STEP FOUR: SEARCH THE INTERNET

Using the Internet for Research

Pitfalls of Using the Internet for Research:

Assets of Using the Internet for Research:

1. Current events about popular topics is often available more quickly via electronic mediums than through more traditional or print sources. Web sites such as CNN (http://www.cnn.com) provide up to the minute news.
2. Ready reference materials are easily updated on the Internet, providing current information in a timely fashion. The Internet Public Library Reference Center (http://www.ipl.org/ref) provides many links to this type of resource.
3. Sites often include links to related information that allow users to access in-depth knowledge.
4. The Web provides scholars, students, scientists and other users with the ability to rapidly exchange information.

Scholarly Information Available on the Internet:

• Educational conference proceedings.
• Scholarly articles from electronic journals
• Instructional resources available at educational Web sites
• Technical papers created by scholars

To Find Information on the Internet, You May:

1. Use a search engine or search directory, such as those found on Ingram Library's Internet Research Web page: http://www.westga.edu/~library/info/internet.shtml.
2. Type in a URL address to "go" to a specific Web site on the Internet. For instance, if you already know the URL for Ingram Library is http://www.westga.edu/~library, you can type it into the location field of your browser and go directly to the Library home page, rather than doing a search for Ingram Library in a search engine.
3. Click on links found within a Web page to "jump" to other information. These links may be in bold or different color letters.

Tips for Searching the Internet:

1. Use the "Help" or "Tips" buttons to provide you with information about searching a particular search engine/tool.
2. Identify and use Keywords or terms to begin your search. Some search engines, like Ask Jeeves (http://www.askjeeves.com), allow you to enter your query in the form of a question.
3. Use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to narrow or broaden your search. Some search engines use a plus (+) and minus (-) sign to broaden or narrow the search, so make sure you read the help screens to determine the correct terminology to use.
4. Place words you want to search as a phrase within quotations or parentheses, i.e., "global warming" or (global warming). Use the help screens of the search engine/too you are using to determine the correct terminology to use.
5. Check your spelling.
6. Many search engines/tools have basic and advanced search options available.
7. Choose your search options as needed to perform the most efficient search.
8. If you are not finding useful information, try another search engine/tool.