Lesson 7: Surfing the 'Net

LESSON 7: INTERNET SEARCHING

In which you will learn how to surf the 'Net and how to find the information you want. Also, you will learn how to use interesting online applications. Includes a GLOSSARY of Internet terms and a basic Internet quiz.

1. How to find Websites

INTERNET SEARCH ENGINES help us find web pages on any particular subject. Metasearch engines bring

the best results from a pool of many search engines, e.g. Monster Crawler, Dogpile .

SUBJECT DIRECTORY searches result in fewer and more relevant web pages. Web sites listed in subject directories are picked by editorial teams or specialists in a particular field.

2. Why is it Important to Evaluate Websites?

The Internet can be a good way to get information. But, we must beware! Putting information on the Internet is easy, generally unmonitored, and in essence, anonymous.

This is shown in "On the Internet, nobody knows you are a dog," a famous cartoon by Peter Steiner (The New Yorker, July 5, 1993). There is a great amount of information on the Internet, but the burden is on us to determine its quality and who is really behind it.

3. How to Evaluate Websites

 

a. What to consider:

• Authorship
• Verifiability
• Timeliness
• Point of view (learn to recognize bias, propaganda, misinformation)

b. How to determine reliability of Internet Information:

What can the URL tell you?  

1. Is it somebody's personal page?
2. What type of domain does it come from? (.com, .gov, .edu)
3. Who "published" the page?

Scan the perimeter of the website's homepage to find out:

1. Who wrote the page? (Look for links that say "About Us," "Background," etc.)
2. Is the page dated? Is it current enough?
3. What are the author's credentials on this subject?

Determine the quality of this information:

1. Look for hypertext labeled "links," "additional sites," "related links," etc. that might refer to documentation. Take the time to explore them.
2. Do the links work? What kinds of sites are they? Reputable? Scholarly?
3. Where did the author get the information? Are links to other pages reliable sources?

Do the clues add up? 

1. Why was this page put on the Internet?
2. Might it be ironic, satire, or parody?
3. Is this resource as good as information I could find if I used the LAPL catalog and databases?

 TAKE A QUIZ HERE TO TEST YOUR BASIC INTERNET KNOWLEDGE.

4. Useful Websites you can trust:

1. Los Angeles Public Library
2. Librarians' Internet Index
3. Internet Library for Librarians

5. Some Interesting and Useful Online Applications

Social Networking: * Twitter * Facebook * Skype * Pinterest *

Reference: * Wikipedia * Dictionary * Medical Info * Translating *

Audio Visuals: * YouTube * My Radio Station * Sound Cloud *

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