web page, a definition, a
collection, an image.... or …?)
11. 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
12. Basic search commands
“…”
Exact phrase
“I hate the Internet”
-
To exclude a search
term (forbidden terms)
Words starting with
cow -mad
Adjacent words
trees NEAR farms
To require all search
terms
agroforestry AND Faidherbia
*
NEA
R
AND
+
OR
To require any search
terms
people*
+agroforestry +Faidherbia
Project OR programme
13. 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 related:iucn.org
a specified web page
Modified after a given after:MM/DD/YYYY
date
Modified before a
before:MM/DD/YYYY
given date
after:
before:
define:
Provides a definition
of words
define:agroforestry
23. 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.
24. 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
26. Why evaluate web sources?
Any person can publish
anything on the Internet.
Web sources do not have
to be professionally
accepted or edited.
Some personal sites are
used to express individual
opinions about issues, but
not necessarily the facts.
27. You be the judge
Who is the author?
Who is the publisher?
What is the point of
view?
Are there references to
other sources?
How current is the
information?
…
28. Examine for credibility
Credibility may be
compromised by
intentional misinformation
or by unintentional
neglect.
Locating the name of the
site’s creator may be
challenging.
Credentials may be
missing even if the
author’s name is provided.
30. 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
31. Some final words
There is also the Deep Hidden Web, or the
Invisible Web.
The Internet is not the only place to find
information. While it abounds with a wealth of
information, it is not as good for historical
information.
Visiting the library should always be a
consideration in conducting research.
Visit http://tinyurl.com/pb48m to view the pros and
cons with library vs. Internet research.
Hinweis der Redaktion
Rationale: With the development of the Internet, students have found that conducting research is much easier and more convenient than searching through library stacks. While the Internet can be a great tool for research, locating quality materials can at times be a challenge. The following slides will offer tips on how to make the most of your Internet search.
Activity: To generate discussion, the facilitator may ask students about their level of familiarity with the Internet. Also, the facilitator may ask students about the types of web sites they visit, as well as if they have their own personal web pages.
.
Activity: The facilitator might ask students why it is important to evaluate web sources. The answers offered on this slide highlight the importance of web source evaluation.
.
Key Concepts: Books and journal articles generally go through a long process of fact-checking, editing, and revising before being published. However, anyone with a computer and Internet access can post a web site. Just because the information is published online, it does not mean it is true or reliable. The facilitator may note that web sites change frequently and sometimes disappear quickly.
Thinking about evaluation within the search process can help to make web browsing efficient and effective.
Click the mouse after the title question.
Key Concepts: After you identify the type of web site you are viewing, you must next assess it for credibility. Information in the web site depends in large part upon the author; unfortunately, the author’s name may not be clearly listed on the web site. If the author’s name is listed, credentials may not be provided. Furthermore, because web sites do not need to be fact checked to be published, we cannot necessarily rely upon the publisher to be honest.
