1. Internet Searching: Finding Quality Information
The Four Nets for better searching

2. Don’t waste time surfing when you need to be SEARCHING!

3. Internet Facts
Information on the internet increases and changes every day.
Web pages have addresses called URLs (Uniform Resource Locator)
Not all information on the internet is accurate or reliable.
An estimated 80% of the web is inaccessible via normal search engines.
“Invisible web” information can accessed via database, blogs, directories, or university libraries.

4. Let’s examine a web address. http://www.muhstigers.org
Web addresses almost always begin with but you don’t need to type it in.
www World Wide Web
muhstigers is the title of the web page.
Dots and slashes divide portions of the address. They are important, so don’t forget them. Spelling counts!
.org means it is an organization.
.edu is normally colleges and universities
.gov – government site
.k12 – non collegiate schools
.com or .net- commercial organizations

5. Search Engines
Compiled by spiders (computer-robot programs), mechanically building database of references
Matches searched-for keywords with words in full text of selected web pages
Number of pages searched can vary from small number to 90% of the web
Good results are as much about understanding search syntax as the scope of the engine’s coverage
Good For: Precision searches, using named people or organisations, searching quickly and widely, topics which are hard to classify
Not Good For: Browsing through a subject area
Search engines work by searching through an index from a database, which is automatically, compiled by "spiders" (computer-robot programs) – not people. The search engine tries to match your searched-for keywords with words in the text of selected Web pages.
The amount of content that Search Engines search through varies from those, which are small and specialist, to those covering over 90 percent of the index-able Web.
Getting good results from search engines is just as much about your familiarity with the features and syntax of the search engine you are using, as it is on the size of the search engine's index.

6. When Do I Use a Search Engine?
Search engines are good when you are looking for a topic that is unusual or obscure.
When you are searching for current events or breaking stories, search engines can provide up-to-date information.

7. How do you find a web address? You could use a search engine
Or you can specialize!

8. several pages, but it will still take you a long time
A Search for “Dogs” .
The most relevant sites will be on the first
several pages, but it will still take you a long time
to search through those websites to find the
information you need.
A Google search reveals:
Results of about 217,000,000 for dogs [definition]. (0.06 seconds)
The average person will look through 2.3 pages of results before choosing their informational site. 

9. Using Boolean Logic to Narrow Searches
AND Narrows search MUST include
both words.
OR Broadens search includes ANY
of the words.
NOT Narrows search – excludes one
of the meanings.
+ Must BE included
- Must NOT be included
* Truncation – adds different endings

10. HOW TO SEARCH

11. Start with a Navigation Plan
Define your information need.
What is your topic?
What key words should be included about the subject?
Check your spelling
Are there words that you do not want to be associated?
Where should this information come from? An organization? A school/ university? A government site?

12. Net 1: Start Narrow
If you know what you're after, why not start by asking for it as precisely as you can?
Think of all the words that would always appear on the perfect page.
You can search for them separately- just typing them in- or, you can utilize quotes or parentheses.
Think of all the distracting pages that might also turn up because one or more of your search terms has multiple meanings.

13. WITH ALL: “Atlantis continent” or (Atlantis Continent)
Query
Imagine that you're interested in the legendary lost continent of Atlantis. There have been several movies with Atlantis in the title, but you're not interested in them. You are also not interested in the space shuttle Atlantis. You can begin to narrow the search with quotation marks or parentheses.
WITH ALL: “Atlantis continent” or (Atlantis Continent)
WITHOUT: -shuttle -film –movie
Here's how to search for it badly:
WITH ALL: Atlantis
Another option- If you are looking for Waterbury, Vermont-
Bad Search: Waterbury
WITH AT LEAST ONE: “Waterbury Vermont”
Add in another option (use “+” symbol): + VT
WITHOUT (use “-” symbol): - Connecticut CT
Internet Searching

14. Net 2: Find Exact Phrases
For exact phrases, put your search in quotations or use the + to ensure that key words are found in the title or page.
Ex. “Lost City of Atlantis” or lost + city + atlantis

15. Net 3: Trim Back the URL
OK. You Len gives you a link to the Technology Mentor website. You click on the relevant link, and -- alas -- get an error code!
If you get the message "Document not found" when trying to open a webpage, do not despair. The message confirms that the site exists, and the webpage may still be there. If you look at a Web address like this one:
Try deleting part of the web address (a bit at a time) above until you find the Technology Mentor website.

16. Net 4: Similar Pages
Many Search engines have “Advanced Features” that allow you to narrow and look for similar pages.

17. Using Advanced Search Options
With advanced searching, you can narrow down results to include:
Exact words and phrases
Words to delete
Number of results
Language
Format
Type of site (.edu, .org, .edu, etc.)
Date published online
Region/ Country

18. Internet Searching