Internet 102: Its just You and the Internet

Internet 102
by
Robin Hall

First read or reread Internet 101: Finding what you want online. Then read Internet 101: Search Engines and Directories ; Internet 101: Encyclopedias 4 U and Internet 101: Tools and Useful Sites.

Next get VERY comfortable with http://www.google.com/ . Click all the links to help in LEARNING this tool. Make it yours. Own it and use it.

Read About Google and the links on that page. Click and read all the links about special features by right clicking on: more and even more. That page has a virtual wealth of information you need if you are going to take your search skills to the next level. For anyone serious about searching, pay special attention to http://scholar.google.com/ . This collection of scholarly articles indexed by Google is likely to become one of the most valuable tools this giant of the industry has come up with.

Click Google web search features and learn everything on this page. Pay special attention to Refine your search. http://www.google.com/help/features.html#refine and this page, http://www.googleguide.com/advanced_operators_reference.html

I just found a WONDERFUL tutorial for GoogleFans. Its a must read. http://www.googleguide.com/ for beginners and pros. Its amazing what you can find at the bottom of the page or the top, right and left.

Get the Toolbar to speed your searches on Google, http://toolbar.google.com/T4/index_xp.html?utm_source=en-et-more&utm_medium=et&utm_campaign=en I use this dozens of times a day. Google and others have additional buttons too. I use the one here, http://www.acronymfinder.com/ to quickly search for acronyms.

For LOTS more about Internet searching just http://www.google.com/ any of a number of queries like " internet ~research " or " internet research " . Vary your terms. There is a wealth of information online about how to search, plenty of tutorials and hundreds of specialized directories like http://owl.english.purdue.edu/internet/resources/index.html put out by Purdue University. Many universities offer these links for you to surf through and don't forget, large and small libraries all over the world have their own directories and search professionals.

I will now mention paid search sites and tools. Some of these are for entire governments, businesses, libraries and large schools. They are priced accordingly. Others catalog hundreds of journals and offer great search findings within these journals. Some are mainly for business searching. Many sell individual articles. You can set up accounts for these smaller transactions with a credit / debit card and just buy what you want. The companies usually offer a teaser so you are sure you get the article you need. Some offer a free trial.

Most of you know http://global.lexisnexis.com/us since its in a great number of universities. There are lots of different plans to purchase and they deal with the law as well as politics, business interests and more.

This next company used to do regular web searches and now specializes in designing corporate search engines as well as having an excellent business search where they have major accounts and single search offerings too. http://www.northernlight.com/ Another link gets you directly to the queries you need, http://www.nlresearch.com/pubsearch.php

Try this query " fee based searching " at http://www.google.com/ . Vary your terms. Become your own teacher.

Try this query, " corporate research " at http://www.google.com/ for tips on how to research a specific topic. Vary the topics as you need to: " academic research " ; " health research " ; " statistical research, " etc.

Information Trapping, Tara Calishain's latest book for serious searchers contains a lot of information on paid searching, automated searching and more. Click here for the book: http://www.amazon.com/Information-Trapping-Real-Time-Research-Web/dp/0321491718/ . Another site http://digitalhistoryhacks.blogspot.com/ is highly targeted information for those interested in digital history and making your own search queries, programming them to work in a search engine. Read these two resources for some very modern ways to search and keep information coming to your front door on a daily basis. Its "real time research" for U.

It seems to me that Internet research is about you learning how to find things; then where to find them. Its you thinking first, using the best tool for the job, letting it collect the information then its back to you to do the judging and using. Its you separating the wheat from the chaff so start bringing in the sheaves !!!

None of these sites and tools are meant to replace the libraries you grew up with by any means. Searching is often getting out of your place and hitting the pavement, interviewing bona fide authorities in person or calling them. With the new VOip and Internet phones calling is very affordable too.

Many fine libraries offer up their catalog for you to see online. Some have research librarians that will talk to you as well. PS: you don't have to tell them you are in Key West while they are in Anchorage.

NEVER forget libraries and the real world. Books, journals you can hold, magazines, stuff in the Reference Department and those trusty Research Librarians know where to look. Hey, its their job, why not keep them employed?

Future entries here in Internet 102 will be about the hidden web, books on searching and more. If you have a topic of interest, let me know or send the ideas and I will put you on http://internet101and102.blogspot.com/ to help us all find what we want.