Internet Search Guide
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This site is designed to help you find accurate and useful Earth science-related
data and support materials on the World Wide Web.
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1. Write down key words or phrases that describe what you are seeking
on the web. The questions below will help you develop your key words.
- What is your topic?
- What are the key concepts?
- Are there other ways to express your key concepts?
- List synonyms for your key concepts.
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2. Choose your search engine. University Libraries of SUNY has created
a great guide on "How
to Choose a Search Engine". Select a search engine that appears
likely to meet your needs.
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3. Type your key words into the search engine. Below are some tips on
how to fine tune your search.
- Use more key words to get fewer and more relevant records
- Use fewer key words to get more records
- Search for a specific string of words, such as a title or a phrase,
by enclosing the words in quotation marks.
- Use + for key words that should be included in your search
- Use - for words that should not be included in your search
- Words such as "and," "and not" and "or" help to tailor your search
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4. Once you have a list of web sites you should evaluate the information
on those web sites.
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Who is putting the information out there? Look for sites maintained
by educational institutions, non-profit organizations, or government
agencies. How do you know whether the site is from an educational
institution or a private company? One way you can tell is by checking
the Internet address, or URL. Look at the ending three letters of
the Web address. As a general rule:
- Educational institutions have URLs ending in .edu
- Government agencies have URLs ending in .gov
- Non-profit organizations have URLs ending in .org
- Commercial and private organizations have URLs ending in .com
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How old is the information? Age does matter when you are dealing
with research. As a general rule, anything more than five years old
is probably out of date, unless you are looking for historical information.
On the Website look for a "date created" or an "updated" date.
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Who wrote the information? Anyone can publish information
on the web, so establishing the credibility of the author is important.
Look for a link or email address of an author or Webmaster on the
Website. Most credible Websites provide this. Cross-check your information
with books and articles. Also, "Google" the author to see what other
forms of information he or she has provided.
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What is the motivation or bias of the author? Look at what
is being said. If a product is available for purchase on the Website,
is the author trying to sell the product? Is the information coming
from a special interest group? Who funded the development of the site?
Is there a disclaimer on the Website?
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Benbow, Ann E. The SPRY Foundation (2002), Evaluating Health Information
on the World Wide Web, pg. 3-13.
Cohen, Laura. "Conducting Research on the Internet," University Libraries,
University at Albany, SUNY. 10 May 2005.
< http://library.albany.edu/internet/research.html
>
Monash University, "Research on the Internet," 16 December 2004.
< http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/vl/www/wwwprin.htm>
State of Victoria Department of Education and Training, "Research on
the Net," 4 March 2002.
< http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/internet/research.htm>
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This project is supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation and the AGI Foundation. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.
