Internet Searching - September 2011
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This document provides an overview of internet searching and research strategies. It discusses critical thinking in research, using search engines effectively, evaluating online information sources, and proprietary databases available through Cleary University Library. Specific tips are provided on using search engines, Boolean logic, alternative search options beyond Google, statistics sources, scholarly sources, and databases available through the Cleary online library.
Internet Searching - September 2011
- 1. 1Internet Searching Jane Ellen InnesCleary University Libraryjeinnes@cleary.eduSep 2011
- 2. What we are coveringWhat is research?Critical thinkingInternet searching (search engines, strategies, tips)Cleary’s proprietary databases Proquest, Lexis/Nexis/Mel OthersEvaluating information2
- 3. What is Research?Primary versus secondary researchWriting process stage 2: collectingHow does research benefit your papers?CredibilityProfessionalismWhere to begin3
- 4. Critical ThinkingWhat is critical thinking and why is it important?Critical ThinkingTaking what you know, combining with what you learn to reach new conclusionStart with broad concepts and narrow4
- 5. 5Better searching with critical thinkingWho is interested in what you are looking for?Learn about your topic as you searchGet information from search summariesIncrease your topic specific vocabulary as you search
- 6. Topic WorksheetA Topic Worksheet is linked at the bottom of this lesson page.Created by Joe Barker, Teaching Library, UC BerkeleyUse search engines to increase your vocabulary on your topic. Take the information you learn from general Internet searches and search the Cleary Online Library.6
- 8. What are Search Engines?Large databasesFull text of web pagesUse keywords matching words in pages you wantBuilt by computer robot programsNo selectivity, no evaluation for reliabilityEach is different - Minimal standardizationAll accept “quotes” to search as phraseGood ones assume AND between words4/26/108
- 9. How do you measure a search engine’s value? Size, freshness & unique pagesHow comprehensive are they?Ranking of resultsWhat order are results displayed in?Default search mode effectivenessIntuitive and easy to use?Advanced search optionsCan you perform complex searchesCan you limit by date, type of site, etc? Overall convenience and usefulnessDo you get junk or good stuff?9
- 10. How to get the best results from search enginesMatch words in pages - FULL TEXTBe as specific as you cansearch on distinctive words - fallujahput “phrases in quotes”“collateral damage”scan your question for good search termsStart with one or two words or phrasesadd as needed to focus results4/26/1010
- 12. 4/26/1012Meta Search EnginesMeta Search Engines search multiple sites and retrieve combined results.Meta Search Engines Explained (thanks UC Berkeley)Multiple Search Engines, Meta Search Engines, or Metacrawlers(SearchEngineShowdown)
- 13. Choosing the Best Search EngineCheck NoodleTools (yes, NoodleTools): Search Engine AdviceUC Berkeley RecommendationsSearch Engine RecommendationsSubject Directory Recommendations10 Best Search Engines of 2011 (About.com)4/26/1013
- 14. 4/26/1014Get a second opinionStatistics say no search engine has it allOnly about 60% of pages in Google are also in other search enginesOnly 50% of pages in any search engine database are also found in all othersUse another search engineSearch Engine Showdown - http://www.searchengineshowdown.com/
- 15. Alternative beyond GoogleAskX - http://www.askx.comBing - http://www.bing.com/Exalead (http://www.exalead.com/search)Create your customized launching page with Exalead4/26/1015
- 16. Need a quick fact? Answers.com - http://answers.com Yahoo Answers: http://answers.yahoo.comAskville - http://askville.amazon.com/Index.doUse with caution; some are more reliable than others.4/26/1016
- 17. 4/26/1017Statistics SourcesNation Master - http://www.nationmaster.comState Master - http://www.statemaster.comSource for state, national and international statisticsCool tool for presenting graphical informationData from WHO, World Ban, CIA World Factbook, World Resources Institute, etc.
- 18. 4/26/1018Scholarly SourcesSome resources require fees – good for reviewing reference lists of similar topicsGoogle Scholar - http://scholar.google.com/InfoMine - http://infomine.ucr.edu/What’s the difference between a scholarly source and a magazine?(courtesy of Univ. Central Florida Libraries)
- 19. Cleary Online LibrariesLogin informationDatabases and focus areasProquestBasic search, topic search, publication searchLexis NexisUpdated format makes searching easyMeLOther, topic specific databases (marketresearch.com, Hoover, NetLibrary)4/26/1019
- 20. Cleary Online Library Login Information4/26/1020
- 21. This is the opening screen of the online library. If you click on the ? Icon you’ll find more information about each database. Sep 201021
- 22. 4/26/1022
- 24. MeL4/26/1024
- 26. Hoovers4/26/1026
- 28. Additional ResourcesCleary Research Wikihttp://resources.cleary.eduCleary Library Bloghttp://clearylibrarian.wordpress.comNoodleToolshttp://www.noodletools.com4/26/1028
- 29. RememberCheck the Cleary Research Wiki for information on conducting researchThe more you research, the better you get at itBe patient and don’t always assume that the FIRST article you find is the best.4/26/1029
- 30. EVALUATING INFORMATIONIf you are using material that you’ve found via the Cleary Library, there is no need for further evaluation. If you’ve found some great information on the Internet . . . You need to investigate a little further. . .4/26/1030
- 31. Evaluating InformationWhy Evaluate What You Find on the Web?Anyone can put up a Web page about anything for pennies in minutesMany pages not kept up-to-dateNo quality control 4/26/1031
- 32. 4/26/1032Evaluating InformationWikipedia: Good place to start but NOT a definitive source. DO NOT cite in your reference listCitizendium (signed Wiki)http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Main_Page
- 33. 4/26/1033Ask yourselfCredentials for the subject matter ? “About us” “Philosophy” “Background” “Biography”Is it recent or current enough ?Look for “last updated” date - usually at bottomWhy it the page put on the Web? Inform, explain, persuade, sell, entice, share, disclose?Parody or satire? Is it appropriate for your purpose?
- 34. 4/26/1034RememberYou will rarely find an article that is exactly on your topic.
- 35. Learn to use the information you have to make your point. 04/26/1035FinallyUse the information you have at hand to find more information – look at URLs, references to additional articles, statistics.
- 36. Research will take more time than you think. Plan ahead! **
Editor's Notes
- #3: This slide provides an overview of the research lecture.
- #4: Understanding the difference between primary and secondary research is an important concept. One example of primary research is when you create a survey instrument and collect your own data. Secondary research usually comes in the form of published findings or research reports. Primary SourcesPrimary sources are original materials. They are from the time period involved and have not been filtered through interpretation. Diaries Interviews (legal proceedings, personal, telephone, e-mail) , Letters, Original Documents (i.e. birth certificate or a trial transcript), Patents, Photographs, Proceedings of Meetings, Conferences and Symposia, Survey Research (such as market surveys and public opinion polls), Works of Literature Secondary SourcesSecondary sources are accounts written after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. They are interpretations and evaluations of primary sources. Secondary sources are not evidence, but rather commentary on and discussion of evidence. Biographies, Commentaries, Dissertations, Indexes, Abstracts, Bibliographies (used to locate primary & secondary sources), Journal Articles, Monographs Tertiary SourcesTertiary sources consist of information which is a distillation and collection of primary and secondary sources. Almanacs Encyclopedias Fact books
- #16: Other search engines or meta search engines: Dogpile, Mamma, AltaVista. Directories include the Librarians Index to the Internet, MeL, IPL (Internet Public Library).
- #20: Introductory slide for the next section of the lecture.
- #21: Click on 360 Search to search multiple databases (Lexis/Nexis, Proquest, Marketresearch.com, MeL, NetLibrary). Proquest, Lexis/Nexis and MeL are the most heavily used databases. NetLibrary includes only books, no articles.The additional databases are focused on specific content areas:BizMiner – market research reports or financial reports for specific industries. Can sort by state or city.Hoovers – company information. Provides more in depth information than you will find in the Hoovers information available via Proquest (more financial information). CountryWatch – country information (geography, political outlook, social outlook, etc) on the 192 countries recognized by the United Nations. DON’T FORGET to check out the Research Guides (Cleary Research Wiki: http://resources.cleary.edu), the Library Blog (http://clearylibrarian.wordpress.com), and remember there is a NoodleTools link (http://www.noodletools.com) as well.
- #29: Independent links to the wiki, blog, and Noodletools (you don’t have to link through the Cleary Online Library).