© 2005 Capella University - Confidential - Do not distribute Finding Needles In Virtual Haystacks Come on in and sit a ‘spel’ – We will begin shortly

© 2005 Capella University - Confidential - Do not distribute

Finding Needles In Virtual Haystacks

Come on in and sit a ‘spel’ – We will begin shortly. --

BanjoBanjo long version


Finding Needles In Virtual Haystacks


Before this presentation….Could this be you trying to find

information?

© 2005 Capella University - Confidential - Do not distribute 4

Finding what you want

Locating what you want as a Capella learner on the Internet can be like trying to find a book in a library with all the catalog cards on the floor or looking for a needle in a haystack. You know it is there, but how can you find it?


Invisible to search engines

• vast expanses of the Web are completely invisible to search engines

• this "Invisible Web" is in all likelihood growing significantly faster than the visible Web


At the conclusion of the workshop, learners will:• Be able to apply various search engines

• Send queries to a number of Internet search engines and receive the results compiled into a single page

• Use multiple search engines to locate [high precision] resources for comprehensives and dissertations

• Be able to locate information stored in databases, but hidden from most search engines


Boolean Search Logic – so who’s Boole?

Boolean logic comes from George Boole, a British mathematician, who laid out the rules in 1849.

Boolean logic merged logic and algebra, laying the foundation for the digital revolution.


A very brief Boolean overview

• Search phrase: cats AND dogs means find web pages in which both terms occur

• Search phrase: cats OR dogs means find web pages in which either term occurs

• Search phrase: cats NOT dogs means find web pages in which the term cats appears but not dogs


Boolean Search Techniques - OR

OR increases the range of your results. So a search for children OR kids would give you a lot of webpages of young people from which to choose.

CAPS


Boolean Search Technique - AND

AND uses a second word to further define the first (49ers AND Schedule, for example, should include the 49ers’ Schedule).


Boolean Search Techniques - NOT

NOT excludes a subset of the group that the first word defines (school NOT public).cats NOT dogs means find web pages in which the term cats appears but not dogs

Note: Even experienced reference librarians rarely use this because it can exclude valuable information.


"Proximity Operators“ – NEAR ADJ

• Also Boolean Operators, proximity operators such as NEAR or ADJ are used to control how closely the terms occur in the web document that is retrieved.

• NEAR/3 means that the terms must occur within 3 words of each other

• Proximity operators ensure that your terms are more closely related to another


NEAR/x

Use this operator to search for documents where you'd like both terms to appear within a specified distance of each other, narrowing a search

• Dalmatians NEAR/3 feeding • web documents will be returned that

have the term Dalmatians occurring within 3 words of the term feeding


ADJ

Use this operator to search for documents where you'd like both terms to appear next to each other, narrowing a search

• Dalmatians ADJ feeding• The ADJ Boolean operator is often

disguised as the option "exact phrase."


“ ~” Searches ‘Synonym Searches’

You may want to search not only for a particular keyword, but also for its synonyms. Indicate a search for both by placing the tilde sign ("~") immediately in front of the keyword.

~food ~facts


Phrase Searches

Search for complete phrases by enclosing them in quotation marks. Words enclosed in double quotes (“like this”) will appear together in all results exactly as you have entered them.

Phrase searches are especially useful when searching for famous sayings or proper names.


“ + ” Common Searches

If a common word is essential to getting the results you want, you can include it by putting a "+" sign in front of it. (Be sure to include a space before the "+" sign.)

For example, to search for Star Wars Episode I, use:

Star Wars Episode +I


Boolean Advanced Search

Implied Boolean using the symbols + (must include) or -(exclude) from the "Basic" search interface

http://www.scholar.google.com


Evaluating Web Resources

• Subject - Can you check the accuracy of the information or data somewhere else?

• Authority - Does the author of the web site have the education, expertise, or experience to be a trustworthy source or commentator on this subject?

• Purpose - Who is the page written for? What is the intended audience supposed to do with the information?

• Bias – Does the page acknowledge other possible positions, interpretations, or conclusions?

• Currency - Is the page dated? Has it been revised or updated?

For more information see “Evaluating Information Found on the Internet”http://www.library.jhu.edu/researchhelp/general/evaluating/index.html


The Researching Librarian

http://www.researchinglibrarian.com/

This site gathers links to selected web resources useful for research: freely searchable citation and full-text databases, funding information, relevant journals, statistics and statistical methods, useful research tools, current awareness sources, and conference papers and proceedings.


Google Scholar Advanced Search

Theory into practice: The design of an online technology skills course for nontraditional nursing …SP Stokes, KP Terry - View as HTML - Web Search... CINAHL CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) is a ... And online classes for students in health sciences and ... Doctoral dissertation, The ... ejite.isu.edu


Clustering Engines Vivisimo

http://vivisimo.com/


Clustering Engines Vivisimo Results

http://vivisimo.com/


Academic Reference and Research Index

http://www.academicindex.net/


Academic Reference and Research Index

http://www.academicindex.net/

Results of

“Teacher Action Research”


Scirus

http://www.scirus.com

Scirus searches over 167 million science-specific Web pages, enabling you to quickly: •Pinpoint scientific, scholarly, technical and medical data on the Web. •Find the latest reports, peer-reviewed articles and journals that other search engines miss.


Copernic Basic Agent

http://www.copernic.com/en/index.html


Field Searches – Open Directory

• Collaborative Learning@ (30)

• E-learning Companies (65)

• E-learning Portals@ (76)

• Independent Research (27)

• Institutions@ (236)

• Instructors Resources (58)

• Knowledge Management@ (1,464)

• Learning Management Systems@ (107)

• Online Books (2)

• Online Courses@ (317)

• Services@ (48)

• Tutoring@ (83) http://dmoz.org/

Largest most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web


Searchable Databases

Searchable databases are excellent sources for information. These databases are on the World Wide Web and each database website usually gives you, the user, instructions. After you have thoroughly exhausted the possibilities found on the web with the multiple searches available, then examine the wonderful world of searchable databases.


Invisible Web or Deep Web

The “Invisible Web” or “Deep Web” is a vast reservoir of Internet content that is 500 times larger than the known "surface" World Wide Web.

The Deep Web contains billions of high-quality documents in about 350,000 specialty databases — all hidden from view from standard search engines!


Keep in mind

• Information that is likely to be stored in a database is a part of the Deep Web

• A good subject directory will link to database sites on the Web

• Web sites of searchable databases can also be retrieved via search engines

• Many search engine sites and commercial portals feature searchable databases as part of their package of services


Capella Library


Library Databases-Articles


Business Databases

• ABI/INFORM Global 1,300 journals • Academic Search Premier indexes over 4,300 journals• Business Source Premier 2,300 full text journals• Hoover's Online database includes 12 million companies • LexisNexis full-text information from over 5,600 sources,

selected to meet academic research needs. • MasterFILE Premier full text for 2,055 periodicals; full text

for more than 350 reference books • Corporate Information research reports on companies and

industries• Public Register's Annual Report Service

annual Reports of over 3,600 public companies


Education Databases

• Academic Search Premier indexes over 4,300 journals on nearly all academic areas of study, including sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, medical sciences, and social sciences.

• Eric Database large database of education related literature and documents, including over 1,000,000 citations with abstracts

• MasterFILE Premier full text for 2,055 periodicals; full text for more than 350 reference books

• Mental Measurements Yearbook information and reviews of standardized tests in English, including educational, personality, vocational, and psychological tests

• Sage Education Collection includes the full text of 19 journals published by SAGE and participating societies, encompassing over 7,000 articles and up to 23 years of backfiles


Education: A SAGE Full-Text Collection


Psychology and Human Services Databases

• PsycARTICLES 25,000 full text articles from 38 journals published by the APA and allied organizations

• Psychology Journals Full text of journal articles from over 300 journals in psychology, organizational behavior, counseling, communications and related fields

• PsycINFO comprehensive monthly compilation of non-evaluative summaries of the world's literature in psychology, human services, and education

• Sage Criminology Collection 5,000 articles on criminal justice, juvenile delinquency, forensic psychology, penology and other topics

• Sage Psychology Collection full text of 30 journals encompassing over 17,500 articles and up to 35 years of backfiles

• Sage Sociology Collection 31 full text journals covering social theory, consumer culture, and ethnic studies


Technology Databases and Resources

• ABI/INFORM 1,300 journals on business conditions, trends, corporate strategies and tactics, technology, competitive and product information, and a wide variety of other topics

• Academic Search Premier 4,300 journals on sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, medical sciences, and social sciences

• Business Source Premier 3,200 business journals covering a range of business-related topics including technology.

• Gartner Web Resources analysis on all aspects of technology and telecommunications, including hardware, software and systems, services, IT management, and market data

• Penn Computing-- Computer Information Security• UC Davis Computer Security Lab• Free On-line Dictionary of Computing• TechWeb Technology Encyclopedia


Infomine

Infomine Multiple Database Search

Infomine might be called an "academic" search engine, focusing on scholarly resource collections, electronic journals and books, online library card catalogs, and directories of researchers.

http://infomine.ucr.edu


Complete Planet

CompletePlanet CompletePlanet presently contains 103,000 search sites organized into more than 4,000 subject headings.

This “Deep Web Directory” is a good starting point for accessing the rich resources of the "hidden" Web.

http://www.completeplanet.com

Discover over 70,000+ searchable databases and specialty search engines.


OAIster


OAIster Search Screen


Search for Instructional AND Design


Repositories of Primary Sources

http://www.uidaho.edu/special-collections/iil.htm


Directory of Open Access Journals

http://www.doaj.org/


Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods

http://www.ejbrm.com/index.htm

EJBRM is published by Academic Conferences International LimitedCurtis Farm, Kidmore End, Nr Reading RG4 9AY, England


Library of Congress

Library of Congress This is the ultimate searchable database!

http://www.loc.gov/


Library Databases-Books and Dissertations


Online Books


Proquest Dissertations and Theses


ProQuest Dissertations and Theses

Several search options including:

Advisor (Mentor) Author Keywords

School Output lists titles which are hyperlinked to

Abstract 24 page preview Page Image PDF - Full record




Search by School


Full Text Dissertations in WorldCAT: Tutorial

From: Capella LibraryLearn how to find full text dissertations in WorldCAT. WorldCAT contains many of the Full Text dissertations that are found in the ETD Digital Library. You may find the search screen easier to use in WorldCAT than the ETD Library.


Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD)


Blog Search EnginesDaypop

http://www.daypop.com/


The Quotations Page

• The Quotations Page Links to Quotes of the Day, Quotes of the Week, and Searchable Quotations.

• Established 1994, the Quotations Page has over 20,000 quotations online from over 2400 authors.

http://www.quotationspage.com/

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

Mahatma Gandhi


World Intellectual Property Organization

World Intellectual Property Organization : WIPO PCT database. Login as guest or create a free account.

http://pctgazette.wipo.int/


Closing Disclaimer

"If you can't find what you're looking for using the search techniques we discussed, then call your Capella University librarian!"

--Dr. Mills


With new search skills, you can receive 7 Figure Salaries!


Want complete copies?

http://criticalconcern.com/Capella/


Finding good resources is like “herding cats!”


Thanks for coming!


Remember to backup your hard drive!

Institute for Backup Trauma starring John Cleese

http://www.backuptrauma.com/video/default2.aspx?r=1

Documents

© 2005 Capella University - Confidential - Do not distribute Finding Needles In Virtual Haystacks Come on in and sit a ‘spel’ – We will begin shortly