How to Find Information Online is relatively simple, but finding reliable sources can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are several resources you can use, from Search engines to Online library guides to periodicals to fee-based databases. In this article, we will look at the different ways to find information online. To begin, you can use keywords to narrow down your search. To learn more, watch this short video from the University of Otago, Wellington.
Search engines
When people think about computers, they often associate search engines with internet-based computing and computer technology. But early work in search systems predates electronic computing. The first general-purpose electronic computer, known as the ENIAC, was finished in November 1945, and its announcement came two months later. It would be another decade before search engines were readily available on the Internet. So why do we rely on search engines to find information? Here are some reasons why.
Online library guides
Many libraries use subject guides and pathfinders to help patrons find the information they need. These guides were traditionally created before the digital age, but they were made available online as libraries built web sites and began to use the internet as a research tool. The advent of the LibGuides platform and content management systems in 2007 increased the frequency of guide creation, making it easier for librarians to create and update guides on-the-fly. As a result, guides now contain more links than ever before.
Periodicals
When looking for information, it’s useful to read periodicals. Often times, they are the first written record of events in history. You may not know that the journal you’re reading is the closest thing to the event itself. In this way, you can make an informed decision about whether to purchase the issue. Alternatively, you can consult a librarian for help finding a periodical online. Evaluating an article should be similar to evaluating a web page.
Fee-based databases
In this article, we look at some statistics about search engine usage, review a few databases relevant to the social sciences, and discuss the relevance of fee-based databases to researchers. Fee-based databases are an important part of many libraries and continue to play an important role in research. Despite the proliferation of free databases, the value of fee-based databases in the research process cannot be overstated. These databases continue to play an important role in the expanding resources of all libraries.
RSS readers
RSS readers make it easy to follow and organize your news. They display a list of items, usually presented in chronological order. Each item contains a simple title, a more detailed description, and a link to the Web page where you can find the full content. RSS is an excellent way to stay on top of your shopping lists. If you use it to keep track of your Craigslist purchases, you can enable RSS feeds.
Checking urls
You should understand how to check URLs and what they mean before trying to access a website. A URL is a unique code assigned to each website that points to a specific location. In webtext, URLs are organized into different sections, each focusing on a part of the url. To test your knowledge of URLs, try the quiz at the end. First, you should know what the domain name is. The domain name is the name of the site that contains the page. It is usually found before the first single slash (/) or after the last letter. Domain names are generally bolded in the address bar of most browsers.
Using a primary source
One of the first steps in researching a topic is to determine whether the information you’re seeking is secondary or primary. The latter term refers to information that has been produced by individuals who witnessed the event or who have written about it. Primary sources are generally the only source of this information, since secondary sources tend to be produced by people who are not directly involved in the topic. Secondary sources often include opinions and analysis of primary sources, but may also include supplementary data.