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Module 8
Wading Through the Web: Internet Research
Strategies
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OVERVIEW: The Internet is usually the first stop for students conducting research, but
many do not know how to search efficiently or effectively. In this lesson we will cover
Internet search strategies, features of several search engines, and citation of Internet
sources.
DIRECTIONS: After you open this document, save it in your “My Documents” folder
(File/Save As). Type your answers directly on this document in a clear, readable,
different color. Print when done and submit for grade.
STUDENT OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

Consider and discuss the nature of the Internet, comparing it with more
traditional information sources

Explore and practice efficient ways to search on the Internet

Learn the importance of attributing Internet sources, and practice a format for
citation of sources
ASSIGNMENT 1: Comparing and Contrasting the Internet with Library resources
We will start by comparing and contrasting the Internet with more traditional
information sources. The following statements can apply to either the Internet or
books or both. Place the statement in the appropriate column. One answer has
been placed for you.
Much faster way of finding
information
Uses the Dewey Decimal
System
There are millions of places to
look
A book has to be published by
a publishing company
Internet
Editors check and verify
information
Uses Search Engines
No one checks to see if the
information is true or false
Books/Library Sources
A book has to be published by a
publishing company
Have to visit a library
Is used by millions of people
each day
Anyone can publish
information
Finding information can be
time consuming
Both
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NOTES: When might using the Internet be better than using a traditional text?
1. Topics that are contemporary (modern topics) – The Internet has more up-to-date
information on current events.
2. Topics that are controversial – The Internet can give you a lot of different opinions on
one topic. It can help you research a topic from different perspectives.
ASSIGNMENT 2: Exploring different types of Search Engines
NOTES:Regular Search Engines vs. Metasearch Engines
A regular search engine, like Google or Yahoo! searches the Internet based on a given
search term (what we call a “keyword”). For example, typing “Web 2.0” into Google will
give you approximately 340,000,000 “hits” or sites to visit for information. Typing the
same term into Yahoo! will give you over 2 billion hits!
Go to Google (www.google.com) and type in “Web 2.0” Look at the sites that come
up. Click on the first two or three sites. Do they look like they have good
information? Now do the same in Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com) and ASK.COM
(www.ask.com). Are the sites that come up the same?
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Why do Google and Yahoo display different sites for the same word? They both
use different search methods. While many of the sites they find are the same, some are
different.
A Metasearch can streamline your search. A Metasearch has the ability to search
several search engines.
Let’s try using a metasearch engine to search information on “Web 2.0”. CactiSearch
(www.cactisearch.com) is a metasearch engine that will search Google, Yahoo!, and
Ask.com all at once!
Go to www.cactisearch.com and type in “Web 2.0”
The results are sorted by search engine. You can look at all four search engines
combined, or narrow your search to Google, Yahoo!, etc.
How might a metasearch engine like CactiSearch be more helpful than a regular
search engine?
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There are other different types of search engines as well. Let’s look at two more search
engines that can help you get better information about your topic.
Vivisimo (www.vivisimo.com) is a search engine that groups search results by category.
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Go to www.clusty.com and type in “Bill of Rights”
Notice the categories listed on the left-hand sidebar. You can use the categories
to narrow your information. List six categories you might use to write a report
about the Bill of Rights.
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Try this other search engine: www.kartoo.com and type in “Bill of Rights”.
How might this site be more helpful than the other sites? What makes it unique?
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View the video “Classroom Profile: Learning to Recognize Valid Research
Sources on The Internet”. Why is using a site like www.refdesk.com better for
doing research on the Internet than using a keyword search in Google?
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ASSIGNMENT 3: Smarter searching on the Internet (Using Boolean Operators)
Most Internet search engines also allow you to use a set of words or symbols to narrow
your search. These conventions are called “BOOLEAN OPERATORS”.
• AND – use this word when you want to find two words together. For example “Web 2.0
AND Research”
• OR – use this when you can accept a couple of words. For example, “Web 2.0 OR
Read/Write Web”
• - (minus sign) or NOT – use this symbol or the word NOT when you want to exclude a
word. For example, “Web 2.0 –research papers” or “Web 2.0 NOT research papers”
• “quotations” – use quotation marks when you are searching for an exact phrase. For
example, if you were searching for a book title, you could type “Web 2.0 Tools and
Applications” in quotations and the search engine will look for that exact phrase.
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Go to www.cactisearch.com
What would I type into the search box if I wanted to find out about Web 2.0
Applications?
Place your answer here:
What would I type into the search box if I wanted to find out about Web 2.0
applications or research tools?
Place your answer here:
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Here’s a little exercise on the importance of using Boolean Operators. Go to
www.google.com. Type the words bats in your belfy into the search box.
How many results did you find?
Now go back and add quotation marks around the phrase. How many results
did you obtain this time?
Now suppose you are looking for historical information about the medieval
Norsemen and their battles. Go to Yahoo at www.yahoo.com. You are looking for
a place called the Kirk of Skulls. Type the words Kirk of Skulls in the search field.
How many results did you find?
Now go back and add quotation marks around the phrase. How many results
did you obtain this time?
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How can you tell if an Internet site is reliable? REMEMBER: Anyone can post
information on the Internet!
• Make sure the information you are using comes from a person or organization that can
be trusted.
• One simple way to tell if a site is reliable is to look at who runs the site. Usually,
looking at the first section of a web address will tell you where it came from. If it came
from a museum, university, or some other place you’ve heard of, chances are that it can
be trusted.
• The following table provides questions that you can use to decide whether a website is
reliable. If the site contains several characteristics that are questionable, you probably
shouldn’t use it!
Do large companies you know advertise on the site?
Are there any ‘dead links’, or links to ‘moved pages’?
Do the images support the stated facts?
Is the site hosted by a credible provider and reside in a ‘trustworthy’ domain.
Are there links and references to other websites, resources and experts that
corroborate this information?
Do the site’s authors have other publications with credible sites and publishers?
Are the site’s authors experts in the subject? (Do they have any credentials or
experience around the topic?)
Is contact information provided and does the place/e-mail exist and work?
Is the site professional (grammar and typing errors are not present or very
minimal)?
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ASSIGNMENT 4: Finding reliable information on the Internet
Conduct an Internet search on the topic THE BILL OF RIGHTS. Using the information
above, list three RELIABLE websites that you found. How could you tell that they were
reliable?
Website URL
/
This website is reliable because:
1.
2.
3.
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ASSIGNMENT 5: Citing Your Sources
Citing your sources means telling people where you got your information. Just as you
list books and encyclopedias in your bibliography, you must also include the sources of
information you got from the Internet.
• Citing your sources is important because it shows others how to find the same
information you found.
• To cite a source on the Internet, you need to have a written record of the following
information for each website that you actually use in your report or essay:
o The name of the site and the author (Who made the website? A
company? An organization? An individual?)
o What day you found the information
o The web address or URL
o The copyright date for the website (usually found at the bottom of the
homepage)
Use the format below to add Internet resources to a bibliography:
o Author. Title of Website. Web address or URL. Copyright date. Date you
found the information.
 For example, look at the following website about the Bill of Rights
and compare it to the information below.

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http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/Teach/freeResources/FoundingD
ocuments/Docs/TheBillofRights.asp
Name of the Site & Author: The Bill of Rights Institute. There is no
specific author listed
Title: Free Resources/Founding Documents/The Bill of Rights
Web address:
http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/Teach/freeResources/FoundingD
ocuments/Docs/TheBillofRights.asp
Copyright date: 2008
Date Retrieved: Today’s date
A bibliographical citation for this website would look like this:
The Bill of Rights Institute. Free Resources/Founding Documents/The Bill of Rights.
http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/Teach/freeResources/FoundingDocuments/Docs/The
BillofRights.asp. 2008. Retrieved on <today’s date>.
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Go to http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/billofrights.html
Fill in the following information for this link.
Place your answer here:
Author –
Title –
Web Address –
Copyright date –
Date Retrieved How would you cite this source in a bibliography?
Place your answer here: