Web Dropin 5: Internet Search Tips

Ashley S. Moss-Pham

Introduction Because of the vastness of the World Wide Web, searching for a particular piece of information or topic can feel like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. You can waste hour upon hour of important study time looking through mountains of what turns out to be mostly useless information. This activity is designed to put an end to inefficient searches and to replace them with searches that are quick, efficient and highly productive.

Reading Visit and read through the websites suggested below. When asked to conduct a search activity, do it. As you read, take notes on the search information and tips that you find most helpful. Make sure you note the location of this information as you may need to visit the site again for the follow-up activity.

Websites Searching the Internet Effectively

http://www2.vuw.ac.nz/staff/alastair_smith/searching/

Created and maintained by Alastair Smith, an instructor in the Library and Information Management group of the School of Information Management at Victoria University in New Zealand, this website offers a simple and easy-to-navigate, if somewhat cursory, introduction to searching the Internet. A clean, spare design with clearly identified links to such subjects as “Preparation,” “Search Tools,” “Directories,” and “Strategies” helps the novice searcher and Internet user become comfortable with the basic elements of conducting an efficient and productive search on the World Wide Web.

Internet Tutorials

http://library.albany.edu/internet/

This website, maintained by librarian Laura Cohen for the State University of New York at Albany, is an amazing and comprehensive resource for learning about the search tools and strategies available for conducting productive searches for information on the World Wide Web. Although this site contains a vast amount of information, it is so well-designed and user-friendly that it is not overwhelming or intimidating to use. An excellent and well-organized resource for those who want to become proficient at the art of searching for information on the Internet.

Advanced Internet Searching

http://searchengineshowdown.com/strat/advancedsearch.shtml

This website offers information on narrowing searches, advanced search tips, and moving beyond search engines in the quest for precise information. It is especially useful for teaching search tips because it is set up as an online tutorial with exercises to help you put theory into step-by-step practice.

Activity Now that you have visited the websites listed above, choose your top 6-8 search tips for fellow students who may not know this information and list them, along with accompanying details or explanations, in an easy-to-use format such as a simple chart or a flow chart (if the sequence of recommended actions is important and needs to be represented as such). Your chart or flow chart needs to be set up logically so that someone other than yourself could follow your advice on searching without too much guesswork.