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Slide 1:Web Searching & Evaluation Learning Objectives
How to search the web Types of Search Engines Keyword or Simple Search Advanced Search strategies and techniques Evaluating the information from a web site Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 2:Search the World Wide Web (WWW)
If you are connected to the Internet, there is an enormous amount of information available at your fingertips The Challenge is to find the information you want among millions of web sites How do you face such a challenge? Use Directories, or Search Engines “Search Engines” provide the means by which you can search the web and find information. Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 3:A Brief Background
Search engines are web pages that have huge databases which index millions of web sites. Most common types of Search Engines: Directories Search Information Listed by Categories www.yahoo.com Search Engines Type in keywords/search terms www.google.com, www.altavista.com, www.excite.com Meta-Crawlers Use a no. of search engines together www.profusion.com Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 4:How to start searching the web?
Think about the search terms you can use to find the information you need Guess first! For instance, if you are looking for information from Non-profit organizations or educational institutions, you might want to put the institution’s name in between www. and .org/.edu and see if it comes up Try to find the web site for Harvard University. Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 5:How to search the web?…contd.
Guessing not good enough? Try Directories such as Yahoo! To browse under subject categories/listings Useful when the topic is general/common/popular Specific topics are harder to locate with listings. Try a search engine for this. Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 6:Search Engines - Keyword Search
Fast Type in keywords/search terms, hit search, the results of your search are displayed within seconds Flexible Type terms/words anyhow ... no strict rules to follow Especially Relevant for Distinct word searches e.g. Xylophone Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 7:Simple Searches
When you type in a keyword in a search engine you will get a screen of results listing all the web pages that have your keyword on their page. The results set can be very large, unorganized, confusing and tedious to browse. If your search has no distinctive words, or phrases or you are searching for an overview to cover a broad topic or need a narrow aspect of broad or common topic or don't really know much about the topic…… Then a SIMPLE keyword search maybe ineffective, inefficient and frustrating with unwieldy results! Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 8:Example
Let us presume that you saw Java being used on a web page and are interested in finding out how you could learn it. You want to do a course or read a tutorial on it. You do not know much about it. Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 9:Approach
We use Google as our representative search engine to run the example search. http://www.google.com We use Screen Shots of searches to emphasize clearly the transition from a Simple to a power search. Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu Let us start with the Library’s Main page..Let us start with the Library’s Main page..
Simple Keyword SearchSlide 11:In .09 seconds you get your list of results 16 and a half MILLION hits! Exciting but definitely intimidating because can you possibly browse through even half of them? In .09 seconds you get your list of results 16 and a half MILLION hits! Exciting but definitely intimidating because can you possibly browse through even half of them?
Slide 12:hmmm…..
How do you Deal with 16.5 Million Hits? Browse through the first 5-10 sites from the results list..Are you getting what you want? Probably not… We can reduce the results and make them more accurate…. Using Techniques available in Power or Advanced Search Options on the Search Engine web page. Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu One way to deal with it is to browse at some 10-15 result pages and check to see what you are finding…Not much perhaps… It would be a good idea to learn how we can make these results more manageable…. Let us look at some methods to reduce these results and increase their relevance….One way to deal with it is to browse at some 10-15 result pages and check to see what you are finding…Not much perhaps… It would be a good idea to learn how we can make these results more manageable…. Let us look at some methods to reduce these results and increase their relevance….
Slide 13:Click on Google’s Advanced Search option. Typically all search engines have an advanced search or power search option on their search screen.Click on Google’s Advanced Search option. Typically all search engines have an advanced search or power search option on their search screen.
Power Search TechniquesSlide 14:All these options available to improve your search! Briefly, lets go over what these options are… In today’s example we will use only some of these techniques to illustrate our point. For more in-depth coverage of these techniques sign up for the Power Search the Web- II class.All these options available to improve your search! Briefly, lets go over what these options are… In today’s example we will use only some of these techniques to illustrate our point. For more in-depth coverage of these techniques sign up for the Power Search the Web- II class.
Slide 15:Similar finds pages that are similar to a particular website which can be helpful if you want to limit your search to only those TYPES of websites Links finds pages that are linking to the website you are interested in ….useful when you have to evaluate a website.Similar finds pages that are similar to a particular website which can be helpful if you want to limit your search to only those TYPES of websites Links finds pages that are linking to the website you are interested in ….useful when you have to evaluate a website.
Slide 16:So java was the simple keyword search and you got 16.5 million hits! After reviewing a few sites you decide to use some of the techniques available to limit results… You decide to add more search terms to limit the results to only “course or tutorial” in java.So java was the simple keyword search and you got 16.5 million hits! After reviewing a few sites you decide to use some of the techniques available to limit results… You decide to add more search terms to limit the results to only “course or tutorial” in java.
Slide 18:The results dramatically reduce by about 16 times but still too many to browse. You browse through a few and then decide that you are not keen on a tutorial but are interested in finding a full-fledged course in Java. The results dramatically reduce by about 16 times but still too many to browse. You browse through a few and then decide that you are not keen on a tutorial but are interested in finding a full-fledged course in Java.
Slide 19:So now you type in Java and Course so you can get both Java and course in your results. So now you type in Java and Course so you can get both Java and course in your results.
Slide 20:OK. Results dropped to less than a million…still not too good. Also, you are now getting documents that have java and course but not necessarily together…which mean you need to do phrase search. OK. Results dropped to less than a million…still not too good. Also, you are now getting documents that have java and course but not necessarily together…which mean you need to do phrase search.
Slide 21:Here is the phrase search. Search Terms are usually put between quotes.Here is the phrase search. Search Terms are usually put between quotes.
Slide 22:Phrase search brings about a dramatic cut by almost 200 times…. 4930 hits….still too many to browse. You decide to go further to reduce.Phrase search brings about a dramatic cut by almost 200 times…. 4930 hits….still too many to browse. You decide to go further to reduce.
Slide 23:You would rather not have words that use Java in reference to coffee, so you remove those results that have the word coffee in them.You would rather not have words that use Java in reference to coffee, so you remove those results that have the word coffee in them.
Slide 24:Not bad…some 200 documents less.Not bad…some 200 documents less.
Slide 25:4720 still too many to browse… Now you use a filter to get rid of adult sites that refer to Java4720 still too many to browse… Now you use a filter to get rid of adult sites that refer to Java
Slide 26:280 documents less, but you browse through a few and see that you are getting a lot of commercial organizations (.coms) in your search and decide to remove those results that are from a company.280 documents less, but you browse through a few and see that you are getting a lot of commercial organizations (.coms) in your search and decide to remove those results that are from a company.
Slide 27:Using exclude or Don’t you remove .coms. Typically a minus sign is used to indicate exclude in the other search engines.Using exclude or Don’t you remove .coms. Typically a minus sign is used to indicate exclude in the other search engines.
Slide 28:OK Down by another 2000 documents! OK Down by another 2000 documents!
Slide 29:You go one step ahead and limit your results to only english documents You go one step ahead and limit your results to only english documents
Slide 30:Another 150 documents less to browse. The results have now reduced by about 8000 times. They are more manageable and accurate You can go further limiting and checking to see what you are getting, but with caution. So far we have searching for documents that had your search terms appear anywhere in the document. This is usually a good choice, but I want to bring your attention to a couple other techniques which sometimes maybe far too restrictive if not used carefully and you might lose a bunch of good hits. Check your results and see what you got, if not good, then just rerun the search without that option!!Another 150 documents less to browse. The results have now reduced by about 8000 times. They are more manageable and accurate You can go further limiting and checking to see what you are getting, but with caution. So far we have searching for documents that had your search terms appear anywhere in the document. This is usually a good choice, but I want to bring your attention to a couple other techniques which sometimes maybe far too restrictive if not used carefully and you might lose a bunch of good hits. Check your results and see what you got, if not good, then just rerun the search without that option!!
Slide 31: Some Extra Special Techniques
Site Search searches within sites e.g. www.rutgers.edu or certain Types of sites such as .com, gov, .edu, etc. Search in ‘Title’ tag searches for the term in the <title> …… </title> tag of the html document.Useful for finding documents about the keyword(s). Caution : The following techniques should be used with caution since they might affect the accuracy of the results and eliminate important documents from the results. Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 33:You find that the Results are very manageable but too few…..…so now you would like to go back to the point where you left off before using the Site Search and want to try the other technique….‘Title tag’ search.You find that the Results are very manageable but too few…..…so now you would like to go back to the point where you left off before using the Site Search and want to try the other technique….‘Title tag’ search.
Slide 35:This is what you see in the title tag of the document. It is also visible on the top of the window bar!This is what you see in the title tag of the document. It is also visible on the top of the window bar!
Slide 36:Now we are talking!
You look at some of the results and see that the search has brought a decent no. of results and many of them are what you were looking for. You look at some of the results and see that the search has brought a decent no. of results and many of them are what you were looking for.
Slide 37:Summary
Your Advanced Search has improved the Simple search by almost 100,000 times! That’s the POWER! Tip! Plan and Analyze your search topic List Keywords and synonyms, equivalent terms… Need an overview or a broad topic? Remove any words from search? Analyze your results: What are you getting out of the search Learn from it…. How you can improve it if necessary Rerun the searches if you are not satisfied with results Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu Let us Summarize what we have achieved so far. The search in title brings your results down to about 170 almost 100,000 times less than when you began the simple search. This is the power of an advanced search! Now on to suggestions and reminders! Let us Summarize what we have achieved so far. The search in title brings your results down to about 170 almost 100,000 times less than when you began the simple search. This is the power of an advanced search! Now on to suggestions and reminders!
Slide 38:Some Suggestions
Today’s Standard : Continuous Change and Learning Imperative: Update yourself with changes in search engines and search techniques. Places to check out: http://www.searchenginewatch.com http://websearch.about.com and the help pages of the individual search engines Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 39:Evaluating Web Site Information
"What's the difference between a little kid with a web site and a major corporation with one? Maybe nothing, maybe everything, but you won't know unless you examine the sites you find very carefully.” IBM advertisement in Time Magazine November 24th 1997. Auburn University Libraries Research Guide Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 40:Criteria to Evaluate Web Site Info
AUTHORITY & ACCURACY ADVOCACY & OBJECTIVITY CURRENCY & COVERAGE Sources used to compile the above information: UCLA College library: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/hoax/qgrp2.htm Auburn University: http://www.lib.auburn.edu/bi/caveatlector.html Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 41:AUTHORITY & ACCURACY
Who has written/edited this web page? What are the author's qualifications? Does the author have any credentials, background, or authority for writing this web page? Is he/she famous/connected with an organization that has an established reputation? Verify the information presented on the web site Does the author cite references/sources? How does it compare with other works written about this topic? Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 42:ADVOCACY & OBJECTIVITY
Is the information presented objectively by the author(s)? Is the information presented as a fact/opinion/ or conjecture? Is the author's purpose to inform, e.g. provide new info, current info, etc.? Is the author's purpose to explain, e.g. describe a process, teach, etc? Is the author's purpose to persuade, e.g. change your mind, convince you to buy, etc? Does the page have more than one viewpoint or opinion? Is the author affiliated with a particular organization that might have a bias? Can you determine who/what group sponsors this web page? Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 43:CURRENCY & COVERAGE
Is there a last modified/last updated date on the page? Does the site provide the information that it says it will cover? Is the coverage for each topic/item complete/uniform in all areas it claims to cover? Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu
Slide 44:Welcome to the World of Power Searching!
Contact Triveni Kuchi kuchi@rci.rutgers.edu Phone: 732.445.5733 #2 Fax: 732.445.3472 We are here to help! Ask a Librarian Feel Free to Stop By the Reference Desk Thank You Questions? Please remember you are WELCOME to contact me at 732-000-0000 or tkuchi@……….or contact any of the librarians at the reference desk (extn. 205) Please remember you are WELCOME to contact me at 732-000-0000 or tkuchi@……….or contact any of the librarians at the reference desk (extn. 205)
