The Beginner's Guide to Internet Research

We've all been there, whether you're a student, a parent, a patient or an enthusiast, there have been (and will be) many points in our lives when we needed a question (or many) answered that isn't common knowledge. So we set out to find the answer - or do research. When it comes to research, the first question on most peoples' minds is "Where do I begin?" This guide is meant to help you understand the basics to find your answers.

STEP 1: Define your research topic.

- Write down the simplest question that needs to be answered. "Do cats see in color?" "Who are the Louisiana Tigers?" "What is the difference between Alzheimer's and forgetfulness?" "Did Spanish Conquistadors have canteens to carry water?" "What is the real cause of inflated gas prices?"

- Determine the scope of the answer you need. If you type the questions above into an internet search engine like Google, you are going to get varying results. You might find answers, You might find that you have more questions to answer. You might get no answers whatsoever.

- Quick answers to easy questions can often be found using an internet search engine."Do cats see in color?" is a question that can be researched using a broad internet search engine.

- Some questions seem like they have easy answers, but are too broad in scope. "Who are the Louisiana Tigers?" If you use an internet search engine to ask this question, your answer could be a sports team or a Civil War regiment. Are you answering the question for a history assignment? Or for a different reason? This is a question that would better be answered after learning about subject headings. (See Step 2)

- Some questions need more than a quick answer. "What is the difference between Alzheimer's and forgetfulness?" My first guess is that the person asking this question might have more concerns than just answering the question. A quick answer from the world wide web might not have enough information - or even the correct information. This is a question that would better be answered from a reliable source. (See Step 2)

- Some questions may be simple, but they're so obscure that the answer requires doing deeper research. "Did Spanish Conquistadors use canteens to carry water?" This is the type of question I would ask myself while writing a period correct story. Google doesn't know how to approach a question like this, because as simple as it is, it's not a commonly asked question. Finding other ways to ask this question might be useful, defining subject headings and keywords, and locating books about the history of the canteen, or the era of the Conquistadors might be useful. Finding a reliable source is also important. This is a question that might best be answered using a subscription database, or the help of a professional (See Step 2)

- Some questions don't have an answer, as opposed to having a broad range of opinions. "What is the cause of inflated gas prices?" If you ask this question of a search engine, you'll get answers. But each article that is found is likely to have a different answer according to the person who wrote it. This is the kind of question that needs comparable answers from reliable sources so that you can decide on your own answer. Knowing how to choose a reliable database is important here (See Step 2).

STEP 2: Find reliable sources for your answers.

-Wikipedia.com is a fantastic source for quick answers. And I recommend it "AS A STARTING POINT." But go to Wikipedia.com, and check out the definition of the word "wikiality," and you'll understand why I only recommend it as a starting point. Anyone can post anything on the World Wide Web and claim that it's true. So it's important to find sources of information that are more likely to be true than are others.

-How do you find reliable information?
-If you Google "Do cats see color," you will com up with a list of websites that attempt to answer the question. Your first hits are, in theory, the most relevant. Does the first site answer your question? Does the second site give you the same answer? Check out two or three sites to help confirm you have a correct answer.
-Look for a website's 'resume.' A reliable website will have indicators to help you determine its authority on the topics it represents. Is the site represented by a reliable author, a noted university or a recognized organization? does the website have a list of reference material or links to other websites that corroborate the information given? If you can't find any of this information, choose another site.
-If you google a question, and come up with a wide range of answers, try limiting you answers by using subject headings. Library and subscription databases are built around researching by subject headings, and are beginning to better utilize keywords in their search mechanisms. What are Subject Headings? They are terms recognized by most libraries that help organize a broad range of subjects by category. Key word searching is different. If you do a key word search, you are allowing whatever search engine you are using to search documents and websites for the actual words mentioned in the document. For a more detailed explanation, check out http://www.mannlib.cornell.edu/researchtools/subject_search.cfm.
-Check out subscription databases. If you are a student, or if you are a member of a public library, there are many online subscription databases available to you for free. Most of these databases are reliable sources of information, and many are designed to offer information on specific subjects, such as Medical information, databases specific to science, history or the arts, and databases that access educational journals from sources who are recognized for their field of expertise. There are also databases that specialize in "point, counterpoint" perspectives that might be useful for questions like "What is the cause of inflated gas prices?" One of these databases is "Opposing Viewpoints," which can only be accessed with a subscription, or by using a a library that subscribes to the service.

STEP 3: Ask a Librarian!

Librarians are trained to help people find answers, so if you get stuck in your research process, visit a library. Most libraries are connected to the world wide web, and if you have a library card, you are more than likely able to ask your question through their website. They can help you find the right path to finding answers to your questions.


CITATIONS:

1. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiality#Wikipedia_references
2. Bolner, Myrtle S., and Gayle A. Poirer. The Research Process. 4th ed. Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing, 2007
3. "Library Catalog Subject Search" http://www.mannlib.cornell.edu/researchtools/subject_search.cfm, Cornell University, copyright 2008 accessed December 18, 2008.

Blog Reflection #9 - The Future of Libraries

I have to admit that I have mixed emotions about this being my last blog for this class. I have enjoyed it on the level of considering myself a writer. The saying says, "Writers write," and this blog challenges me to keep in practice. But the frustration that stems from "What do I say," and "How do I begin," is about to give me a break. I welcome the break. But deep down, I will miss the challenge.

Will I continue to blog on my own? Maybe... If this class parlays itself into a future employed in the librarian industry, then there's a good chance that blogging will play a part in it. As our week's readings pointed out, the internet, and the future of libraries are intertwined. The two factions have a symbiotic relationship, as opposed to a sometimes seemingly parasitic one. Internet technology will not kill the library. It will challenge it to grow and become more useful to a broader community. Because the internet is far from an infallible source of information, and some of our libraries could use a technology facelift.

Thank Christmas for a short blog this week. I'm off to finish my Holiday shopping!

Blog Reflection 8 - Library Instruction, (and how to use it)

It’s funny that the instructor’s choice for a blog reflection deals with what it deals with this week – library instruction, and how it currently factors into our overall experiences with it. I think that the library classes I have taken have proven to be very useful in teaching me how to utilize the full spectrum of resources at my fingertips. But there are still moments when all that I’ve learned seems to fail me.

Take this past week. We recently learned and used online databases for class research, and I navigated it pretty well. So, when one of my kids had an elementary school biome project due, I thought I had it made when it came to helping him find adaptations for three plants and three animals within an ocean biome – by helping him use the resources at his fingertips.

Getting an 8 year old to ‘come to the conclusion’ that certain elements of a plant or animal are adaptations to their environment without spelling it out can be a challenge in and of itself. But I tried to use online databases – science encyclopias and websites that were supposed to be designed for kids – to help him find his answers. I got answers, but at a level written to be understood by high school students. Finding information about red algae and its adaptations on a level that an 8 year old would understand – and find fun and interesting - proved to be far more difficult than some of our own class projects. And my teenager was of no help when he sensed my frustration and said, “just use Wikipedia, mom!”

But this is the nature of any reasearch, and especially with online databases, in my experience. It can be hit and miss. Personally, I felt frustrated, because this seemingly easy task of helping my 8 year old ‘find the information,’ did not end with satisfying results – and certainly not in the timeframe that his generation is ready to sit still for. Maybe that will develop as he grows, but my hunch is that, as a generation, it won’t.

Blog Reflection #3

This week's blog reflection is primarily about reference resources and how to use them effectively - not just one resource, but all tools and resources in conjunction with one another.

As our instructor has pointed out, today's generation is more apt to go straight to the internet - straight to Wikipedia, for all of their information needs. Wikipedia is a great information tool, right? So what's the problem? I'm going to quote a favorite political comedian of mine, Stephen Colbert, who coined a new word - "Wikiality." The concept of "wikiality" is that "any user can change an entry, and if enough users agree with them, it becomes true." (quote found at wikipedia.org - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wikiality#wikipedia-references. Sept 18, 2008). This is just one problem with using the internet as a sole resource for information. Too many cooks can spoil the soup with their own versions of the facts.

Don't get me wrong. I think Wikipedia (and the internet in general) is a fantastic research tool. But Colbert's experiment with the idea of wikiality is an example where the information available might not be as reliable as we think.

Physical libraries, on the other hand pose different sets of barriers to accessing information - we might call it a language barrier of sorts. That language barrier involves knowing the right terminology (subject headings, call numbers, broad topics as opposed to narrow topics, etc.) to convey your research needs to the librarians - and to the computers that access the information.

I think that the research interview is essential to learn for both the librarian and the researcher/patron. The example I used in my project posted below - the search for information on chain letters - is perfect to point out here. As a patron, I couldn't find the specific information I was looking for - The chain letter in a historical context. The key words and subject headings I chose weren't pointing me in the direction I was looking for, and the librarian - who accessed worldcat.org did find some books on the material, but under a subject heading that didn't help me - mail fraud.

Here is an example where the tools available to me the researcher, failed individually, but succeeded when used together. My own search on worldcat.org supplied me with a narrower list of book choices, where I could find a title that I could look up at Amazon.com. But I couldn't access the book online. I could, however view relevant subject headings - occultism (not religion, but related), and I could see that the book itself could be accessed at the library whose catalog didn't recognize it from a key word. Now I don't have to buy the book. I can go back to the library and read the sections I wanted.

This is also an example of where a librarian's research interview initially failed. Not from a lack of trying. She did ask questions, and I supplied her with answers, but she didn't register specific information I had told her - that I was looking for chain letters in a historical or religious context. She pointed out the subject heading of the first entry found on her worldcat search - mail fraud. Then she handed me the printout for that particular book.

I guess, in conclusion, we need to recognize that language barriers come in many forms when it comes to the research process, and that patience and the access of ALL the tools and resources at are fingertips is the best way to navigate toward our answers.