Internet Master
Session 2 -  Introduction to the World Wide Web, Using Browsers, Searching, Evaluating Information You Find

References :  "The Whole Internet, The Next Generation" by Kiersten Conner-Sax & Ed Krol.

Review

Introduction to the World Wide Web

Reading:
"The Whole Internet" - Chapter 1& 4

Using Browsers

  1. Netscape
    Reading:
    "The Whole Internet" - Chapter 4
  2. Internet Explorer
    Reading:
    "The Whole Internet" - Chapter 4

Evaluating Resources on the Internet

Questions to ask

  1. Who is the author?
    - What are their credentials?
    - What is their educational background?
    - Have they published before?
    - What is their experience in the field?
    - Are they cited by others?
    - What is their institutional affiliation?
    - What is their position at the organization they represent?

To determine these things, you could
- search the Internet, journal indexes and library catalogs.
- contact the author directly.
- look at the author's home page if they have one.

  1. Is the information accurate?
    To determine this, you may have to read facts and information from other sources or talk to someone who is an expert on the subject.
    - Are the facts documents?
    - Are other sources cited?
    - Is the information a scholarly work, expert, student examination, etc.?
    - Has the information been through a peer review process?
    - Is the information fact, opinion, propaganda, etc.
  1. Is the information current?
    - When was the information written?
    - Is it based on current research and thinking?
  1. Is the information biased?
    What is the aim or purpose of the Web site? Some groups are advocacy groups, and they will have biases in the information they present.

- Is the author associated with some organization that is biased?
- Does the source present the subject in a pro/con/neutral manner?
- Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched, or is it questionable and unsupported by evidence? (Assumptions should be reasonable.)
- Are there errors or omissions?
- Is the author's point of view objective and impartial?
- Is the language free of emotion-rousing words and bias?

  1. What is the scope (coverage) of the site?
    - What does the site include as well as what does it exclude?
    - If links are provided in the site, how are they evaluated for inclusion?
    - What server is the page/file on?
    - Follow links back to the homepage of the server and read the information about the organization that owns the server.
    - Does the source have any special features? (search engine, glossary, links, rating charts?)
    - What audience was the material written for?
  1. How does the information compare with other sources that are available on your topic in print and electronic form?
  1. Is the information/site stable?
    Will you be able to access the information again and again?
  1. Is the Web site updated regularly?
  1. How is the page received by others in the field?
    - Search Alta Vista (www.altavista.digital.com) to see if anyone links to the page in question.
    - Is it mentioned in any subject guides?
    - Is it listed in any selective WWW searchers, such as Excite?
  1. Is the information valid for only a certain geographical area?
    This might be particularly important for information related to horticulture or agriculture, which are dependent on the climate.

Sources of more information on evaluating resources:

Web Sites:
http://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/~janicke/Evaluate.html
http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~agsmith/evaln/evaln.htm
http://kathyschrock.net/abceval/index.htm
http://www.library.cornell.edu/okuref/research/skill26.htm

Searching

Reading:
"The Whole Internet" - Chapter 12

There are many search engines out there. Some produce results and some don't.

Strategies for searching:

  • Be specific about your subject.
  • Follow a plan, but use your instincts about the direction of the search.
  • As you discover information, build a mental picture of the anticipated results of your search.
  • Be aware of new links or pathways.
  • Network with other Web users or individuals with similar interests.
  • Keep track of where you find things. Kept a record of the URL where the information was located.

Limitations of searches:

  • Searches can be inconsistent in what is indexed.
  • Indexing schemes rely on the owner's word for the document content.
  • A search engine can be unavailable
  • Keyword searches may result in false hits.

Overcoming Information Glut

Browsing the World Wide Web requires good information-handling skills:

  • Be very selective about what pages or Web sites you store. The information you need is only a "point and click" away with the World Wide Web.
  • Seek out and evaluate information sources and providers who update their Web documents.
  • Use power tools (Search Engines). Know how to search for information.
  • Develop a plan when searching for information. Have a road map to your destination.
  • Bootstrap as much as possible. Chance discovery of a resource can lead to valuable information.

Types of search engines

  1. Database or Index - Database of URLs that have been suggested or collected from around the Web. Yahoo is the best known index.
  2. Gatherer - Traverses the Web and collects URLs as they go. These programs are sometimes called "spiders" or "robots." Lycos is the best example.
  3. Retrieval programs - These "robots" wait until they receive a request and go out and look for URLs that match the query. WebCrawler is an example.
  4. Harvesters - Veronica is the best know harvester. It examines all documents it finds in a gopher tree and records them. It applies only to Gopher servers. (Not Web servers).

Web sites:

Collections of Search Engines:

 

Search Engines: (You will probably want to use several of them.)

References on Searching:

Good Resources for Educators and Children:

 

Keep us posted - worksheet

Assignment

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For more information, contact:
Don Day - daydr@missouri.edu
Mark Stewart - stewartm@missouri.edu
Revised 09/30/99