Finding Information on the Web Name: __________________________________________________________________ Introduction: With billions of pages of information in a constant state of change, the Internet is a challenging reservoir of facts, opinion, news, and nonsense to sift through. The most popular Web sites on the Internet are the search engines, which organize and index the information available online. Learn about the different kinds of search engines and how to use them to effectively navigate your way toward the worthwhile resources online. Quiz: 1. What are the primary reasons for using a search engine? a. They quickly point you to where you need to go b. They are free c. They provide topic options you may not have considered d. All of the above 2. A keyword search engine: a. returns sites that have been reviewed by humans. b. returns a list of Web sites based on the list of search terms you enter. c. searches a variety of other search engines. d. none of the above. 3. A subject-oriented search engine: a. returns sites that have been reviewed by humans. b. returns a list of Web sites based on the list of search terms you enter. c. searches a variety of other search engines. d. none of the above. 4. A meta search engine: a. returns sites that have been reviewed by humans. b. returns a list of Web sites based on the list of search terms you enter. c. searches a variety of other search engines. d. none of the above. 5. To search for information in Google, you would: a. browse the topic categories. b. send a request to the search librarian. c. enter the search terms in the search box. d. pay for a search subscription.
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6. To search more effectively, you should: a. use multiple words in your search to help narrow the results. b. use only one word to find sufficient results. c. use a meta search engine. d. enclose your search terms in parentheses. 7. The directory path displayed at the top of the Yahoo screen is called: a. search results. b. bread crumbs. c. folder structure. d. none of the above. 8. Boolean logic allows you to: a. require that all words in your search terms are found in a Web site. b. allow any of the words in your search terms to be found in a Web site. c. require that a specific phrase be found in a Web site. d. all of the above. 9. Yahoo provides a list of the most popular sites in a category based on: a. fees paid by advertisers. b. number of visits by other users. c. a professional rating system. d. a formula based on the keywords you entered. 10. If you enter the phrase “Gerald Ford” you will get results of all pages with: a. the word Gerald or the word Ford in them. b. the word Gerald and the word Ford in them. c. the words Gerald Ford on the page together in order. d. both the terms Gerald Ford and Gerald R. Ford.
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Projects: Drill Down Task: Use methods illustrated in the Sound Byte to find sources of information that have been reviewed by humans on various subjects. Assignment: Using the steps outlined in the Sound Byte, use a subject-oriented directory to find the following: a. In the Health directory under Alternative Medicine find a site that discusses Apitherapy. What is the site and what kind of information does it have?
b. In the Arts directory under Humanities find a Literature site that is about Trivia. List one category of sites that yahoo offers on this topic and one website.
Resources: www.yahoo.com , www.about.com
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Investigate the Learn the Net website Task: learn more about Searching the web from www.learnthenet.com . Assignment: Visit the section of Learn the Net called: Find Information: Searching the Web a. What 3 things do they say Searching the Internet requires
b. What do they recommend as the top 5 search engines?
c. What is their final word of advice when they say the Internet isn’t the best place to find certain information? Fill in the blanks: The __________________________ and a _______________________ may still be your best bet.
Resources: www.Learnthenet.com
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How Search Engines Work Task: Use Search Engine Watch to learn more about how search engines find and rank web pages. Assignment: Visit the Search Engine Submission Tips Department: How Search Engines Work http://www.searchenginewatch.com/webmasters/article.php/2168031 Describe the 3 major elements of a crawler-based search engine
Visit How Search Engines Rank Web Pages http://www.searchenginewatch.com/webmasters/article.php/2167961 and describe some of the rules search engines use to rank pages.
Resources: How Search Engines Work http://www.searchenginewatch.com/webmasters/article.php/2168031 How Search Engines Rank Web Pages http://www.searchenginewatch.com/webmasters/article.php/2167961
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Which search engines are the most popular? Task: What criteria are used to rate the search engines, and which engines are the most popular? Assignment: Find any source that offers a rating of search engines. Give the date of the report, it’s source, a description of how they rate search engines and a list of the top search engines. Resources: Computer magazines often rate the search engines as do the following web sites: Any resource in Search Engine Watch http://www.searchenginewatch.com/ in the Reviews Ratings and Tests Department http://www.searchenginewatch.com/reports/ Nielsen NetRatings Search Engine Ratings http://www.searchenginewatch.com/reports/article.php/2156451
comScore Media Metrix Search Engine Ratings http://www.searchenginewatch.com/reports/article.php/2156431
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