Smart Searching:Smart Searching:

Using the InternetUsing the Internet

to get started researchingto get started researching

Your I-Search TopicYour I-Search Topic

Internet Search Internet Search ToolsTools

Search Engines: Search Engines: – GoogleGoogle, , AskAsk

MetaSearch Engines: MetaSearch Engines: – ClustyClusty, , DogpileDogpile

Directories:Directories:– YahooYahoo

But how do they But how do they work?work?

Crawler-based Search EnginesCrawler-based Search Engines– Listings are generated automatically Listings are generated automatically

using software (spiders) that “crawl” using software (spiders) that “crawl” the web and index sites based on the web and index sites based on words on the web page. words on the web page. GoogleGoogle

People-powered DirectoriesPeople-powered Directories– People get paid to evaluate web pages People get paid to evaluate web pages

into various categories. into various categories. YahooYahoo

Solving a MysterySolving a Mystery

Julia works in downtown Chapel Hill. Julia works in downtown Chapel Hill. While on her lunch break one fine While on her lunch break one fine spring day, she sees a flash in the spring day, she sees a flash in the sky! She looks up to see a bird sky! She looks up to see a bird about the size of a crow diving at about the size of a crow diving at high speed after what looks to be a high speed after what looks to be a pigeon. The bird then swoops out pigeon. The bird then swoops out of sight. Julia is captivated by the of sight. Julia is captivated by the gray and white bird with a crooked gray and white bird with a crooked black and yellow beak. black and yellow beak.

What do already we know?What do already we know?

Who/what ?Who/what ? gray and white bird, size of a crow, gray and white bird, size of a crow, crooked black and yellow beakcrooked black and yellow beak

Where ?Where ? downtown buildings, town of Chapel Hill, NC downtown buildings, town of Chapel Hill, NC

When ?When ? Daytime in the Spring Daytime in the Spring

How ?How ? Fast-flying, possibly hunting pigeons as prey Fast-flying, possibly hunting pigeons as prey

Why ?Why ? Never seen it before. Is it migrating? Is it lost? Never seen it before. Is it migrating? Is it lost?

What do we want to What do we want to know?know?

I want to know more about a bird I want to know more about a bird – One term: One term: birdbird

I want to know more about a bird that I want to know more about a bird that huntshunts– Two terms: Two terms: bird, hunterbird, hunter

I want to know what birds that hunt I want to know what birds that hunt live in the Southeastlive in the Southeast– Three terms: Three terms: bird, hunter, Southeastbird, hunter, Southeast

Start with NounsStart with Nouns

BirdBirdCrowCrowBeakBeak

Chapel HillChapel HillSpringSpringHunterPigeon

Migration

Think like a ThesaurusThink like a Thesaurus

Bird that Bird that huntshunts– Bird of preyBird of prey– HawkHawk– EagleEagle– OwlOwl– FalconFalcon

SoutheastSoutheast– SouthernSouthern– North North

CarolinaCarolina– Chapel HillChapel Hill

String terms together into String terms together into

phrases and use “quotes”phrases and use “quotes”

Try these searches in Google:

bird of prey = 1,810,000

“bird of prey” = 1,130,000

“bird of prey” “North Carolina” = 27,200

“bird of prey” “North Carolina” spring= 16,700

Boolean!Boolean! AND AND is the invisible Booleanis the invisible Boolean

Falcon migrate springFalcon migrate spring

OR OR gets the most resultsgets the most resultsFalcon (grey Falcon (grey OR OR gray gray OROR yellow) yellow)

NOT NOT – eliminates certain words– eliminates certain wordsFalcon (grey OR gray) “North Carolina” Falcon (grey OR gray) “North Carolina”

––car car ––miami miami ––shoe shoe

Search Engine Tricks…Search Engine Tricks…Try These:Try These:

Exact quotesExact quotes““North Carolina Falconers GuildNorth Carolina Falconers Guild””

NestingNestingFalcon Falcon ((grey OR gray OR yellowgrey OR gray OR yellow))““North Carolina” North Carolina” ((falcon OR falconsfalcon OR falcons))

TruncationTruncationHuntHunt**

Advanced Search Advanced Search In Google, Advanced Search is located right next In Google, Advanced Search is located right next

to the search button.to the search button.

Evaluating WebsitesEvaluating Websites Who is responsible for this info? Who Who is responsible for this info? Who

wrote it? Who published it to the wrote it? Who published it to the Internet? A school? A government Internet? A school? A government agency? What’s their level of agency? What’s their level of expertise?expertise?

When was the page last updated? When was the page last updated? Try to distinguish between promotion, Try to distinguish between promotion,

advertising, and serious content. advertising, and serious content. Who is linking to the page, and what Who is linking to the page, and what

links to other pages does the page links to other pages does the page itself maintain? itself maintain?

A Web Address A Web Address Demystified:Demystified:

http://www.bronxletters.org/pta.htmlhttp://www.bronxletters.org/pta.html

"http""http" means hypertext transfer protocol and means hypertext transfer protocol and refers to the format used to transfer and deal refers to the format used to transfer and deal with information with information

"www""www" stands for World Wide Web and is the stands for World Wide Web and is the general name for the host server that supports general name for the host server that supports text, graphics, sound files, etc. (It is not an text, graphics, sound files, etc. (It is not an essential part of the address, and some sites essential part of the address, and some sites choose not to use it) choose not to use it)

““bronxletters"bronxletters" is the domain name, or name of is the domain name, or name of the site. In this case, our school, Bronx Letters. the site. In this case, our school, Bronx Letters.

““org"org" means that the site belogs to a non-profit means that the site belogs to a non-profit organizationorganization

““pta"pta" is a specific page in the web site is a specific page in the web site "html""html" is the file type and, in this case, stands for is the file type and, in this case, stands for

hypertext mark-up language (that's the language hypertext mark-up language (that's the language the computer reads) the computer reads)

Website RankingsWebsite Rankings

Rankings are often based on:Rankings are often based on:– Title of the SiteTitle of the Site

When the webpage title contains your When the webpage title contains your search word, the page appears higher in search word, the page appears higher in the search engine resultsthe search engine results

– FrequencyFrequency Number of times a word(s) appearsNumber of times a word(s) appears

– Location/FrequencyLocation/Frequency Number of times the word(s) appear Number of times the word(s) appear

near the top of the pagenear the top of the page

To Wiki or not to Wiki?To Wiki or not to Wiki?

WikipediaWikipedia is a free encyclopedia that is a free encyclopedia that anyone with access to a computer and anyone with access to a computer and the Internet can edit, change. the Internet can edit, change.

Pros: anyone can update Pros: anyone can update Cons: anyone can updateCons: anyone can update Like any encyclopedia, Wikipedia is Like any encyclopedia, Wikipedia is

best used at the beginning of your best used at the beginning of your search to understand the basic facts search to understand the basic facts about your topic. It’s a good first stop, about your topic. It’s a good first stop, but your research can not end with but your research can not end with Wikipedia. Wikipedia.

Searching is a process, Searching is a process, which means it takes which means it takes

timetime Before you click on a link from your search results Before you click on a link from your search results

page, notice the title, how your terms are used, page, notice the title, how your terms are used, and what the web address can tell you about who and what the web address can tell you about who created the site.created the site.

Notice words and phrases found on relevant sites Notice words and phrases found on relevant sites about your same topic and use them to focus your about your same topic and use them to focus your searchsearch

In Google, once you find a really useful site, click In Google, once you find a really useful site, click on the on the “Similar Pages”“Similar Pages” link to see other pages that link to see other pages that are like the one you found useful.are like the one you found useful.

Planning for the End: Planning for the End: Compiling Works CitedCompiling Works Cited

Compile as you go!!!Compile as you go!!! Save often!!!Save often!!! Cut and paste web addresses and Cut and paste web addresses and

text into a Word document to keep text into a Word document to keep track of where you’re finding your track of where you’re finding your informationinformation

Cut and past web addresses and Cut and past web addresses and text into an email addressed to text into an email addressed to yourself and click sendyourself and click send

Thanks for your Thanks for your attention!attention!

QuestionsQuestions??????