Searching the Internet Without Losing Your Cool!

1. Searching the InternetWithout Losing Your Cool!

2. Web Browser • Internet Explorer • Mozilla Firefox • Opera • Netscape Software used to interact with a website

3. Search Engine Program used to search for info on the Internet • Google • Yahoo • Ask • AltaVista • Live

4. URL • Uniform Resource Locator • The web “address” that connects you with a website • Goes in the address bar at the top of the screen • Gives you information about the website

5. Reading A URL http://www.cros.com/small.html Hypertext Transfer Protocol World Wide Web Server Domain Directory Hypertext Markup Language

6. Domains • higher education • elementary and secondary schools • commercial • government agency • military • general noncommercial organization • computer network .edu .k12 .com .gov .mil .org .net

7. Internet Search Strategies How are you searching now? • Google and Ask.com allow you to type natural language search strings, in other words, you type how you talk or ask questions. • Example: What is the population of China?

8. Problems with Natural Language Searches • Often natural language searches turn up too many or too few results. • So, what is the best way to search?

9. Boolean Operators • The most effective and efficient way for you to search is to develop a search string that includes one or more Boolean operators • What is a Boolean operator?

10. Boolean Operators • Boolean operators are words that include or remove possible search results. • The three Boolean operators are: AND OR NOT

11. AND Searches AND searches include results that have both search terms Example: tigers AND lions have results that are about both tigers and lions

12. OR Searches OR searches include results with either one or the other search term or both Example: tigers OR lions would include results that were either about lions or tigers or possibly both. You will find MORE results using an OR search.

13. Quotation Marks • Another good way to narrow your results is to put quotation marks around your search phrase • The results will be hits with that exact phrase • Example: “tiger life expectancy”

14. EvaluatingWebsites

15. Why Evaluate Websites? • Anyone can publish on the Web • Many resources are not verified • No editors • Web often used to give a point of view • Market orientated • Mix of Entertainment, Information and advertising

16. Evaluate Websites in Five Categories: • Accuracy • Objectivity • Currency • Authority • Presentation

17. Accuracy • Can it be verified in an encyclopedia? • Is it relevant to your topic? • Does the author indicate where he found the information? • Is the information free of spelling and grammatical errors?

18. Objectivity • Does the web page present information without bias? • Is the information correct and accurate in its representation? • Is the author fair and balanced or overly emotional and extreme? • Is the website trying to sell you something? • Check for affiliation (political groups, interest groups, hate groups)

19. Currency • Is the information up-to-date? • Is the date of publication available? • Is there sufficient information on the topic? • Are there broken links on the page?

20. Authority • What are the author’s qualifications for writing this web page? • Are the author’s name and credentials listed on the website? • Is there contact information on the site?

21. Presentation • Are there clear menus and navigation tools? • Does the page load quickly? • Is the layout logical? • Does the page load correctly? • Is the advertising unobtrusive?

22. Evaluate these Websites • Tree Octopus • Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie • Fiber Optic Products • California’s Velcro Crop • Snarg • AIDS Facts • Swiss Spaghetti Harvest • NASA Spaceflight

23. WJMS Website http://www.bulloch.k12.ga.us/wjms All websites to evaluate can be found on the Quest web pages link