Transcript Unit 2 - Plattsburgh State Faculty and Research Web Sites

Unit 2
Browsing
Web Directories and Reference
Sources
Questions
Use LC handout to answer:
(1) Topic
Discipline
Subject
Affirmative Action _________
______
LC Code
______
(2) Connect: Library page  HyperResearch  Yahoo!
Use Yahoo’s Web Site Directory (scroll down) to find
opposing views of vegetarianism. How many sites
come up? __
Browsing
Web Directories and Reference
Sources
Browsing: 3 ways people search
 Web directories

 How

Library reference sources
 How

directories work
reference rooms work
Disciplines and subject areas
Three Ways People Search

Surf
 No
clear direction, idea, issue
 Consult people, news, magazines, Web for ideas

Browse
 Have
some idea, but vague, flexible, unclear
 Consult reference sources, Web directories for
direction, topic, theme

Search in-depth
 Have
defined topic, narrow focus
 Consult databases, search and metasearch engines
How to Browse

Relate idea to subject areas
 Euthanasia:

philosophy, bioethics, medicine
Use guide to locate subject area for topic
 Web: Yahoo
->humanities -> philosophy
 Ref Rm: philosophy -> B

Find information
 Web
site with article
 Ref book with essay, list of best articles, books

Use information to narrow topic, find focus
Where to Browse

Web Directories

Library Reference Sources
Web Directories
Small, selective databases
 Created by humans not machines
 Editors select and place sites into
categories for easy retrieval
 User browses categories and links to sites

High Quality Directories
 Librarian’s
Index to the Internet
 Informine
 Academic
Info
 WWW Virtual Library
Top Directories – Less Selective

Yahoo!: 1,800,000+

Open Directory: 2,600,000+

LookSmart: 2,500,000+
HyperResearch Guide
How Directories Work

Browse subject categories
 Funnel:
category to topic, web site to page
 Health
 Fitness
Yahoo! LookSmart
Open Directory
• Yoga
Most popular sites
yogaclass.com
http://www.yogaclass.com/
Directory Search Boxes

When to use Yahoo Search
 Subject
categories don’t match topic
 Want broad search of Web

Why results are different
 Directory
searches only Yahoo’s sites
reviewed by human editors
 Search box combines Web sites (from
Google) and reviewed sites from directory
Library Reference Sources

Reference areas
 Electronic
Reference
 On
library pages or electronic library websites
 Brief articles, factual information
 If non-subscription, can be dated, unreliable
 Library
Reference Room
 In-depth,
extensive, expensive resources
 Current, authoritative
How Reference Rooms Work
Print database
 Sources selected by academics on basis of
quality, importance
 Sources organized by subject categories
for easy retrieval
 User browses categories and locates areas

 Categories
use letter codes for location in
reference room area
Library of Congress Directory of Subject
Areas and Letter Codes
A
B
C,D,E,F
G
H
J
K
L
M
General
Philosophy,
Psychology
History
Geography
Anthropology
Social Sciences
Political Science
Law
Education
Music
N
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
Z
Fine Arts
Language, Literature
Sciences
Medicine
Agriculture
Technology, Engineering
Military Science
Naval Science
Library Science
Learning to Browse on Web and in a
Reference Room




Use a subject directory for Web or reference sources
Start with broad area, find more narrow subject
For Web sources, click links to sites
For reference sources, use guide to find code letters for
subjects, locate sources on reference rm book shelves
 Terrorism
 Broad area: Social Sciences
 Subject areas
• Political Science (J-JX) Sociology (HM-HX)
• History (C-F)
Psychology (BF)
Disciplines and Subject
Areas
SOCIAL SCIENCES
HUMANITIES
SCIENCES
Social Sciences
BUSINESS
EDUCATION
LAW
ANTHROPOLOGY
SOCIOLOGY
Humanities
ART
HISTORY
RELIGION
MUSIC
LITERATURE
Sciences
CHEMISTRY
PHYSICS
BIOLOGY
MEDICINE
Remember Why We Browse
Ideas are vague, flexible
 Looking for direction, focus
 Need background information
 Want best sites, authoritative sources
 Work out a theme, clear topic

Questions
Use LC handout to decide:
(1) Topic
Discipline Subject
LC Code
Affirmative Action Social Sciences Law
K
Sociology
Political Sci
HM-HX
J-JX
(2) Connect: Library page  HyperResearch  Yahoo!
Use Yahoo’s Web Site Directory to find humorous antivegetarian sites. How many sites come up? 2
Health -> Nutrition -> Vegetarianism -> Opposing
Views
Homework




Questions 1-10 to be done in the Reference
Room
Question 8-10 require you to find an ESSAY in
a subject-oriented encyclopedia
Questions 11-18 require you to work with three
Web directories
Follow directions when to use directory
categories and when to use search box