The Internet is a powerful tool for researchers of all kinds. But planning your research ahead of time will make the research experience more enjoyable and productive. By first answering the following questions about your research, you can maximize your efforts and better manage your time on the Internet:
This section focuses on the last question. Millions of documents published by specialists, scientists, teachers, students, organizations, corporations, and others are on the Internet. Some of them will be useful for your research and some will not. Before you begin browsing, consider some tips for making your online research more efficient. Then you can use a variety of ways to locate the information you want.
Using the Browser's Search Function
Using the search function in your Internet browser is an easy way to begin learning how to find information on the Internet. In Internet Explorer, this function appears as a button in the Explorer bar, which includes your Favorites button, at the top of the browser window. The user enters a keyword, or a search term related to the subject being researched, in the search dialog box and then selects the button that starts the search. The browser will return a list of Web site links related to the keyword.
Searching online, however, can take more time than you would like if you aren't aware of how to search efficiently. A general search, using broadly defined keywords, may return hundreds of thousands of Web sites. To avoid being overloaded with information, think carefully about what you are searching for. Use the following general search tips to make your online research efficient. They will help not only when you use your browser's search function, but also when you use any of the other methods described later in this section.
Select Keywords Carefully
When you are using any search function, it’s important to narrowly define your keywords. Be specific rather than general, because so much information is available. Broad keywords give you thousands of sites, many of which simply mention the keyword at least once. Therefore, use terms that are more specific to your topic. For example, suppose you want more information about circus coin banks made in the late 1940s. These small banks are used to save your spare change and coins. Older coin banks that have a circus design or theme are highly desirable by many collectors. A general search using "circus" and "banks" as your keywords might return hundreds of Web sites. A narrowed search, however, using the keywords "vintage", "cast-iron", "mechanical", "circus", "coin", and "bank", might return only a handful. To narrow your terms, look at sites that you already have found and that are relevant to your topic. Then identify other possible search terms from those sites.
Use Quotation Marks
If you want your search function to search for an exact phrase, simply put quotation marks around the phrase. For example, if you are looking for an item that has a specific wording, such as a long book title, then use quotation marks around those words. The search engine will keep them together in the order you specified. In the previous example about circus coin banks, you can use quotation marks to keep certain keywords together, such as "circus coin bank".
Use Boolean Operators
You can combine keywords with Boolean operators. Boolean operators are words in all capital letters that allow you to combine keywords in most search dialog boxes and search engines. (Note that keywords and Boolean operators appear in quotation marks throughout this course for clarity. When using keywords and Boolean operators, however, only include quotation marks when you want to keep certain key terms and Boolean operators together, as discussed above.) The following Boolean operators are used most often:
Search on Specific Web Sites
If you already have the address of a Web site that has information you need, then why not start your research there? Every Web site, file, or page on the Internet has a unique address, such as www.mikesbikeshop.com. A Web site address is also known as a uniform resource locator, or URL. This address goes in your browser's address line. Your browser uses the URL to retrieve information from where the site, file, or page resides. This information is then downloaded to your computer and displayed on your monitor. If you know the URL of a site you wish to visit for more information, simply enter it in your browser’s address line.
Web sites themselves can contain countless pages of information. For example, when you arrive at a large Web site such as a government Web site, you may wonder how you can find specific information. Don't worry: most large Web sites have a search function on their home page. Use this search function to find information within that site. Remember to select your keywords carefully and use Boolean operators.
Now that you can prepare for productive research and use efficient searching methods, explore the following search tools on the Internet.
When researching online, you can use online directories that have already been created by other individuals and organizations. Directories are collections of resources organized into categories. Universities, libraries, companies, organizations, and even volunteers have created subject directories to organize information from the Internet. Some directories focus on one subject area, while others are collections of organized resources in a number of topic areas. These directories consist of links to Internet resources according to topic. Most directories provide a search function that allows users to search their database with keywords.
Directories are useful for general browsing, exploring topics, researching general topics, and doing in-depth research. The following are two basic types of directories.
Academic and Professional Directories
These directories are often created and maintained by subject experts to support the needs of researchers. For instance, INFOMINE at
is a large directory of Web sites of scholarly interest compiled by the University of California. The directory may be browsed or searched by subject, keyword, or title. Each Web site listed has a description.
Commercial Directories
These directories are featured on commercial Web sites that compete for the attention and use of the general public. Examples of commercial directories are
Other directories allow researchers to search through huge phone directories for information on individuals and businesses. One such example is
You can search full names, partial names, names and home addresses, email addresses, business names, business categories, and phone numbers.
Online catalogs, also called indexes, list Web sites by category. These are similar to directories, but are much smaller. Each category has subcategories that help you locate Web sites related to your topic. Catalogs often include a search tool for searching the categorized sites. Both
list Web sites by categories.
The Internet is much larger in size and scope than a traditional public library or community resource center. Simply browsing the Internet with your search function, browsing Web sites, or using directories and catalogs may not be enough for you to find information efficiently. To find resources and research information productively, you can use an Internet search engine. Some search engines are stronger in particular fields of study, allowing for more thorough research.
An Internet search engine is a software program that indexes and matches online documents relevant to a user’s search requests. Internet search engines compile hundreds of databases of Web page information. Search programs called "bots" or "spiders" search the Internet, identify and read Web pages, and collect information. The search engine takes the collected information and builds an index of those resources, which contain some or all of a user's search terms. So when a user types in a keyword, the search engine already knows where all the pages with that keyword are located.
When researching with a search engine, use the search techniques described earlier in this section. The following are some of the more popular search engines and their particular strengths.
Google
http://www.google.com
Google is one of the more widely used search engines. Due to its ease of use, it is a good starting point for any Internet research. It has a powerful search engine for finding information in the liberal arts and engineering fields. Use
for a less-cluttered Web site that shows text only.
AltaVista
http://www.altavista.com
AltaVista is another very useful search engine and is very fast. AltaVista’s advanced search functions allow you to create defined, or more precise, searches.
Yahoo!
http://www.yahoo.com
Yahoo! has an extensive health index and comprehensive health guide, which makes it perfect for research in the health sciences and nursing fields. Yahoo! is also good for searches on educational resources and articles.
Dogpile
http://www.dogpile.com
Dogpile categorizes search results by search engine. So if one search engine proves more helpful for your particular search, Dogpile allows you to continue your search exclusively with that search engine. Dogpile is great for doing research in consumer and family sciences.
Lycos
http://www.lycos.com
Lycos can search for images, sounds, and text files, which makes it very useful if you’re looking for pictures and audio clips. Its business section also offers an extensive index on business and management topics.
Excite
http://www.excite.com
Excite has a very powerful search engine for finding science-related topics and information.
Ask.com offers many innovative features and tools to help you get information quickly and easily on almost any topic or subject.
Newsgroups and discussion groups are a means for accessing information on the Internet and talking with those who are interested in your subject. Thousands of newsgroups and discussion groups cover a large range of subject areas. Their participants offer a variety of expert knowledge and advice.
A newsgroup is an electronic bulletin board on the Internet where participants post messages with information in a particular topic area. Newsgroups are set up and run by Internet service providers or large businesses. Some newsgroups are moderated, which means that each message must be approved by a moderator before it can be posted to the site. Most newsgroups, however, are unmoderated. You don’t need to register to use newsgroups. Some newsgroups may require newsreader software to read them, while others may not.
Some of the more popular newsgroups involve tens of thousands of readers daily from all over the world. Newsgroups are useful when you want to keep current on the latest and most important events and topics affecting the world. They allow you to ask questions, share information, or exchange ideas with others, including experts from around the globe.
Discussion groups, too, are like electronic bulletin boards, but they can be set up by just about anyone or any organization. When using discussion groups, people can leave messages, ask questions, or share ideas, and others can respond to them. The advantage of such groups is that you don’t need your own email address. All you need is access to the Internet.
Most discussion groups require that you register first, which means you choose a username and password for yourself. Many discussion groups allow you to log in first as a guest so you can look at the discussions before you register. This means you can read the open discussions, but you cannot respond to them. Then you can evaluate the group to see if it offers the type of information you are looking for.
Some online discussions are completely open for viewing and contribution. Others are moderated, where a conference moderator checks contributions before they become publicly visible. Still others are closed, which means the contributions are visible to only a specified group of users. Once you have registered, you can enter some details about yourself, such as your email address, the city you live in, or your hobbies and interests. This information is included on the messages you send so people can see who the message is from.