More - Searching the Internet
<< BACK "Mixing up knowledge with information is a common problem. Information is useless if you can’t interpret it and use it."
Practical skills
Realize from the beginning that the time you spend on learning good searching habits pays off! If you are a beginner, it might be a good idea to learn how to use one of the major search engines. Our suggestion is Google. The very first key words you should use are these:   "using GOOGLE" "google search" "how to google" "searching the internet" "searching the web" "effective search" "efficient search" "internet tutorial" "searching tutorial" "searching tips" etc.
Basic attitude
Develop a sound scepticism towards information   Distinguish between Information and knowledge Try to see information as your most important “raw material” for creating knowledge
Handle information with care
Use these four ‘musts’ when handling information: Efficient searching routines Critical assessment Professional processing Proud presentation 1 Efficient searching routines To find the right information is not only a question of learning different techniques. Here are a few important basic things. You must know how to define what you are looking for Before you start rushing round to look for the information you (think) you want, try to pin-point exactly what it is you're after. If you are planning to go down to the library, decide exactly what you are going to ask. Write it down! You must be able to ask questions Prepare your questions. When you ask a live person (e.g. a librarian), your first question will probably turn into a dialogue. If you get nervous (we all do) or forget what you are looking for, your notebook comes in handy, doesn't it? Daring to ask simple questions is the best start towards mastering the art of getting information. You must learn where, whom, and when to ask Librarians are experts. They are usually very nice and helpful people. What about your teachers? They are, naturally, a prime source of information. Sometimes a bit of psychology is needed. A teacher who has to run from one class to the next during a five-minute break might put you off. Choose the right moment. With tired partners and friends you also need to use your best psychology. You probably know which ones of your classmates that are reliable sources of information. You must know how to deal with online information We are seeing an enormous increase in the use of the Internet as a basic source of information. You need to learn how to use it. Now! This is our basic advice on using the web as a source of information. It is first of all meant for those of us who are still somewhat inexperienced. Get to know a limited number of dependable search engines Don't browse around in the hope of finding the ultimate site. Pick a number of search engines that complement each other. Start with Google, AltaVista and Yahoo. Learn how they work. Read their instructions. Practise and learn from others. The time you set aside to learn how to search effectively is a good investment. 2 Critical assessment Trust your librarian Generally speaking, written information in books, periodicals, etc. from well-established publishers is much more reliable than information on the Internet. The information you get through your librarian is generally reliable. However, even if you can trust the "facts", you should always bear one question in mind: For what purpose was this document written? Be suspicious of online information The first question you should always ask yourself when you enter a new website is: How credible is their information? Who created the site? A government institution? An educational institution? An official organization? A business company? A private person? Well, who are they, to begin with? Start with their web address (URL). Take a look at the dot-extension. .gov (government), .edu (higher/approved education), .org (organization), .com (commercial), .net (net), .uk (country: e.g. United Kingdom). Is there a street address? Is there a telephone number? Can the web owners be identified? names of persons personal home pages postal address phone and fax email copyright sponsorship Example: http://www.netproviders.net/~ronaldo The tilde (~) indicates that this is most probably a private person who has got a free web space through his Internet connection provider. Be careful! For what purpose was the site created? Business? Education? Public information? Entertainment? Exhibitionism? Disinformation? Other? Try to analyze the purpose of the site. Is the purpose clearly stated? Why was the site created in the first place? Do they seem serious? Who are their visitors? Are they after  our money? Are their pages full of superlatives? Does anything (on purpose?) seem to be left out? How reliable and accurate is their information? names of authors documentation of the authors' qualifications originality editors Can the source of the information be identified? Is the information based on fact or opinion? Is there a political or an ideological bias? Is the information regularly up-dated? How does the information compare with other sources? What is the overall impression? A sloppy site with a gaudy colour scheme and spelling errors probably hasn't got much to offer. Check more than one source If you want to use the information for an assignment or for some kind of research work, make sure you check more than one source. 3 Professional processing Copyright Basically, the same copyright rules apply to materials on the Net as for written texts, pictures, audio and video clips, etc. In other words you must find out if and how you can use the information you find on a website. If it is not clearly stated, write and ask! Source materials, bibliography, list of references Source materials cannot simply be 'borrowed'. Whenever you cite somebody's work a clear reference must be given. The web is a much more unstable source than printed information. A page may disappear or be updated. Try to observe the following: document title web reference (URL) name of author document created on (date) retrieved by (you) on (date) Quotations Quotations must appear within quotation marks ("- - -") Write your own story Use the information you find reliable, accurate and up-to-date, provided you may use it, as reference material. Then write your own 'story'! Improve your basic communicative skills: reading listening writing speaking 4 Proud presentation To make your presentation a true reflection of your research efforts, you need to get a few things right. Has your school got standard procedures for presentations? By getting well acquainted with your school's standard procedures for written and oral presentations already before you start your research work, you will not only make a better presentation - you will do a much better job altogether. If there are no standard procedures, ask your teacher what she expects. Learn from others. Find out how assignments and projects are reported in other schools. Use your search skills. Try search phrases like these in Google: "making a presentation" "presentation skills" "study skills" etc. Oral presentations require practice The time you spend on learning practical presentation skills, and the time you spend on learning more about rhetoric, will help your whole school situation enormously. Improve your basic communicative skills: reading listening writing speaking
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