Library

Teagle Workshop
Summer 2003 - Online Research

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1. Search Strategy
   1. Step 1: Is the free web the answer?
   2. Step 2: Search Engines for Specific Questions
   3. Step 3: Use Subject Directories to explore quality sites, mine databases, and get overviews
   4. Step 4: People as a resource
2. Evaluation of Internet Resources

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Step 1: Is the Free Web the Answer?
There is a significant gap in the three types of information on the free web: scholarly journals, full-text archives of newspapers and magazines, and government and public records. Check the lists of proprietary databases (by discipline) JBU subscribes to for the first two types of information before you go on a web search.

For searches on very specific topics, go to Step 2. To look for sites for overviews of a topic, or to scavenge for potentially useful sites, or if you don't know where to start, go to Step 3.

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Step 2: Search Engines for Specific Questions

• Besides your favorite search engine, choose one other major search engine and one other meta-search engine to run your search.
• Use the Advanced Search Page of each engine. 
• Read the online Help (Search Tips) provided. 
  
  *** = Highly recommended

1. ***Google [Advanced Search] [Search Tips]
   Currently the biggest search engine. Features multi-language translation. Searches PDF files. Search results ranked in terms of popularity. 
2. ***alltheweb [Advanced Search] [Search Tips]
   The next biggest search engine. Results ranked by relevance. Users can sort results by giving greater weight to certain search terms using the SHOULD INCLUDE field in the Advanced Search page.  
3. HotBot [Advanced Search] [Search Tips]
   Advanced search page allows you to specify searches for shockwave, VRML, VBScripts, MP3, audio files, etc.
4. AltaVista [Advanced Search] [Search Tips]
   Excellent for those who need to use complex search statements. Users can also control the ranking of results using the SORTED BY field. 
   E.g., Trace the source of a quotation "The glory of God is a man or woman fully alive" attributed to St Irenaeus of Lyons
5. MSN Search [Advanced Search] 
   Provides options for searching multimedia and pages with programming in them. 
6. TEOMA [Advanced Search][Search Tips]
   A newcomer to the search engine arena. Results come with suggestions for refining searches. Purports to link to collections by experts.
7. ***ixquick (Meta-Search Engine)
   Good alternative to Google
8. Vivisimo (Meta-Search Engine)
   Alternative to Google, Altavista, and alltheweb. Returns results of search in subject folders.
9. ProFusion (Meta-Search Engine)
   Allows you to specify invisible web resources

For additional search engines, refer to Search Engine Watch's Search Engine Listings in these categories: Major Search Engines, News Search Engines, Multimedia Search Engines, Regional Search Engines etc. Take a look also at Debbi Abilock's Choose the Best Search for your Information Need. It highlights the strengths of different search engines and how each engine can meet a particular type of request, although it is a little simplistic since it is designed for elementary students. For more sophisticated users, the University of Albany Libraries' How to Choose A Search Engine or Directory can be useful.

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Step 3: Subject Directories 
Web directories are collections of web sites arranged by subject categories. The web sites are  commonly selected by humans based on a set of criteria, such as the authority of the web site author. Because of that, the number of web sites found in subject directories is much smaller than that in search engines.

Use the web directories listed below to find quality subject guides (a.k.a. subject gateways or directories), e.g., Michigan State University's International Business Resource Desk, and the Internet Public Library's Online Literary Criticism Collection, and invisible web resources (a.k.a. databases) such as the National Gallery of Art and Material Safety Datasheets. 
 

N Sites provide Email Alert Services.
I Sites devoted to invisible web resources.
*** = Highly recommended

1. ***INFOMINE^N 
   Over 23,000 scholarly resources selected by California academic librarians. Content includes databases, e-journals, reference resources, instructional tools and directories in major disciplines. Click on Terms Leading to Related Resources of a relevant record to search for other records of similar content.
2. ***Librarians' Index to the Web^N
   Over 9000 resources selected by public librarians. Less academic than INFOMINE in focus, but a good layperson's guide to quality resources. Especially good for K-12 resources. Note that the Advanced Search page allows you to limit your search results to directories and/or databases.
3. ***DirectSearch^I
   Compilation of invisible web resources with research in mind by an academic librarian. The entry page is VERY LONG. Users should go through the entire page to decide if they prefer the category options or the search box.  
4. AcademicInfo
   Focus of website is academic, with intended audience at the upper high school level and above. Does not include support groups, advocacy or tribute pages.
5. Resource Discovery Network 
   UK website similar to Librarians' Index to the Web 
6. Internet Scout Project^N
7. BUBL
   UK website similar to INFOMINE.
8. Search Engine Guide^I
   Directories and databases are organized by topic
9. Invisible Web^I
   Excellent as a sample of the types of information you can expect to get on the web.
10. Search Engines Databases and Newswires ^I
    Another excellent sample.

Search for databases in your area using  Search engines recommended in Step 2 for additional resources.  E.g., key in pollution database See also: Search Engines by Subject on the old JBU library site. UC Berkeley gives additional subject directories and additional sources for locating invisible web resources.

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Step 4: People as a Resource
The web is composed of materials put up by people!! Find a newsgroup or mailing list that you can post questions to. You may want to observe the group before joining the list. 

*** = Highly recommended

1. ***Directory of Scholarly and Professional E-Conferences
2. Library Oriented Lists & Electronic Serials Pages
   Browse the categories Special Libraries and Subject-specific under subject index.
3. Google Groups
4. Topica 

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Evaluation of Internet Resources

You may use Allwhois for checking domain ownership.
An additional list of Domain Information and DNS Lookup Services is located at neatsite.com.

A list of Evaluation Forms/Checklists tailored to different disciplines:

Humanities

Evaluating Internet Research Sources - particularly suitable for researching for argumentative papers. Robert Harris was a Professor of English in the University of Southern California and is now a full time writer. 

Law (& Media)

Evaluating the Quality of Information on the Internet: A Checklist by Genie Tyburski, Web Research Applications Specialist at a law firm. What makes this checklist unique are the examples and news articles demonstrating quality problems on the web. She also links to websites that check on biases, e.g., a site that allows you to check which organizations fund particular scientific and medical research.

Education

Critical Evaluation Surveys at the elementary, middle and secondary school levels, designed for teachers by an Administrator for Technology at Nauset Public Schools. 

Sciences

Evaluating Information Found on the Internet - John Hopkins University. Include verifiability as a criterion - important for disciplines that engage in the scientific method.

Media

Quality of information... and disinformation online. Not so much a checklist but a rebellion against established criteria on assessing quality. 

Health

Evaluation of English and Spanish Health Information on the Internet. A report publishing results of research conducted by RAND. Of interest as an example of an appraisal of websites by medical professionals using similar criteria mentioned in the workshop.

Other tutorials to follow up on:

Search Engine Watch
Search Engine Showdown
UC Berkeley: Finding Information on the Internet