Transcript 2. How to Search on the Internet

Wading Through the Web
Conducting Research on the
Internet
Mrs. Bregman’s Technology Class
Wading Through the Web
This presentation will teach you about:
1. Different Types of Search Engines
2. How to Search on the Internet
3. How to cite your sources
Wading Through the Web
DO NOW – Questions
about how students
research
Wading Through the Web
DO NOW – Choosing
Resources Exercise
Wading Through the Web
1. How are books and the internet different? The Same?
Internet
•Anyone can publish a Web page
•No one checks to see if the
information is true or false
•There are millions of places to
look for information
•Using the Internet is much
quicker
•You can narrow down what
you’re looking for more easily
•The Internet uses search engines
Books/Text
•A book has to be published by
•Both provide sources a publishing company
of information
•Editors check and verify the
information
•Both are viewed by
•Looking for a book can be
millions of people
more time consuming
each
day
•You have to visit a library
•The library uses the Dewey
Decimal System
Wading Through the Web
When might using the Internet be
better than using a traditional text?
•Topics that are contemporary (modern topics) – The
Internet has more up-to-date information on current events.
•Topics that are controversial – The Internet can give you a
lot of different opinions on one topic. It can help you
research a topic from different perspectives.
Session 1: Different Types
of Search Engines
Wading Through the Web
Different Types of Search Engines

A Search Engine is a program that allows you to search the Internet for
information. There are many search engines on the World Wide Web.

You might have heard of search engines like Google, Yahoo!, or MSN. These
are the most popular search engines.

There are lots of other excellent search engines on the Internet that you may
never have heard of!

Let’s look at the different types of search engines available on the Internet.
Wading Through the Web
Different Types of Search Engines
 Regular Search Engines vs. Metasearch Engines

A regular search engine, like Google or Yahoo!,
searches the Internet based on a given search term.
 For example, typing “Vasco da Gama” into Google will
give you 2,800,000 “hits” or sites to visit for
information.
 Type the same term into Yahoo!, and you come up
with a different number of hits
2. TRY IT: Go to Google (www.google.com) and type in
“Vasco da Gama” Look at the sites that come up. Click on
the first two or three sites. Do they look like they have good
information? Now do the same in Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com).
What differences do you notice?
Wading Through the Web
Different Types of Search Engines

Why do Google and Yahoo! display different sites for
the same word?
 This is because of the way the engine searches!


Google and Yahoo! use different search methods. While
many of the sites they show you are the same, some are
different.
A Metasearch can streamline your search.
 A Metasearch has the ability to search several search engines.
Wading Through the Web
Different Types of Search Engines
 There are other different types of search engines
as well. Let’s look at three more search engines
that can help you get better information about your
topic.

http://clusty.com/ is a search engine that groups
search results by category and shows you where they
got the sites from
TRY IT: Go to clusty.com and type in “Vasco da Gama”
Notice the categories listed on the left-hand corner. You can
use the categories to narrow your information. List the
categories you might use to write a report about the life and
accomplishments of Vasco da Gama.
Wading Through the Web
Different Types of Search Engines


http://scholar.google.com/
Brainboost or www.answers.com is a search engine
that allows you to type in a question rather than a
search term. For example, if you wanted to know when
Vasco da Gama reached India, you could ask a specific
question and get more detailed information.
TRY IT: Go to www.answers.com and type in “When did
Vasco da Gama reach India?”
How does the information you get differ from the
information you got on other search engines? What else do
you notice on the left hand side? How might this help you as
well?
Wading Through the Web
Different Types of Search Engines
•Online encyclopedias are a great
resource for research. Try the
encyclopedias listed below and
see what you think.
•Encyclopedia Britannica –
www.britannica.com
www.encyclopedia.com
Other reference sites:
www.infoplease.com
www.ipl.org
www.libraryspot.com
www.sciam.com
www.refdesk.com
www.about.com
Wading Through the Web
Other Helpful Resources
•Libraries are another place to find lots of
useful information. Take a look at these sites!
•You will need a library card to use some
of the linked websites, so also check the
webpage of your local library.
Session 2: How to Search
on the Internet
Wading Through the Web
2. How to Search on the Internet
MAKING SEARCH DECISIONS
 For a broad topic, go to a directory site like
yahoo or google.
 When you narrow your topic, choose the meta
search engines, like http://clusty.com
 Use quotation marks when you are specific
Wading Through the Web
2. How to Search on the Internet
 Now that we have looked at different types of
search engines, we need to learn how to
make the most of your search!


Most search engines have something called an
Advanced Search. An advanced search allows you
to be more specific about what type of information
you are looking for.
When you visit a search engine, the Advanced
Search page is a great place to start!
Wading Through the Web
2. How to Search on the Internet
 Let’s see how the Advanced Search option
works!
7. TRY IT: Go to www.google.com and click on Advanced
Search to the right of the search box.
-Let’s say you discover that some of your results are about
the Vasco da Gama hotel and vacations. You want to find
out about the life of Vasco da Gama, but not about the hotel.
In the Advanced Search menu, put Vasco da Gama in the box
that says “all of these words” and hotel and vacation in the
box that says “without the words.”
This will filter out the information you don’t want!
Wading Through the Web
2. How to Search on the Internet
“Smarter” searching on the Internet

Most Internet search engines also allow you to use a set
of words or symbols to narrow your search.
 AND – use this word when you want to find two words
together. For example “Vasco da Gama AND voyage”
 OR – use this when you can accept a couple of words. For
example, “Vasco da Gama OR European explorers”
 - (minus sign) – use this symbol when you want to exclude
a word. For example, “Vasco da Gama -hotel”
 “quotations” – use quotation marks when you are searching
for an exact phrase. For example, if you were searching for
a book title, you could type “The Voyage of Vasco da
Gama” in quotations and the search engine will look for that
exact phrase.
Wading Through the Web
2. How to Search on the Internet
“Smarter” searching on the Internet
Boolean operators are:
AND
which narrows a search
OR
which broadens a search
NOT or AND NOT
which excludes an unwanted variable
The Boolean operators may help you search for information with expediency. For
example, using an information database or search engine, key in the following:
World War, 1914-1918 AND Germany AND Women
World War, 1914-1918 OR World War I OR Great War OR First World War
World War I NOT England
Wading Through the Web
2. How to Search on the Internet
How can you tell if an Internet site is
reliable?
•REMEMBER: Anyone can post information on the
Internet!
•Make sure the information you are using comes from a
person or organization that can be trusted.
•One simple way to tell if a site is reliable is to look at who
runs the site. Usually, looking at the first section of a web
address will tell you where it came from. If it came from a
museum, university, or some other place you’ve heard of,
chances are that it can be trusted.
•The following slides provides a checklist you can use to
decide whether a website is reliable. If the site contains
several characteristics in the “Questionable” column, you
probably shouldn’t use it!
The 5 W’s of Cyberspace
 WHO IS THE SOURCE OF INFORMATION?




Is information about the author clearly stated?
Can you contact the author?
Can you confirm that the company or author is
credible and reliable?
What is the author’s credentials?
The 5 W’s of Cyberspace
 WHAT ARE YOU GETTING?




Is the information biased?
Is emotion used as a means of persuasion?
Does the site offer more than one viewpoint?
Is the site organized and thorough?
 Is it consistent?
 Is the information easy to understand?
The 5 W’s of Cyberspace
 WHEN WAS THE SITE CREATED?



Is it more than 5 years old?
When was the site last updated?
Do the links work?
The 5 W’s of Cyberspace
 WHERE?



Learn to deconstruct a Uniform Resource Locator (URL or site address)
Example: http://www.mediaawareness.ca/eng/sitemap.html
 http://www:
 This is a hypertext document – most are this format
 www – world wide web
 Mediaawareness.ca
 This is the domain name of the organization hosting the website
 .ca – means that it is a Canadian institution
 Eng/sitemap.html
 This maps out the pathway of all directories and subdirectories leading to the
page you are on
 Eng = English part of the site
 Sitemap – the name of the page you are on
 Html – format that is has been created in
If you see a ~ in a subdirectory –this is a personal web page.
The 5 W’s of Cyberspace
 Type of organization



.gov – federal government
.edu – American colleges and universities
.org, .com., .net
The 5 W’s of Cyberspace
 Why are you here?
 Am I able to verify this information?
 Does this information suit my needs?
 How can you tell what’s what?


Apply the 5 W’s to the websites you find
Double check your facts and sources
Wading Through the Web
2. How to Search on the Internet

How can you tell if an Internet site is reliable?
REVIEW
General Guidelines:
 Make sure it is current – no more than 5 years old
 Look at the extensions: .edu, .gov, .com, .org, .net
 .orgs may not be as reliable because anyone can say they are from an
organization – you need to read the mission statement and check out their
sources and purpose
 If there are too many ads, they may be trying to sell you something
 Check out the site author
 Their credentials
 Where do the authors get THEIR information from? Check out their sites they
reference as well.
 See when the website information was last updated – recently or several years
ago?
 Is the site fact based or opinion? Identify the purpose of the web page – is it to
inform, persuade, sell you something?
 The URL has a ~ (tilde) – that means it is a personal website –may not be a
reliable reference source
Wading Through the Web
2. How to Search on the Internet
Dupe Detector:
A checklist to help surfers begin determining if information found on a website is true or not*
Website:
Trustworthy
Questionable
1.
Do large companies you know advertise on the site?
Yes □
No □
2.
Are there any ‘dead links’, or links to ‘moved pages’?
No □
Yes □
3.
Do the images support the stated facts?
Yes □
No □
4.
Is the site hosted by a credible provider and reside in a ‘trustworthy’ domain.
Yes □
No □
5.
Are there links and references to other websites, resources and experts that corroborate
this information?
Yes □
No □
6.
Is the resource available in another format?
Yes □
No □
7.
Do the site’s authors have other publications with credible sites and publishers?
Yes □
No □
8.
Are the site’s authors experts in the subject? (Do they have any credentials or experience
around the topic?)
Yes □
No □
9.
Is contact information provided and does the place/e-mail exist and work?
Yes □
No □
10.
Does the site present highly biased visuals (e.g. racist statements, derogatory remarks,
and emotional language)?
No □
Yes □
11.
Is the site professional (grammar and typing errors are not present or very minimal)?
Yes □
No □
Totals**:
Available at: http://www.lerc.educ.ubc.ca/LERC/outreach/lomcira2006/lomcirahandoutapril06.doc
The 5 W’s of Cyberspace
 Deconstructing Web Pages


Activity:
http://www.mediaawareness.ca/english/resources/educational/lessons/secondary/internet/upload/Decon
structing-Web-Pages-Lesson-Kit.pdf
This exercise helps you determine a website’s credibility.
ACTIVITY
 Determine whether each of the following
are a positive or negative characteristic of a
website. This will also help you in figuring
out whether websites are credible and
reliable sources.
Session 3: How to Cite
Internet Sources
Wading Through the Web
3. How to cite your sources
 Citing Your Sources

Citing your sources means telling people where you got your
information. Just as you list books and encyclopedias in your
bibliography, you must also include the sources of information you
got from the Internet.
 Citing your sources is important because it shows others how to find the
same information you found.
 To cite a source on the Internet, you need to have a written record
of the following information for each website that you actually use
in your report or essay:
 The name of the site and the author (Who made the website?
A company? An organization? An individual?)
 What day you found the information
 The web address or URL
 The copyright date for the website (usually found at the bottom
of the homepage)
Wading Through the Web
3. How to cite your sources
 Use www.Citationmachine.net
 Click on “APA” format (or MLA)
 Click on the type of source you are using (web page, book, etc.) on
the left side of the page.
 Then fill in the information requested on the next page
 Then copy the results and paste your source that you cited on a
Bibliography/References page.
OR:
 Use: http://noodletools.com/index.php
 At the bottom of the page, click on NoodleBib Express
 Then click on APA (or MLA)
 Then follow the prompts and input your information about your source
on the next few pages
 Then “Generate Citation.”
Wading Through the Web
3. How to cite your sources
Reference Page
 The last page of your research paper
 Your references MUST be in alphabetical order
 Double spaced
 If your reference goes to the next line, that second line must be
indented by pressing the “tab” key once
 NOW PRACTICE – go to a citing your sources website
In-Text Citations



In-text citations are used after you paraphrase OR quote information published by
someone else.
For one author (Author’s name, year the content was published)
For two authors (Both author’s names, year)
Review
Search Engines
•Regular search
engines vs.
Metasearch
engines
•Search engines
that will
categorize the
information
•Search engines
that will allow
you to ask a
question
Internet Searching
Citing Sources
•Using
Advanced
Search
•Recording
important
information
•Using words
and symbols to
narrow your
search
•Putting your
information into
correct format
for a
bibliography
Now you’re ready to start your own research project. Happy
Internet searching!
Session 4: Getting Ready to
Write Your Research Paper
DO NOW
 “I would never think of taking _______________ without asking.”
Students will complete the sentence on the index card.
Students will swap as many cards as they can in 15 seconds!
Students will share the answers that are written on the card.
BE SURE NOT TO PLAGIARIZE!

What is plagiarism?
 Literary theft
 Taking someone else’s words and ideas without permission

To avoid plagiarism, give CREDIT whenever you:
 Use another’s ideas, theories
 any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings—any pieces of information
that are not common knowledge;
 quotations of another person’s actual spoken or written words; or
 paraphrase of another person’s spoken or written words.
Strategies to Avoid Plagiarism:
 Put in quotations everything that comes directly from the text
especially when taking notes.
 Paraphrase, but be sure you are not just rearranging or
replacing a few words.
 Instead, read over what you want to paraphrase carefully;
cover up the text with your hand, or close the text so you
can’t see any of it (and so aren’t tempted to use the text as a
“guide”). Write out the idea in your own words without
peeking.
 Check your paraphrase against the original text to be sure
you have not accidentally used the same phrases or words,
and that the information is accurate.
Paraphrase

What is paraphrasing?
 Express an author’s idea in your own words
 BUT you MUST reference the place where you got the
original idea from EVEN though this is in your own words.

Quoting
 If you use someone else’s work word for word, you MUST
put quotation marks around the sentences you are using
and tell where you got this information from.
Activity – Plagiarism vs. Paraphrasing

1. Students will visit the following website
to determine if the situations are
plagiarism or not:
http://www.scsk12.org/scs/trpages/hs_webquests/chs_plagiarism/page3.html
2. HOW TO RECOGNIZE PLAGIARISM:
https://www.indiana.edu/~istd/plagiarism_test.html
Create An Outline

Why?





Aids in the process of writing
Helps you organize your ideas
Presents your material in a logical sequence
Constructs and ordered format of your writing
HOW?
 Determine the purpose of your paper
 Determine the audience you are writing for
 Develop the main point of your paper




Brainstorm – list all of the ideas you want to include
Organize – group related ideas together
Order – arrange materials in subsections from general to
specific
Create main and subheadings
Choose an Appropriate Topic


PAPER PURPOSE – objectively analyze an environmental
topic using known scientific facts relevant to the issue
For example – the effects of climate change on:





OR: the effects/benefits of:






Specific geographic ranges
Coastal wetlands
Water resources in_____ (choose a place)
Native plants
Transportation on wildlife movement
Invasive species on biodiversity
Habitat fragmentation on biodiversity
Recycling for decreased waste production
OR Conservation of a certain species
OR –see next slide for a variety of other topics
Choose an Appropriate Topic











Pacific Garbage Patch
Population and Consumption
Energy Consumption
Fossil Fuels Emissions
Air Pollution/Air Quality
Water Resources and Fresh Ecosystems/Water Pollution
Agriculture and Food
Deforestation
Biodiversity and Species Extinction
Waste Management/Recycling
Ozone Depletion
Students when they walk in to my class will be assigned a number, either 1 or 2. They will
receive an index card with one of the above topics written on it. They will work in groups of 2.
They will briefly research what the topic is and why it occurs. They will share their findings
with the class including the source they found. This can help students choose a topic they
Outline for your Research Paper






PAPER PURPOSE – objectively analyze an environmental topic using known scientific
facts relevant to the issue
Introduction
 Briefly - What is deforestation? Where is this occurring and why?
 Why is this important to focus on?
 Why did you choose this particular topic? Why does this interest you?
Background
 More in depth description of deforestation
 How does deforestation occur?
Environmental Impacts Associated with deforestation
 What are the environmental costs/issues associate with deforestation? Both
immediate and long term effects
 What happens to wildlife? What happens to air quality? What happens to
vegetation? What are the impacts of deforestation?
 How has it worsened over the years? Compare and contract today from years ago
What are potential solutions or ways to avoid this from taking place?
Conclusion



Summarize the major points of your paper
Describe future directions for research in this area
Cite your Sources


They must be cited within the paper
Have a separate “References” page copying and pasting the citation format from Citationmachine.net
Outline for your Research Paper




INTRODUCTION - a brief introduction leading into the topic of environmental pollution
BODY:
 Various types of pollution
 Air Pollution
 Water Pollution
 What are the causes?
 Fumes from factories
 Fumes from cars
 Sewage contamination etc
 Immediate effects of environmental pollution
 Long-term repercussions on human and animal lives
 Measures taken to slow down pollution
Conclusion
 Analytical summary
 Causes and effects of pollution
 Measures taken to control it
 Concluding remarks
Cite your Sources
 They must be cited within the paper
 Have a separate “References” page copying and pasting the citation format from
Citationmachine.net
Paper Format Guidelines







Cover Page: include the title of your research paper, your name, date, Mrs.
Palivoda’s name and the class Day and Period
No more than 5 pages
Double spaced
12-14 point Times New Roman font
1” margins
Pages numbered with the numbers at the bottom right of each page
References Sheet at the end citing all of your sources using APA Format the formal, proper citation format from www.citationmachine.net
Some Helpful Suggestions





Bookmark the websites that you want to return to.
Be sure to record your websites that you like and will be using on a
reference sheet in Word, so you may refer to them throughout your
research and to cite your sources
Use Quotes that “hook” the reader in and make the paper more
interesting
Use a strong and interesting opening paragraph for your research
and focus your paper so the reader know what you will focus on
Put your personal interest/opinion in the paper’s conclusion