WHAT IS THE INTERNET?
The internet is a series of global networks that are interconnected with one another. A network is an avenue for sharing files between individuals and networks alike. The internet grants users access to information stored in these networks.
Dr. Barnes lee is the founder of the internet. He wrote a program that could allow pages to be linked together using keywords and it was mostly 'text' until 1992, when NCSA ( National Centre for Supercomputing Applications), computer program that was created by scientists at the University of Illinois came into play. The program was the first web browser.
The development of web browsers greatly eased the ability of thew users to navigate through all the pages stored on the web. Sooner, the appearance of the web was altered as well. More appealing multimedia (video, slideshow presentations) were added, and sound implemented. This change made the web more user friendly and more appealing to the general public.
USING THE INTERNET FOR RESEARCH
Keyword search
Prior to beginning a search, you should identify your specific topic. To make your searching easier, narrow your subject to a keyword or a group of keywords. These are your search terms and they should be specific as possible. For example if you are looking for the latest film-show guide of a cinema, then the name of the cinema would be your keyword. However, if you were to enter the name of the cinema in the query box of the search engine, the SERP might present more than a thousand links about the cinema that is not related to your needs. You might see extraneous links like their history, fan reviews, news concerning them and the lots with related names containing information that is not related to your search.
Because you used such a broad keyword, you might need to navigate through all that information before you find a link or a subheading for the film-show guide. In contrast, if you were to type in the 'film-show guide' and [name of cinema], you would have a better chance of locating pages with this information. Although don't go to detailed. Otherwise you'd be met with 'no search result found'
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| SEARCH RESULT PAGE SHOWING GENERALIZED SEARCH(SILVERBIRD) |
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| SEARCH RESULT PAGE SHOWING SPECIFIC SEARCH (FILM-SHOW GUIDE AND SILVERBIRD CINEMA) |
How to narrow your search
In a situation where you have a large group of words and still don't know which ones to use, write out all the list of words you are considering. Once you have completed the list, scrutinize it. Then delete the words that are least important to your search. and highlight those that are most important.
Note the importance of these key search connectors as they could help you fine tune your search
AND: narows a search by retrieving documents that include both terms. For example: film-show
guide and Silverbird cinema.
OR: broadens a search by retrieving documents including any of the terms. For example: Denim
jackets or Blazers.
NOT: narrows a search by excluding documents containing certain keyword. For example Baseball
not history off.
Tips for an effective search
- Keep in mind that search engines can be case-sensitive. If your first attempt at searching fails, check your search terms for misspellings and try again
- When you want to present a group of keywords, present them in order form the most important to the least important keyword
- Avoid opening the link to every single page on your result list. Search engines present pages in descending order of relevancy (not always, but most of the time). To avoid wasting your time, read the descriptions of each link before opening the page although the most useful pages as decided by the search engine will be located at the top of the list.
- When using some search engines, you can find helpful tips for specializing your search. Take the opportunity to learn more about effective searching.
ALTERNATIVE SEARCH METHODS
Online reference sites
Your search should be specific to what you are looking for. If you are hoping to find data and facts, use reference sites before you jump onto a simple search engine. You can find reference sites to provide definition of words, statistics about almost any subject, biographies, maps and concise information on many topics. Online libraries(i.e. Questia), online periodicals and encyclopedia (Wikipedia) constitute reference sites. Most of these reference sources could be found through conducting subject searches which will be treated next.
Conducting subject searches
As you consider to go online,consider your subject and the best way to fin information to suit your needs. I f you are looking for general information on a topic and you want your search results to be extensive, consider the subject search indexes on most search engines. These indexes, in a category and subject list layout, often appear on the SERPs of most search engines. When you click on a specific highlighted word, you will be presented with a new screen containing subcategories of the topic you choose.
EVALUATING THE READABILITY OF INTERNET RESOURCES
This is no different than evaluating the quality and bias of any other physical research material you come across. Always check the validity and the main source of the information you find online.
Tips for evaluating internet resources:
- Consider who constructed and now manages the web page. Check to see if this author is a reputable source. Often, the URL endings indicate a source: .
.gov indicates government agencies,
.org indicates nonprofit organizations and agencies while
.com indicates commercial or individual
- Skim the official and trademarked web pages first. It is safe to assume that the information you draw from Web pages of reputable institutions, on-line encyclopedias, online version of many daily newspapers, or government-owned sites provide information as reliable as print resources. On the other hand, individual-owned sites tend to borrow information from other sites(Like I do, truth be told but I always cite my source: 'Referencing 101') without providing documentation.
- When looking at individual sites and other 'less official' sites, check for the writer's credentials and consider these factors
- Do not let colorful graphics and presentations fool you
- Make sure information on the web page is currently updated enough to suit your needs. Many web pages indicate how recently they have been updated
- If it has been borrowed with documentation, check to see if you can find the real source of the information.
Finally, Just like books in prints, Text, photographs, music and fine art printed online may not be reproduced without acknowledged permission of the copyright owner.
Update: For list of glossary terms visit http://www.pc.net/glosssary/ They'll come in handy.
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Teddy Gaynes
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