What to Search For

Some types of information lend themselves well to being found on the Internet. Most of this information is non-research related and can be found in abundant amounts online.  If you need a quick, factual answer or a general introduction to a topic, then the Internet could be the best place to start.  Also, new means of sharing information, such as blogs, wikis, electronic discussion boards, and listservs can often only be searched or accessed through an Internet search.    

• Quick Facts:
  Often we only need to know something very basic about a topic, such as the date that an event occurred, the location of a place, the proper spelling of a word, or the definition or synonyms for a term.  When this is the case, a search of the Internet can lead you to your answer in a matter of seconds.*

  *Always remember to double-check your facts!  Even if you are looking for just a small piece of information, compare the answers on a few different sites then find your way to the library to confirm what you’ve found.

• General Introductions:
  When you are faced with a new topic that you know nothing about and you want to find out more before you begin your research, searching the Internet can be a great place to start.

  For example, if you are faced with researching a person or event that you know nothing about, you can search the Internet to get the basics.  When looking for information on a person, you’ll often be able to find out when and where they were born, what their occupation was, where they went to school or what events or activities they were involved in. 

  When looking for information on an event, you can search the Internet to find out when and where it took place, and who was involved in the event.  All of this information can help you to focus in on what you will need to know when you are ready to start your official research.

• Blogs, Wikis, Discussion Boards, and Listservs:   
  When attempting to find very recent information on a person, place, or event, you will often need to refer to newer, less conventional means of sharing information.  Some of the more well-known and well-used methods include blogs, wikis, and electronic discussion boards and listservs.  These resources are just recently being accepted as relevant sources of information for research, but they are not as yet accessible through library databases.  The majority of them, however, can be searched on the Internet, giving you access to the most current information available*.

  *Most of these resources are seen as “non-scholarly”.  Remember that many people use these resources to state their opinions, not facts, so use with caution.

  blog: Shortened form of Weblog, often defined as an online diary.  According to Webster’s New Millennium Dictionary, a blog is “[A] personal Web site that provides updated headlines and news articles of other sites that are of interest to the user, also may include journal entries, commentaries and recommendations compiled by the user.”

  Wiki: From the ODLIS, a wiki is "[a] Web application that allows users to add content to a collaborative hypertext Web resource (coauthoring), as in an Internet forum, and permits others to edit that content (open editing)". (According to the Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science“a collaborative Web site set up to allow user editing and adding of content”

  Wikipedia is probably the most well-known example of a wiki.

  

  Electronic Discussion Board: An electronic discussion board is a "[c]omputer discussion area where individuals can post messages and other individuals will respond at a later time." - http://www.teach-nology.com/glossary/terms/e/

  Listserv:According to the Encarta Webster's Dictionary of the English Language, a Listserv is "a mailing list management system that allows subscribers to take part in e-mail discussions."

• Non-Research Related Information:
  Hidden in all of the information that you will find on the Internet will be what you are really looking for when you research.  All of the remaining information that you find tends to be non-research related.  These things include recipes, personal images, and many shopping sites, amongst other things.  You may also find medical and legal information online when you search, but the Internet is not the recommended source for locating this type of information.