Strategies for Conducting Strategies for Conducting Research on the InternetResearch on the Internet

Angela CarrittAngela CarrittUser User Education Coordinator, Oxford University Library Services Coordinator, Oxford University Library Services

Penny SchenkPenny SchenkICT Officer, Bodleian Law LibraryICT Officer, Bodleian Law Library

November 30, 2009November 30, 2009

OutlineOutline

Tools to find free materials on the WWWTools to find free materials on the WWW

EmphasisEmphasis– ReliabilityReliability– Choosing the right tool for the jobChoosing the right tool for the job

Tips on evaluating web resourcesTips on evaluating web resources

Hands onHands on

ResourcesResources

Search EnginesSearch Engines– Google ScholarGoogle Scholar– Microsoft AcademicMicrosoft Academic– Phil Bradley pagePhil Bradley page– News searchNews search– real-timereal-time– roll your ownroll your own

DirectoriesDirectories– IntuteIntute– DMOZDMOZ– And others….And others….

Academic Search Engines Academic Search Engines

& Google Scholar& Google Scholar

Google ScholarGoogle Scholar

Searches…Searches…– Peer reviewed / scholarly journals and papers (many behind pay Peer reviewed / scholarly journals and papers (many behind pay

wall)wall)– BooksBooks– Scholarly web sitesScholarly web sites

So, what does it search?So, what does it search?– It’s a secretIt’s a secret

What do you get?What do you get?– CitationCitation– Full Text (“Free” content / Findit@Oxford / versions)Full Text (“Free” content / Findit@Oxford / versions)– Times citedTimes cited– Related InfoRelated Info– Export to reference management software (Endnote / RefWorks)Export to reference management software (Endnote / RefWorks)

Scholar preferences •set your computer to link to Oxford’s resources•set preferences for exporting to reference management software

USA Federal and state cases / opinions

Options for more precise searching

Phrase searching. E.g. useful for countries (e.g South Africa), names of events / organisations (United Nations), concepts (“human rights” “climate change” etc)

At least one word: boolean OR. Use for synonyms (e.g. women / female, war / conflict).

In title can be useful to narrow down results

Link to different versions (ie same title / author). Can be useful if full text if not available because you may find a different “version” in an “institutional repository”, as a conference paper, on the web.

Times this article has been cited…by other items on Google Scholar

Check for full text in Oxford’s subscription databases

Bibliographic details – you’ll need these to find the article (in print and online)

Notice how Google adds notation & punctuation to your search to show phrases, OR etc. Once you are familiar with this you can create your own searches.

Other scholarly search Other scholarly search enginesengines

Microsoft Academic Search @ Microsoft Academic Search @ http://academic.research.microsoft.com/http://academic.research.microsoft.com/– Computing and Technology only (at the Computing and Technology only (at the

moment)moment)– Searches journals, conference papers…Searches journals, conference papers…

Specialist Search EnginesSpecialist Search Engines

Phil Bradley’s search engine pagePhil Bradley’s search engine pagehttp://www.philb.com/whichengine.htmhttp://www.philb.com/whichengine.htm

Specialist search enginesSpecialist search engines

News searchNews search– SilobreakerSilobreaker

360 degree search360 degree search

NetworkNetwork

Hot spots mapHot spots map

Advantages:Advantages:– UUp-to-date informationp-to-date information– VVariety of search optionsariety of search options

Silobreaker search onSilobreaker search onCopenhagen climate Copenhagen climate

conferenceconference

Silobreaker search onSilobreaker search onCopenhagen climate Copenhagen climate

conferenceconference

Collecta.com – real time Collecta.com – real time searchsearch

Real-time search – next big thing?Real-time search – next big thing?

Advantages:Advantages:– ImmediacyImmediacy– Searches wide variety of contentSearches wide variety of content

Collecta.comCollecta.comSearch on AfghanistanSearch on Afghanistan

Rollyo – Roll your own Rollyo – Roll your own searchsearch

Google custom searchGoogle custom search

DirectoriesDirectories

Directories: A different Directories: A different approachapproach

SelectedSelected resources resources – Fewer resultsFewer results– Better results?...if selected by experts Better results?...if selected by experts – May not include all the relevant resourcesMay not include all the relevant resources– May not include the most recent resourcesMay not include the most recent resources

Browsable / OrganisedBrowsable / Organised – can often browse – can often browse resources as well as searchingresources as well as searchingCan often Can often limitlimit your search to particular document your search to particular document types (e.g. full text journal articles, conference types (e.g. full text journal articles, conference papers, primary materials, blogs…)papers, primary materials, blogs…)

http://www.intute.ac.ukhttp://www.intute.ac.ukFrom the UK academic communityFrom the UK academic communityHigh quality resources selected by High quality resources selected by academics, subject specialists, academics, subject specialists, librarianslibrarians

Filter by…limits your search to particular document types (e.g. journal articles, conference papers, research guides)

Filter by “Resource guides and directories” is particular good for linking to other more specialised directories for your subject

Browsing

Searching. What are you searching? Intute records/ descriptions not the actual web sites. To search the actual web sites listed on Intute use the Intute “custom” search engine.

MyIntute – personalised features including alerts / RSS feeds

http://www.dmoz.org/http://www.dmoz.org/

People created web directory People created web directory

To contribute content users must be able To contribute content users must be able to demonstrate subject knowledgeto demonstrate subject knowledge

Dmoz homepageDmoz homepage

Other directories Other directories

Infomine @ http://infomine.ucr.edu/ Infomine @ http://infomine.ucr.edu/ – Multi-disciplinary directory from University of Multi-disciplinary directory from University of

CaliforniaCalifornia

WWW Virtual Library @ http://vlib.org/WWW Virtual Library @ http://vlib.org/Portals to the World @ Portals to the World @ www.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.htmlwww.loc.gov/rr/international/portals.html– Library of CongressLibrary of Congress– Directories of resources for different countriesDirectories of resources for different countries

Find directories for your subjectFind directories for your subjectIntute – Browse to your subject – Filter by Intute – Browse to your subject – Filter by resource guides and directories. resource guides and directories.

Who wrote it?Is there an about section?

Can you find out about them?

Is it peer reviewed? Or published in a source you

trust?

Is it inappropriately biased?

Is it up to date?•Last updated statement

•Last article cited•Last event mentioned

Do the facts match you own existing knowledge ?

Where is it hosted? Do you trust the host?

.ac.uk / .edu / .gov / .bbc

Is it reliable? Questions to Is it reliable? Questions to askask

Who’s linking to it / who’s not?