Internet Searching Basics

The Internet is one of the best sources of information available today.  The first thing that the user must be aware of is that there is a difference between web accessible information and a web site. Web Accessible information includes databases, online journals and other academic materials that are available through a web service. These materials have been reviewed and approved by librarians and other academics, and posted on the UT Libraries homepage. A Web Site, on the other hand, is usually a personal or corporate site, with little or no credibility. These are the types of pages you will mainly find when you search a search engine. In this tutorial, the information to which we are referring is the type found in a web site.

When using a search engine, there is almost no limit to the types of information that you can find in a matter of seconds.  But there is also nearly no limit to the number of search results you get when attempting to locate information on the Internet.  For these reasons the Internet can both help and hinder your ability to find Information.   With so much information available it is important to know how to effectively search the Internet.  This module will introduce you to the basics of searching the Internet, including an introduction to search engines, types of information that are easy to find online, types that should not be searched for online, and general tips for effectively searching the Internet.