TEN TIPS FOR BETTER INTERNET SUCCESS

courtesy of the Eldredge Public Library
  1. Whenever possible, bypass search engines altogether -- try guessing the URL
    EXAMPLES:
    http//www.disney.com
    http//www.washingtonpost.com
    Save links you use often in a bookmark file.
    Observe URLs: look for patterns.

  2. Know the difference between different types of search engines.
    Directory-based search engines like Yahoo! arrange web sites by subjects (nice for browsing). index pages only by title. Yahoo! chooses what to add to directory. True search engines like AltaVista, Hotbot, and Infoseek send robots out to scan for new or updated documents. Each index 50 - 100 million full text pages. They have more advanced capabilities.

  3. Learn to think differently about subject keywords.
    In searching the RCLS catalog we work with a list of subject headings usually very general. Searching for something very specific does not work with the card catalog. In searching the internet, we need to select keywords that best describe what we are looking for. Many words have multiple meanings. "Java could refer to coffee, a country, or a special computer program.

  4. Choose the most descriptive keywords possible.
    A patron heard that Anne Rice was marketing a Chardonnay wine in honor of her vampire character, Lestat. To purchase a bottle, he needed to know who sold it. Searching for vampire and for wine yielded many results, but no answer. Searching for Lestat and Chardonnay took us right to Anne Rice's web site!

  5. The Internet is case-sensitive.
    Use upper case letters for proper nouns. This can be especially important when words have multiple meanings, such as Tiger Woods or Faith Popcorn.

  6. Use Quotation Marks to keep words together in a phrase.
    A patron needs the full text of Shakespeare's sonnet, which begins "Shall I compare thee to a summer day"" Enter the phrase in quotes to search for the exact order. Use quotes around proper names, such as "Anne Rice"

  7. Use the + (plus) sign in front of words which must appear in your results.
    A student is working on a report about Jethro Tull who invented something to do with agriculture during the 1700's. She has tried searching the Web, but keeps getting information about the rock band with the same name.
    EXAMPLE:
    "Jethro Tull" +agriculture

  8. Use the - (minus) sign in front of a word that must NOT appear in your results.
    EXAMPLE:
    "Jethro Tull" -music

  9. When you find a good web page, scan it for keywords and use them to refine your search.
    If you look at the first 5 - 10 sites brought up by your search, you may find a site that is exactly what you're looking for. Look carefully at this page and check it for keywords. Some search engines offer a link to "more sites like this one" or "similar sites."

  10. Learn one or two search engines well.
    Most search engines offer advanced search capabilities. Choose a search engine and learn these advanced strategies. Teach yourself by looking up topics that are FUN for you. Try researching a hobby or an interesting fact.

FEELING CONFIDENT USING THE INTERNET TAKES PRACTICE!

Resources:

Search Engines for the World Wide Web, by Alfred and Emily Glossbrenner. Peachpit Press, 1998
Netscape's "New to the Net" site has comparisons of search engines as well as a great glossary of Internet terms. New to the Net