Improving Your Ability to Research Using the Internet

 

As we discuss search engines, complete the following for study.

 

Use this link to understand what a search engine can do and techniques to use it.

http://www.nichols.edu/library/search.htm

 

 

What is a search engine?

 

 

 

 

Their type identifies search engines.  Explain the following types:

 

Search Engine:

 

 

Search Directory:

 

 

Search/Engine/Directory

 

 

 

Multiengine:

 

MetaCrawler is a multiengine.  Visit this link to read about it:

http://www.metacrawler.com/help/faq/searchengine.html

 

 

 

 

Explain how search engines work. 

 

 

 

Visit the following link:

http://www.webliminal.com/search/appendix_a1.htm

 

Study how search engines are alike and how they differ.  Explain

 

 

 

Explain how search engines use keyword searches.  Use the example of finding information on "heart".

 

 

 

 

Explain how conceptual queries work with search engines.  Explain how AND, NOT, - +, etc. allow you to refine searches to produce hits more closely related to what you are looking for.  Give an example of how this would work.

 

 

 

 

 

To understand Boolean Logic in using search engines, go to the following Web site:

 

http://www.webliminal.com/search/search-web05.html

 

At the above site, read and study the following links:  Common Search Features, Search Strategies, Ten Step Strategies.  Copy and paste the 10 strategies below

 

 

 

 

 

Look at this “quick reference” guide for Boolean theory.  Give a similar example in our area of study.

http://edtech.sandi.net/search/search.tools.quick.ref.html

 

 

 

Visit the following link to learn how to get the most out of most search engines.  Identify some ways to enhance any search. http://www.library.nwu.edu/resources/internet/search/strategies/features.html

 

 

Now visit the following links to specifically study how you can get the most out of those search engines.  Identify some characteristic.

 

Northern Lights:

http://www.northernlight.com/docs/search_help_optimize.html

 

 

 

 

Google

http://www.google.com/advanced_search

 

 

 

Dogpile

http://www.dogpile.com/t/help/topics

 

 

 

 

Northern Light

http://www.northernlight.com/power.html

 

 

 

 

 

Visit the following link and bookmark it.  We will use this in class for some future activities:

 

http://www.wcschools.com/mjhs/searcheng.htm

 

 

 

Use this line, Guide to Searching the World Wide Web, to learn more about searching, evaluating, and citing sources.  Identify some important points when evaluating sources you have found on the Internet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visit the following link to find out how to properly cite Internet references.

 

http://www.ipl.org/ref/QUE/FARQ/netciteFARQ.html

 

 

Give an example of how to cite the following:

 

Information from a Personal Web Site:

 

 

 

Article from a reference database such as Britanica Online

 

 

 

Article in a magazine

 

 

 

E-Book on line

 

 

 

 

We will now use some strategies to find information.  You will receive instructions in class.

 

 

Group Activity:

 

  1. Get in groups of 4
  2. Your group will be given a question to research
  3. Using the search techniques found above, find the best possible information to support your group’s question.  You should print at least 2 pages of the information that supports your findings (the URL will be on the printout for reference).
  4. Use the word processor to summarize how this information can be useful to our study and how you can apply this to your lives.   Find the proper way to cite the information for a research paper at the bottom of your paragraph.

 

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