Search Internet

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Searching the Internet

MMTK Project

Unit developed by Anna Feldman, for the Associationfor Progressive Communications



Overview

This unit aims to enable you to:y Understand more about the Internet as an environment for

finding information.

y

Explore the strengths and weaknesses of different searchtools: how to pick the right one(s) for the job.

y Learn to use the tools appropriately: how to re-phrase your

questions in a search tool-shaped way.

y Evaluate the information that search tools provide: how to

efficiently cream off the most relevant results.

y Develop a strategy for building up your own well-structured

bank of links for future reference: how to bypass the search

tools altogether.



Internet as Information

Environment

� Lack of statistics on the amount of informationon the Internet

� No standard indexing system� No ³direct´ searching of other computers -

access to search tools only

� Search tools search through limited lists of

sites� Information on the Internet is driven by

machines, created by people





Search Engines� Compiled by spiders (computer-robot programs),

mechanically building database of references

� Matches searched-for keywords with words in full text of

selected web pages� Number of pages searched can vary from small number to

90% of the web

� Good results are as much about understanding searchsyntax as the scope of the engine¶s coverage

Good For: Precision searches, using named people ororganisations, searching quickly and widely, topicswhich are hard to classify

Not Good For: Browsing through a subject area



Major Search Engines

� Googlehttp://www.google.com/

� AltaVistahttp://www.altavista.com/

� allthewebhttp://www.alltheweb.com/



Meta-search Engines

� Skim-search several search engines at once

� Usually reach about 10% of results of each

engine they visit� Cannot perform advanced-style searches

which use engine-specific syntax

Good For: quick search engine results overview, doing

simple searches with 1 or 2 keywords

Not Good For: comprehensive results from a complex

search



Major Meta-search

Engines

� SurfWaxhttp://www.surfwax.com/

� Ixquickhttp://www.ixquick.com/



Information Gateways� Information gateway-type resources include Internet catalogues,

subject directories, virtual libraries and gateways

� Specialising in resources on a particular field

� Usually searchable AND

� Organised into hierarchical subject categories

� Compiled by people, not robots

�More focus on sifting for relevance and qualityGood For: topics that fall into a thematic area that has a subject

directory, guided browsing in your subject area

Not Good For: Quickly finding information from widely varying

themes



Information Gateway

Examples

� ELDIS: the Gateway to Development Informationhttp://www.eldis.org/

� Development Gatewayhttp://www.developmentgateway.org/

� World Wide Web Virtual Libraryhttp://www.vlib.org/

� SOSIG (Social Science Information Gateway)http://www.sosig.ac.uk/



Specialised

Databases� Also known as the ³invisible web´ - pages of

content not reached by robots

� Statistics, schedules, maps, figures� Dynamically generated content, powered into

pages on demand

� Searchable

� Entry pages can be found using other searchtools

Good For: Gathering specific kinds of data

Not Good For: Browsing through a subject area



ExerciseUse just one search tool for each of the following queries to start

building up a picture of which tools work for which queries





Stage 1. Unpacking

the Query

� Ask questions to make the query clearer

� Put the query into a single sentence

� Break it up into concepts

� Think of alternative terms for each of

your concepts



Exercise� Take a search query from the collection

that was made at the beginning of the

session. Do not take one that you wroteyourself

� Adapt the query by asking questions, if it needs more specificity

� Use the table in your worksheets tobreak it down into concepts



Stage 2. Phrase your

QueryThe basic principles of Search Syntax are thesame for most search engines, but details can

vary - always check your engine¶s search tipspage to be sure.

� Narrowing parameters: ³´ , +, -³Columbian coffee pickers´

+coffee +pickers +price +Columbia

+coffee -cup -cotton

� Complex Boolean searchesOR , AND or +, NOT, ³«.´

� Wild Cardseduc*



Stage 3. Categorise

your Query

Does your query:

�Include clearly distinctive words or phrases?

� Include common terms that tend to get manyinappropriate results?

� Look for broad overviews of a subject area?

�Look for a narrowly focused part of a broaderarea?



Stage 4. Match the

Right Tool to the Query

� Try and match the right tool to the typeof search query you are working on.

� Think about the way that the tool willwork on your query and re-phrase thequery to get the most out of the tools.

� Try a variety of tools - use general toolsto find subject-specific ones.



Stage 5. Seek Advice

Tools don¶t have brains - people do!

� No successful results from the tools online?

� Look for an ³off-ramp´ to take you to a

person offline:

± an email link to a relevant expert, resource person, orpage author

± telephone number± postal addresses

� Send your query to a relevant discussion list



Stage 6. Try Again!� Go back to the beginning

� R etrace your steps

� Look for turnings you may have missed

� R e-phrase your query

� R e-think your query

� Check your search syntax





Stage 7. Evaluating

the ResultsThink before you click!� The Internet lacks the quality control mechanisms that

exist in the print media

� Look for ³relevance´ clues in the UR Ls of your searchresults, before you click.

� Check the domain types.gov, .edu, .org

�Check the publishing source± self published by an individual?

± reputable source?

± relevant source?



ExerciseThe following UR Ls are Google results from the queryIndonesia ³human rights´. Try making a judgement aboutwhat sort of information they link to (without clicking).



Developing your Own

Online Resource Base� Learn from your searches: let every search

contribute to the next ones.

�Use the

Bookmarks/Favorites feature of your browser.

� Add UR Ls and annotations to the list.

� Use the filing functionality to organise yourresources into a logical system.

� The list will become an incredibly valuablepersonalised information gateway - and afabulous launch-pad.



Searching the Internet

MMTK Project

Unit developed by Anna Feldman, for the Associationfor Progressive Communications

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