Internet 102: Research Primer

Research Primer
by
Robin Hall


Today's note is mostly queries for you to try yourself. I tried them all with good results. Most of the rest of Internet 102 will be adding to older notes.

As you understand better what queries are, how much lattitude there is and the different results you will find if you use other search engines, you will have plenty to do for yourself.

I just ran across some interesting sites to add to your search engine list. I mentioned them before. The first one queries Google, LiveSearch and Yahoo. It takes the top 10 results and displays the best: Jux2 Comparison Searching .

This one gives you lots of choices about your topic itself. It helps you expand your queries AND dig deeper into them: Clusty

Click here for a different look at a directory to help those more visually inclined:
Quintura Visual Search

Even if you have little or no formal training in doing research and writing the results, there are hundreds of online tutorials that will get you up to speed. This is not to suggest classrooms are without value. The instructor provides you with feedback.

It is somewhat like preparing a speech. You learn a few tricks from books, tutorials, figure out how to outline and begin your research.

After you decide on a topic you collect your notes, organize them, outline the paper or speech, proofread and proofread. A friend or fellow student can help with this. Then you present the paper or speech. Simple. OK, maybe not. But it IS possible to be an independent learner. You be the teacher and student.

Try these queries at: Google : " collecting facts " " organizing " " research tutorials " " internet research " " citing internet research " " writing research papers " " writing research papers " .

Also, try the following search queries and link to give you more ideas and places to help you broaden your own search. Query these: " dictionaries " , a really useful site found under " reverse dictionaries " or click here:
Reverse Dictionary " encyclopedias " , " thesaurus " , " research ideas " , " how do I do research " .

Its fun. : ^)

Read my Internet 101 & 102 notes. Be your own teacher. Then go fetch.