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JaneLarringtonAssociateDirector&
619.260.4766
Tips & Tricks for Finding (Reliable) Web Content
Research AssistantTraining
What we will cover
v FindingStatistics
v AdvancedGoogleSearching
v Wayback Machine
v URLParsing
Finding Statistics
What we will cover
v GovernmentSources
v OtherSources
v ThingstoRemember
Government Statistics
Government Statistics
v First,lookfornewsorjournalarticlesforreferencestospecificstudiesordata
v GovernmentAgenciestendtohavealotofstatisticalinformationv Thehardpartcanbefiguringoutwhich
agencyyou’relookingforv Tryusa.gov/statistics
https://www.usa.gov/statistics
Other Sources
v PewResearchCenter(www.pewresearch.org)v Nonpartisan“facttank”thatdoespublic
opinionpolling,demographicresearch,etc.v Professionalorganizations
Things to Remember
Things to Remember
v Lookforreports,notrawdatav Itcanbeusefultohaveaccesstothedata,butyou
don’twanttobeinapositionofhavingtododataanalysis
v Beawareofbiasv Readthereportscritically.Doestheconclusion
actuallyfollowfromthedata?v Keeptrackofyoursourcesanddoresearchtofind
outwhatkindofslanttheymighthave
Internet Research
Topics
v AdvanceGoogleSearching
v InternetArchive
v URLParsing
Advanced Google Search
Advanced Google Search
v Googlehasadvancesearchfunctionsv Easiestwaytofinditisbysearchingfor
“advancedsearch”v Orgotogoogle.com/advanced_search
Advanced Google Search
v Youcanalsousetheoperatorsinthesearchbarv site: Searchwithinonedomainortoplevel
domain(i.e.,edu,gov)v inurl: URLmustcontainthesearchtermv filetype: Findonlyaparticularformat(i.e.,pdf)v AROUND(X) Proximitysearch
v Andsomanymore!(Foralonger list,seehttps://moz.com/learn/seo/search-operators)
Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine
Wayback Machine
https://archive.org/web/
v TheWayback Machineisaservicethatallowspeopletovisitarchivedversionsofwebsites.
v Why?v Tryingtofindinformationfromasitethatno
longerexistsv Lookingforareportthathasbeenremovedfroma
governmentwebsitev CurioustoseewhatUSD’swebpageusedtolook
like
URL Parsing
URL Parsing
v UniformResourceLocators(URLs)orwebaddresses,isthelocationofthewebsiteordocument
v Understandingthewayawebsiteisorganizedcanhelpyoubypassasite’snavigationorfindorphanedpagesandinformation
http://www.example.com/index.html
protocol hostname filename
How?
v Imaginethatyou’relookingforanarticlebyprofessorFloydNeiderman fromvolume20,issue2ofLawandTechnology.
v You’vedonesomesearchingbuttheclosestyou’vecomeisanarticlefromvolume23,issue3atthisaddress:
v ByeditingtheURL,wecantryandfindourwaytothearticlewewant.
http://www.uwec.edu/Admin/Journal/LawTech/2014/Vol_23/Issue_3/smithberger.pdf
How?
v Generally,goingbackthroughtheURLwillleadtoindexpages.SothiswouldshowusanindexpageforallissuesandarticleswithinVolume23:
v Whatifthatfails?
v WecaninfertheorganizationalstructurefromtheURLandtrymanipulatingittofindthedocumentweneed:
http://www.uwec.edu/Admin/Journal/LawTech/2014/Vol_23/
http://www.uwec.edu/Admin/Journal/LawTech/2011/Vol_20/Issue_2/neiderman.pdf
And always remember…
v TheReferenceLibrariansarealwaysheretohelp!
