Searching the World Wide Web

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Internet I: Internet Browsing and Searching >>
Searching the World Wide Web

The World Wide Web has an endless amount of information on a variety of topics. The next step in 'surfing the Net' is searching for the information that you want to find. It is important to remember the saying "Don't believe everything you read," because any person with server space can post material on the Internet. When reviewing a webpage, one must evaluate whether to accept it as a credible resource. Before proceeding with any search, please review the following website from the University of Alberta Libraries to learn how to judge the material you find. Topics covered include scope and subject matter, authority, currency and completeness, design, and ease of use. You will be using the criteria provided to evaluate a website later in this lesson. Also provided on this U of A Library site are links to other Internet evaluation sites, resources for teachers and students, and bibliographies of evaluation sites.

Critical Evaluation of Resources on the Internet
by the University of Alberta Libraries
http://www.library.ualberta.ca/guides/criticalevaluation/index.cfm

There are a variety of tools available to search the Internet. Each "search engine" has a different approach. The following site by the Okanagan University College Library is a wonderful site to get started with searching the web. It contains a list of search engines and reviews the features offered by each. Also provided are search tips, information on search/boolean logic, exercises, and more. Please visit this site, read its contents, and complete the exercises on your own. Even if you have used search engines before, you will learn more on the topic and may even discover that you prefer a different search engine than the one you have been using.

Sink or Swim: Internet Search Tools and Techniques
by Okanagan University College Library
http://www.sci.ouc.bc.ca/libr/connect96/search.htm

If you plan on using information from a website in your course papers, it is important to cite these sources properly. Please use the following site to learn how to cite websites in APA format, which you will be doing for your assignment later in this lesson. Where no author or no date can be found for a webpage, click on the link to "Reference Examples for Electronic Source Material" to see how exceptions are handled. To view the general form for APA citation, click on the link to "General Forms for Electronic References."

American Psychological Association's Electronic Style Guide
http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html

The following exercise will be part of your assignment for this module.

Create a word processing document. Name this document using the three initials of *your* name followed by a short abbreviation of the module name. For example, Valerie Margit Irvine would name her assignment: VMInet1.doc. In the body of this document, enter your full name and record your responses as described below.

Find a website you do not yet know about.

You are asked to choose one of the search engines listed in the above Sink or Swim website. Conduct a search for Teaching Lesson Plans for the grade level and subject area you are specializing in. Do not spend a lot of time searching for the ultimate website. In this lesson, you will need to evaluate the website, so mediocre and poor websites can be used for this assignment as well. In your word document:

Explain why you chose the search engine or subject directory you used for your search. Identify the feature(s) you liked about it that made you choose it for this exercise.
Describe your search strategy. That is, what steps did you take to reach the website you selected (i.e., what words did you search or hierarchical categories did you follow?).
Provide the reference for the website you found in APA format using the APA Electronic Style Guide.
Write a few paragraphs (not point form) that evaluate the website using the criteria described in the University of Alberta Libraries website on the "Critical Evaluation of Resources on the Internet." These criteria are listed under the headings: scope and subject matter, authority, currency and completeness, design, and ease of use. Be specific with your responses. For example, a statement like, "The website is easy to use" is too vague. Support your evaluation by responding to some of the questions on the "Critical Evaluation of Resources on the Internet" website.

Find the "Project XXI" website by the Edmonton Public School Board.

Perform a search for this website. It should be about computer skills for the 21st centruy. In the word document, provide its reference in APA format using the APA Electronic Style Guide.

You have now completed the lesson portion of this module. Save your changes, then return to the assignment section of the Internet I module.