The internet itself is a vast highway without visible road signs. This book provides the roadmap to navigate the internet successfully, efficiently and quickly, to find the information needed. With examples that are easy to understand by even the "technologically impaired", you will be able to surf the internet for any details, publications, or information that you need. This indispensable resource will become a handy reference book for everyone's library, regardless of their current internet research abilities. Topics covered include: The History of the Internet -- Where did it come from and how did it evolve into its current form?; Methods of Searching -- How to complete an effective search using any type of search engine; Search Engines -- How do they differ from each other and why the most popular ones are generally the wrong choice in search engines; The Invisible Web -- Why the web's least known element is vital to understand and to use in order to conduct effective research?; In today's complex world there is a definitive need for internet research that goes beyond simple "googling". Those who possess such skills will have a tremendous advantage over friends and colleagues who are unaware of these cutting edge, tips and strategies showing the correct way to conduct internet research. Knowing the secrets to perform effective internet research will have a profound effect on readers' abilities to collect important information for both their personal and business use.

This book will be vital reading for anyone doing research, since using the web to find high quality information is a key research skill. It introduces beginners and experts alike to the most effective techniques for searching the web, assessing and organising information and using it in a range of scenarios from undergraduate essays and projects to PhD research. Nigel Ford shows how using the web poses opportunities and challenges that impact on student research at every level, and he explains the skills needed to navigate the web and use it effectively to produce high quality work. Ford connects online skills to the research process. He helps readers to understand research questions and how to answer them by constructing arguments and presenting evidence in ways that will enhance their impact and credibility. The book includes clear and helpful coverage of beginner and advanced search tools and techniques, as well as the processes of: @!critically evaluating online information @!creating and presenting evidence-based arguments @!organizing, storing and sharing information @!referencing, copyright and plagiarism. As well as providing all the basic techniques students need to find high quality information on the web, this book will help readers use this information effectively in their own research. Nigel Ford is Professor in the University of Sheffield′s Information School.

Written by a professor of computer science and a reference librarian, this guide covers basic browser usage, e-mail, and discussion groups; discusses such Internet staples as FTP and Usenet newsgroups; presents and compares numerous search engines; and includes models for acquiring, evaluating, and citing resources within the context of a research project. The emphasis of the book is on learning how to create search strategies and search expressions, how to evaluate information critically, and how to cite resources. All of these skills are presented as within the context of step-by-step activities designed to teach basic Internet research skills to the beginner and to hone the skills of the seasoned practitioner.

How to be a great online searcher, demonstrated with step-by-step searches for answers to a series of intriguing questions (for example, “Is that plant poisonous?”). We all know how to look up something online by typing words into a search engine. We do this so often that we have made the most famous search engine a verb: we Google it—“Japan population” or “Nobel Peace Prize” or “poison ivy” or whatever we want to know. But knowing how to Google something doesn't make us search experts; there's much more we can do to access the massive collective knowledge available online. In The Joy of Search, Daniel Russell shows us how to be great online researchers. We don't have to be computer geeks or a scholar searching out obscure facts; we just need to know some basic methods. Russell demonstrates these methods with step-by-step searches for answers to a series of intriguing questions—from “what is the wrong side of a towel?” to “what is the most likely way you will die?” Along the way, readers will discover essential tools for effective online searches—and learn some fascinating facts and interesting stories. Russell explains how to frame search queries so they will yield information and describes the best ways to use such resources as Google Earth, Google Scholar, Wikipedia, and Wikimedia. He shows when to put search terms in double quotes, how to use the operator (*), why metadata is important, and how to triangulate information from multiple sources. By the end of this engaging journey of discovering, readers will have the definitive answer to why the best online searches involve more than typing a few words into Google.

In How to Find Out Anything, master researcher Don MacLeod explains how to find what you're looking for quickly, efficiently, and accurately—and how to avoid the most common mistakes of the Google Age. Not your average research book, How to Find Out Anything shows you how to unveil nearly anything about anyone. From top CEO’s salaries to police records, you’ll learn little-known tricks for discovering the exact information you’re looking for. You’ll learn: •How to really tap the power of Google, and why Google is the best place to start a search, but never the best place to finish it. •The scoop on vast, yet little-known online resources that search engines cannot scour, such as refdesk.com, ipl.org, the University of Michigan Documents Center, and Project Gutenberg, among many others. •How to access free government resources (and put your tax dollars to good use). •How to find experts and other people with special knowledge. •How to dig up seemingly confidential information on people and businesses, from public and private companies to non-profits and international companies. Whether researching for a term paper or digging up dirt on an ex, the advice in this book arms you with the sleuthing skills to tackle any mystery.

Online Searching is your complete guide to becoming a superstar searcher, wielding advanced searching features, strategies, and tactics for answering questions on any topic under the sun as well as finding answers in trusted, quality sources.

A practical guide to information hunting in cyberspace that illustrates the principles behind fast and effective Internet research, including finding an Internet provider, navigating the Internet and more.

Burke, author of Learning the Internet: A Workbook for Beginners (Professional Media, LJ 4/1/96), has written an excellent introduction to Internet research, suitable for both students and general readers. In a clear, conversational style, he describes the types of resources available on the Internet, general net search tools, and tools for finding specific resources (e.g., people, companies, files). Also included are guidelines for evaluating and citing web materials. Unlike some other recent guides on Internet research, such as Ned Fielden and Maria Garrido's Internet Research: Theory and Practice (Professional Media, LJ 4/1/99), this one does not attempt to cover all aspects of the research process or list net resources for various disciplines. Instead, it emphasizes matching the search tool to the information need and teaching the principles of effective searching. This narrower focus makes for a more practical text that will help searchers at nearly all levels use the Internet more productively. Highly recommended for all professional collections. Janet Crum, Oregon Health Sciences Univ. Lib., Portland-

This book addresses the growing problem of how to sort the quality sites from the mass of junk available. Uniquely, it suggests a system of criteria and guidelines, developed through empirical research, for selecting and evaluating high-quality information resources. It also advises on devising checklists and rating schemes for numerically evaluating the quality of information. This edition updates the user on the latest developments in Internet-based search tools for locating quality information including: search engines subject catalogues and directories rating and reviewing services subject-based gateway services virtual libraries. Information and guidance about the new Resource Discovery Network, the potential role and usefulness of metadata in locating quality information, and using web 'citations' for retrieving quality material have also been added to this edition. Step-by-step examples have been included on how to evaluate particular types of resources available via the Internet.

Internet searchers reveal how they get the best out of the Internet with tips, techniques and case histories