Web Search Evaluation & Citation

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
   1. Course Background
   2. Prepare to Search
   3. Search Examples
2. Learn
   1. Searching
   2. Subject Guides
   3. Subject Guides Example
   4. Web Directories
   5. Web Directories Example
   6. Search Engines
   7. Search Engine Example
   8. MetaSearch Engines
   9. MetaSearch Engine Example
   10. Preparing to Search
   11. Think about your topic
   12. List Search Terms
   13. Communicating with Search Tools
   14. Search Operator: AND
   15. Search Operator: OR
   16. Search Operator: NOT
   17. Advanced Searches
   18. Evaluation
   19. Finding Information
   20. Validating Sources
   21. Using Alexa
   22. Using Wayback Machine
   23. Using Search Engines
   24. Citation
   25. Online Citation Tools
   26. Starting Noodle Tools
   27. Using Noodle
   28. Using Citation Machine
   29. Using Source Aid
3. Practice
   1. Searching
   2. Evaluation
   3. Citation
4. Discuss
   1. WikiSpaces Discussion
5. Reflect & Assess
6. Collaborate & Contribute
   1. Feedback
7. Extend

Think about your topic

Two Steps to good searching

There are only two steps:

Step 1: Think about your topic

What questions are you trying to answer?

If you have been given an assignment with a page (or in some cases pages) of instructions, break out what you are searching for into a question.

Then determine how you are going to search for the elements of the question. Are you trying to find information about a: person; place; organization; or an object.

Write down any information that may be listed in the web page that you are looking for.

In this example, we'll be looking up information on John Adams and the American Revolution.

First we'll write down some ideas.

John Adams, Samuel Adams, Boston, Colonies, Stamp Act, Tea Party, Sons of Liberty