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Internet Research Tips


Searching the web seems like an easy prospect. Take, for example, the person searching who wants to learn how to convert PDF files to doc files. It seems easy for this person to find the right information, but they may actually first have to go through lots of pages and sites that aren’t helpful at all before they arrive at real information that is useful. Instead, they should follow some of the basic tips and guidelines listed below:

 

1. The internet is a self-publishing source. This is the first thing to keep in mind because it means that no one regulates what’s found there. Dan from Kansas can write about how to tune up your car's spark plugs, even though he knows nothing about it. However, those who read his page might think he’s an expert.

2. Before you select a search tool/medium, think about what it is you are trying to research. Those searching for a scientific issue find it more effective to use a scientific database than one of the more popular search engines. They can also try using an academic search engine that weeds out the more mainstream or popular sites.

3. Don't use Google for everything. Far too often people depend on Google for all of their information, but they’re missing out on a lot of things. This search engine can’t list every page on the internet, and they often don’t list academic or educational pages.

4. Three major resources for locating Internet materials are the subject directory, the search engine, and content on the Deep Web. A subject directory is a directory that keeps track of all articles and pages regarding a specific subject such as astronomy. A search engine contains pages and sites of all different types and categories, but lists those according to different filters so that the more popular sites float to the top. Content on the Deep Web involves searching with a web crawler. These links and pages are hidden from the public and accessible only through hypertext and links on other pages.

5. Yahoo's place in the search engine world: Yahoo was once the most popular search engine, but today it competes against other engines such as Google and Ask.

6. Boolean search logic involves using another word that weeds out other searches. And, or and not are popular options. For example, someone might search for Exercise NOT cardio, which eliminates the pages that list cardio exercise.

7. General search strategies involve deciding ahead of time what you’re looking for. Narrow down the specific topic, but leave it general enough to find pages relating to that idea. You should also use multiple search engines to gain more results.

8. Search languages refer to different techniques used to narrow a search. For example, the use of quotation marks in a search. Someone searching for civil rights will use “civil rights” to find pages where that exact quote appears.

9. Search engines return results in a schematic order, which means looking for more information. They typically use small symbols at the end of the result, along with a short description. The user has to determine what those mean.

10. The organization of search results by peer ranking, concept, site and domain, rather than by term relevancy. A search engine ranks each page based on how peers view the site, the name of the site, the domain, and other areas. A great example is About, which typically ranks quite high because of its name and domain, even though some view the site as less than helpful.

11. Second generation search engine tools that return results in a horizontal presentation (i.e. Accumo, Query Server and Vivisimo.) These engines work by using cluster results. They list the popular pages, but then place the results in different categories on the side of the screen. This helps people narrow down their results.

12. What to do if you have too many search results? If you have too many search results, you have to narrow down the topic. Looking for human rights leads to millions of results, but looking for human rights in Africa or the human rights commission significantly reduces the results.

13. What to do if you have too few search results? The first thing is to broaden your search. Looking for San Francisco’s connection to coal miners from Kentucky probably isn’t the best topic. Looking for coal miners in the area is better. Then try using multiple search engines to get results from different areas.

14. Meta search engines are great because they list results taken from multiple search engines at one time instead of just one specific search. Dogpile is an example of a meta search engine.

15. Keep in mind that search engines do not index all the documents available on the Web. You still need to look for pages hidden on the web and academic pages indexed only through subject directories.

16. Watch for converging content. This refers to pages and sites created solely to bring the user back to one specific page, usually a sale or advertisement. These pages are typically useless when it comes to searching.

Use these tips the next time you try searching for information online.

 

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