As the Internet becomes more of a daily part of our lives the ability to effectively search and locate information on the Internet is an important skill and can be essential for success. Without the
skills and strategies to search and locate information on the Internet, the process can become daunting. A single search can produce a huge amount of information. The University of Wisconsin-Madison, Steenbock Memorial Library, has some basic strategies for making your search more productive. Topics covered include:
Define Your Topic
Write down your topic Identify specific keywords
Identify broad subject areas
Identify organizations or government agencies
Use a Search Engine/Index
Learn one or tow search engines well.
Use lower case for most searches
Put the most unique word first Use phrase searching
Include or exclude words with + – symbols
Use the advanced/custom/power search options
Use field searching
Use truncation
Try different keyword combinations
Find Information Arranged by Subject
Use subject directories, Infomine: Scholarly Internet Resource Collections, Librarians’ Index to the Internet, Open Directory, etc.
Use Databases to Find Published Literature
A few databases are open for anyone: PubMed, MadCat, Google Scholar, Google Print, Scirus
Some databases are available to authorized users based on IP addresses or authorized passwords.
Some are only available in a library.
Evaluate Quality of Information
Checklist for Evaluating Web Sites
Consider Copyright Before Using
Assume most things on the Internet, including images, are copyrighted.
Learning to search the Internet opens up a huge resource of information and knowledge. Also don’t forget that if you have children be sure and teach them how to safely use the Internet to find answers to their own questions.
“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime” – Author unknown
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