Research on the Internet

• Ways to Access Information on the Internet
• How to Evaluate Web Resources

The internet provides access to a wealth of information on countless topics contributed by people throughout the world. On the internet, a user has access to a wide variety of services: electronic mail, file transfer, vast information resources, interest group membership, interactive collaboration, multimedia displays, and more. The internet is not a library in which all its available items are identified and can be retrieved by a single catalog. In fact, no one knows how many individual files reside on the internet. The number certainly runs into the many millions and is growing at a rapid pace.

The internet is a self-publishing medium. This means that anyone with a small amount of technical skill and access to a host computer can publish on the internet. It is important to remember this when you locate sites in the course of your research. Internet sites change over time according to the commitment and inclination of the site creator. Some sites demonstrate an expert's knowledge, while others are amateur efforts and are either questionably helpful or provide information that is just plain inaccurate. Some are updated daily, while others may be outdated. Also be aware that the addresses of internet sites frequently change, and web sites can disappear altogether. Do not expect stability on the internet. As with any information resource, it is important to evaluate what you find on the internet.

Ways to Access Information on the Internet   

1. Join an e-mail discussion group of Usenet newsgroup

You may want to join the thousands of e-mail discussion groups or Usenet newsgroups. These groups cover a wealth of topics. You can ask questions of the experts and read the answers to questions that others ask. Belonging to these groups is somewhat like receiving a daily newspaper on topics that interest you. These groups provide a good way of keeping up with what is being discussed on the internet about your subject area. In addition, they can help you find out how to locate information that you want.

E-mail discussion groups tend to be associated with academic institutions. Many topics are scholarly in nature, and it is not unusual for experts in the field to be among the participants. In contrast, Usenet newsgroups cover a far wider variety of topics and participants have a range of expertise. Be careful to evaluate the knowledge and opinions offered in any discussion forum.

A good web-based directory to assist in locating e-mail discussion groups and Usenet newsgroups is Liszt, located at www.liszt.com.

2. Go directly to a site if you have the address

If you know the internet address of a site you wish to visit, you can use a web browser to access that site. All you need to do is type the URL in the appropriate location window. URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator, and it specifies the internet address of the electronic document. Every file on the internet has a unique URL. Web browsers use the URL to retrieve the file form the host computer and the directory in which it resides. This file then displayed on the user's computer monitor. The format of the URL is as follows: protocol://host/path/filename.

3. Browse

Browsing home pages on the web is a haphazard but interesting way of finding desired material on the internet. Because the creator of a home page programs each link, you never know where these links might lead. High quality starting pages will contain high quality links.

4. Explore a subject directory

An increasing number of universities, libraries, companies, organizations, and even volunteers are creating subject directories to catalog portions of the internet. These directories are organized by subject and consist of links to internet resources relating to these subjects. The major subject directories available on the web tend to have overlapping but different databases. Most directories provide a search capability that allows you to query the database on your topic of interest.

Recommended starting points:

The Argus Clearinghouse

One of the highest quality subject directories on the internet. This site consists of rated collections of recommended sites organized into subject-specific guides. The guide authors are often specialists in the field. This site is highly recommended for academic research.

The WWW Virtual Library

One of the oldest and most respected subject directories on the web. This directory consists of individual subject collections, many of which are maintained at universities throughout the world.

INFOMINE

A large directory of web sites of scholarly interest complied a the University of California, Riverside. The directory may be browsed or searched by subject, keyword, or title. Each site listed is accompanied by a description.

5. Conduct a search using a web search engine
   

   An internet search engine allows the user to enter keywords relating to a topic and retrieve information about internet sites containing those keywords. Search engines have the advantage of offering access to a vast range of information resources located on the internet. Keep in mind that some of the resources they collect may be outdated, inaccurate, or incomplete. Other, of course, may come form responsible sources and provide you with valuable information. Many search engines compile a database spanning multiple internet protocols, including HTTP, FTP, and Usenet. Web search engines tend to be developed by private companies, though most of them are available free of charge.

   Among the most prominent and useful search engines are:

   • AltaVista
   • Infoseek
   • MetaCrawler
   • The Internet Sleuth

How to Evaluate Web Resources   

The web give anyone with a computer and access to a serve the equivalent of a printing press. Thus, the web is full of information--from useful to useless. Nearly any kind of information can be found on the web: from the most explicit sexual materials to serious medical advice; from the rants of adolescents to the work of philosophers; from crackpots claiming the Holocaust never happened to the latest news and weather. How can users judge which information is worthwhile and which is not? Here's some advice on making such determinations.

This is a "toolbox" of six major criteria that enable internet information sources to be evaluated for use. It is understood that some of these questions may not apply to the site you critique and may not be answerable by you. It is expected that you be able to at least address the scope, content, graphic design, etc., and as many of the smaller items (breadth, depth, time, etc.) as possible.

Scope

Breadth

• What subject areas, topics, or items are covered?
• Are all aspects of the subject covered, or just certain portions?
• Does it include related subjects?

Depth

• To what level of detail in the topic area does the resource go?

Time

• Is the information in the resource limited to certain time periods?

Format

• Are certain kinds of internet sources excluded (i.e., gopher, FTP, telnet)?
• What kind of web site is it?
  • Commercial = .com
  • Educational = .edu
  • Military = .mil
  • Government = .gov
  • Nonprofit Organization = .org
  • Network and Service Providers = .net

Content

Accuracy

• Does the information appear to be factual or based on personal opinion?
• Does the information in the resource appear accurate?
• Is it possible to check this information against other resources?
• Are there obvious political, religious, worldview, or ideological biases?

Authority

• Does the resource have some reputable organization behind it?
• Does the author have standing in the field? Is there information on the author's credentials, expertise, education, training, title, position, and e-mail or mail address?
• Are sources of information clearly stated?
• Is the information verifiable?
• Can the author be contacted for clarification or to be informed of new information?

Currency

• How frequently is the resource updated?
• Are the dates of update stated?
• Does the organization or person hosting the resource appear to have a commitment to the ongoing maintenance and stability of the resource?

Uniqueness

• Is the information in this resource available in other forms (i.e., other sites, Gopher, WWW, print, CD-ROM)?
• What advantage does this particular resource have over these other forms?
• If the resource is derived from another format (for example, print) does it have all the features of the original? Have extra features been added?

Links Made to Other Resources

• If the value of the site lies in its links to other resources, are the links kept up to date, and made to appropriate resources?
• Are the links made in such a way that it is clear that an external site is being referred to?

Quality of writing

• Is the text well-written?
• Is the information communicated clearly?

Graphic and Multimedia Design

• Is the resource interesting to look at?
• Do the visual effects enhance the resource or distract from the content, or substitute for content?
• If audio, video, virtual reality modeling, etc. are used, are the appropriate to the purpose of the source?

Purpose and Audience

• What is the purpose of the resource? It is clearly stated?
• Does the resource fulfill the stated purpose?
• Who are the intended users of this resource?
• At what level is the resource pitched: a subject expert, a layperson, a college student, etc.?
• Does the resource appeal to the intended audience?

Workability

User Friendliness

• Is the resource convenient and easy to use?
• Are any special commands clear?
• Is help information available?

Required Computing Environment

• Can the resource be accessed with standard equipment and software, or are there special software, password, or network requirements?

Searching

• How effectively can information be retrieved from the resource?
• Is the resource organized in a logical manner to facilitate the location of information?
• Is the organizational scheme apparent and appropriate?

Interactivity

• Where interactive features are provided, do these work? Do they add value to the site?

Connectivity

• Can the resource be accessed reliably, or is it frequently overloaded or offline?

Cost

• Are there costs related to connecting to the resource?
• Are there costs related to using information contained in the resource?