Bibliographic Research: Bibliographic Research Online Searching Part 2
Bibliographic Research: Bibliographic Research Searching in an online environment
Find Reputable Web sites
Evaluating Resources
Basic Steps in Online Searching: Basic Steps in Online Searching Identify key terms
Select appropriate online databases
Identify search engine features
Devise search query
Search the database
Evaluate results
Adjust search query as needed Bibliographic Research: Part One Bibliographic Research: Part Two
Devise Search Query: Devise Search Query Know the database content and functions
Consider relationship of search terms to each other conceptually
Consider relationship of search terms to the database content
Understand search engine’s unique priority of operation when applying Boolean logical operators (used in the study of sets or set theory; aka binary logic)
Slide5: Used by permission from Katie Custis Biography Index Biology Index Theology Index
Devise Search Query: Devise Search Query Devise Boolean Search Strategies for each database keeping in mind the databases unique purpose, scope, audience and dates of coverage.
Apply Limits peculiar to each database with an understanding of the command defaults, priority of operations and special features.
Default (computing) = a preselected option when no alternative is specified
Devise Search Query: Devise Search Query Apply Boolean operators
AND
Phrase
Proximity
OR
Synonyms
Stemming, Truncation
NOT (AND NOT)
BOOLEAN OPERATORS: BOOLEAN OPERATORS AND - Narrows the search - Can be thought of as BOTH - Requires that both terms be in the results - Used for combining differing concepts Messiah AND Christ the INTERSECTION of two sets -Sometimes referred to as “All of these” Messiah Christ
BOOLEAN OPERATORS: BOOLEAN OPERATORS OR - Broadens the search - Used to find one term OR another - Can be thought of as EITHER - Used to search synonymous/closely related terms Messiah OR Christ the UNION of two sets -Sometimes referred to as “Any of these” Messiah Christ
BOOLEAN OPERATORS: BOOLEAN OPERATORS NOT -Narrows a search -Used to eliminate records -Exercise extreme caution; needed concepts may be eliminated unintentionally Messiah Messiah NOT Christ Christ Messiah Null set
Slide11: BOOLEAN APPLIED
Boolean Applied: Boolean Applied Boolean logic (binary logic) is used by computer search engines to extract specific data from large databases.
Internet Search engines, directories, library catalogs and subject databases use Boolean Logic (binary logic) for culling out a desired set of records
Slide13: Messiah OR Christ AND Jesus Messiah OR (Christ AND Jesus) Messiah Christ Jesus
Slide14: Messiah OR Christ AND Jesus (Messiah OR Christ) AND Jesus
Slide15: (Messiah OR Christ) AND Jesus (Messiah AND Jesus) OR (Christ AND Jesus)
Slide16: Messiah OR Christ OR Jesus Messiah AND Christ AND Jesus (Messiah OR Christ) AND Jesus
Slide17: Messiah OR Christ OR Jesus
Slide18: Messiah AND Christ AND Jesus
Slide19: (Messiah OR Christ) AND Jesus
Applied Boolean AND: Applied Boolean AND Phrases
Narrow form of AND
Double quotes = Typical command used to indicate a phrase “”
“Jesus Christ”
“Holy Spirit”
Applied Boolean AND: Applied Boolean AND PROXIMITY: NEAR or WITHIN
NEAR / WITHIN is a restrictive AND
Designates the closeness of terms within a source document
Designates the number of words by which search terms can be separated
Applied Boolean AND: w/n: within the same document where n = the maximum number of words that can come between them Jesus w/1 Messiah Applied Boolean AND PROXIMITY: NEAR or WITHIN w/s: within the same sentence w/p: within the same paragraph Pre/n before the term where n=designated number Jesus the Messiah Jesus pre/1 Messiah
Applied Boolean OR: Applied Boolean OR Synonyms
Default On/Off
-work, job, career,
-thought, think, thinking
Wildcards (replace one or more letters within a word)
variant spelling:
women/woman; color/colour; encyclopedia/encyclopaedia;
judgment/judgement
Truncation, Stemming
Plurals
variant endings:
ed, es, ing;
banks, banking, bankruptcy Typical commands used * ? + # !
Search Strategy: bill w/3 clinton or george w/3 bush
Here’s how one database will resolve this search:
clinton or george
bill within three or fewer words of clinton or george
bush within three or fewer words of clinton or george that is also within three or fewer words of bill
However, with the use of parentheses you can force the names to stay together as one search concept. For this example, you would enter:
( bill w/3 clinton ) or ( george w/3 bush) Search Strategy See “Search Tips” and “Help” menus in the database for instructions
Search Strategy Exercise: Search Strategy Exercise Using the library’s OPAC Advanced Search perform the searches illustrated on the next two slides.
Then using Boolean logic/binary logic explain why the resulting hit lists are so different. Reminder:
“any of these” = OR
“all of these “ = AND
“as a phrase” = phrase
Search Strategy Exercise: Search Strategy Exercise ANSWER
Search Strategy Exercise: Search Strategy Exercise ANSWERS
Search Strategy Exercise: Search Strategy Exercise In the ATLA (FirstSearch) database Advanced Search screen what would the search query look like if the searches resulted in these statements?
(ti: jesus and ti: christ) or ti: messiah
ti: jesus and (ti: christ OR ti: messiah)
ANSWER ANSWER
Search Strategy Exercise: Search Strategy Exercise Many online databases provide help by way of showing the resulting search statement in Boolean syntax (with imbedded parenthesis )
This allows analysis of the search statement as it has been interpreted by the computer’s search engine.
Adjustments may then be made to your search statement to get the intended results.
Some databases will offer suggestions for improving your search results.
Search Strategy Exercise: Search Strategy Exercise Using the Academic Search Premier database Advanced search perform these searches.
messiah Or christ And jesus
christ Or messiah And jesus
jesus And ( christ OR messiah )
Then explain which Boolean operation is being given priority. ANSWER ANSWER ANSWER
Devise Search Query: Devise Search Query Limiting Options
Location
Language
Date
Type of Document
Field
Truncation/Stemming
Devise Search Query: Devise Search Query Select fields
Default settings
Author, Personal Name
Title, Source (Publication)
Keyword, Abstract, Full-text
Subject, Descriptor
Consider the uniqueness of the terms in relation to the database content
“Jesus” in an Education index cf. “Jesus” in a Religion Index
Location of the term within the record (e.g. field choice)
“Jesus” in the Title field cf. “Jesus” in the Subject field
Evaluate Results: Evaluate Results Kind of records retrieved
How well do they meet the information need?
Examine search query syntax
Priority of operations
Parenthetical operations performed first
Hint: (a) AND (b) OR (c) = (a AND b) OR c
Number of hits
In relation to the database’s subject content
Considering the information need
Too many? Too few?
Meaning of the search terms used
Adjust Search Query As Needed: Adjust Search Query As Needed Broaden/Narrow Search
Change Boolean operations
Change the position of terms within the search query
Change field selections
Change limiting options
Change terminology
Change databases
Internet Searching: Internet Searching To Surf or not to Surf
Internet Searching: Internet Searching The Internet versus the Library
Complementary
Current Events vs. Historical Research
Popular vs. Scholarly
Copious vs. Selective
Content
Haphazard vs. Standardized & Organized
Unscrupulous vs. Scrutinized
Transient vs. Permanent
Internet Searching: Internet Searching Surface Web
Deep Web (Invisible Web)
Search Engines
Subject Directories
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Surface Web: Surface Web Only 30% of the entire Internet
Accessed by
search engines
subject directories
Content
Popular, Personal, Public Domain
Static fixed Web pages
Deep Web (Invisible Web): Deep Web (Invisible Web) 70% of the Internet
Accessed by direct query or authorization
Content: Information stored in Databases mounted on the Web
Scholarly resources; targeted topics
Library OPAC’s, subject specific databases
News, Business, Directories; Phone Books, Multimedia, Graphic Files, Digital Exhibits
Deep Web (Invisible Web): Deep Web (Invisible Web) Search engines cannot/will not index this information.
Some subject directories will link to these sites
For more information see: http://library.albany.edu/internet/deepweb.html
Internet Searching: Internet Searching Search Engines
Specific site wanted (e.g. Lord of the Rings, Lakers, CNN)
40% overlap among them
No quality control
Uses robots, web crawlers, spiders, etc. to match characters in specific fields
Hit lists ranked based on paid inclusion programs (except Google which has a separate sponsor list)
Internet Searching: Internet Searching Subject Directories
Topical searches (e.g. movies, sports, news)
No particular site in mind
Some are created and maintained by librarians, scholars and subject specialists
Identify Reputable Internet Sites: Identify Reputable Internet Sites Scout Report
http://scout.wisc.edu/
INFOMINE – Scholarly Internet Resource Collections: http://infomine.ucr.edu/
Encyclopaedia Britannica Online
“Britannica Internet Guide“ Use Subject Directories created and maintained by scholars, subject specialists and librarians:
Identify Reputable Internet Sites: Identify Reputable Internet Sites The Digital Librarian
http://www.digital-librarian.com/
The Internet Public Library
http://www.ipl.org/
BUBL Link (British)
http://bubl.ac.uk/
Identify Reputable Internet Sites: Identify Reputable Internet Sites TMC Library OPAC
TMC Library Web Resources
WorldCat (FirstSearch)
See next slide for instructions
Intelligent Searching: Intelligent Searching A ~”name” reflects a personal site representing a personal viewpoint Clues of Caution when searching the public Internet… in the URL: A .com or .org typically provides biased information The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Intelligent Searching: Intelligent Searching …on the site itself: Comic or incendiary language Lack of ownership or author Lack of currency Bias towards audience, or slant of information; positive without the negative; one sided
Intelligent Searching: Intelligent Searching Check domain names with a registry agency: register.com
More about domain names: http://florin.syr.edu/webarch/domains.php3 Search Smart: Check underlying pages, top level pages, and links
Look up the domain registry page at the appropriate registry agency: : Look up the domain registry page at the appropriate registry agency: For .com, .edu, .net, .org : www.networksolutions.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois
For .gov (U.S. government) : www.nic.gov/cgi-bin/whois
For .mil (U.S. military) : www.nic.mil/cgi-bin/whois
Look up the domain registry page at the appropriate registry agency:: Look up the domain registry page at the appropriate registry agency: For Asian-Pacific : www.apnic.net/apnic-bin/whois.pl
For European : www.ripe.net/cgi-bin/whois
The rest of the world: www.uninett.no/navn/domreg.html
Intelligent Searching: Intelligent Searching Visit web sites that post hoaxes
Does it have the HON seal: Health on the Net foundation
Look for Web site awards or other organizational “seals of approval”
Professional associations
Evaluate Everything Physical AND Electronic: Evaluate Everything Physical AND Electronic Consider the following:
Purpose and Scope
Source, Authorship, Publishing Body
Content and Currency
Style and Functionality
Bias
Verifiability
Evaluating Resources: Evaluating Resources These Research Guides will be helpful
Evaluating Resources www.masters.edu/rgevaluatingresources
An easy way to help evaluate the usefulness of research resources both paper and electronic
Covers purpose, source, content, style and functionality
Web Page Evaluation www.masters.edu/rgwebpageevaluation
Evaluating Resources: Evaluating Resources Use Subject Directories to find Web sites that teach how to evaluate resources
Library Web site
Web Resources
Topic – Research/Writing
Type – All Types
Sub-topic – Evaluating Resources
Evaluating Internet Resources: Evaluating Internet Resources Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask, UC Berkeley - Teaching Library Internet Workshops http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html
Evaluating Information Found on the Internet, Johns Hopkins University - http://www.library.jhu.edu/researchhelp/general/evaluating/
Evaluating Internet Resources: Evaluating Internet Resources Evaluating Internet Resources, University at Albany, SUNY,- http://library.albany.edu/internet/evaluate.html
Evaluating Web Pages, Duke University - http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/evaluating_web.htm
Evaluating Internet Resources: Evaluating Internet Resources Librarians' Internet Index - http://lii.org/
For annotated descriptions of many good guides to evaluating Web pages search the subject:
“Evaluation of Internet Resources”
Now you know how to …: Now you know how to … Search Online
Find Reputable Web sites
Evaluate Resources
Citing Sources: Citing Sources Subject search for
“report writing”, “authorship” or “technical writing”
Title Search – use respective acronym
apa, mla, cbe
NOTE: “Turabian” is the author not the title
Call numbers: 808.02; 808.06 Use OPAC to find Manuals of Style
Manuals of Style: Manuals of Style APA - American Psychological Association
MLA - Modern Language Association
CBE - Council of Biology Editors
Turabian - Manual for writers of term papers, thesis and dissertations by Kate L. Turabian (see also Chicago)
Chicago Manual of Style (see also Turabian)
Citing Sources: Citing Sources For more information go to
Library Web page
Web Resources
Research/Writing
Citing Sources
Bibliographic Management Software: Bibliographic Management Software Create personal databases
References can also be imported from online databases, CD-ROM’s or text files
Automatically formats the paper and the bibliography to any selected publication style
Instantly change the format for another publication
Many online databases provide exporting options for sending articles identified in the database to these bibliographic management tools.
Bibliographic Management Software: Bibliographic Management Software Desk top products:
ProCite® (Thomson ResearchSoft)
EndNote® (Thomson ResearchSoft)
Reference Manager® (Thomson ResearchSoft)
Web based products:
WriteNote® (Thomson ResearchSoft)
RefWorks
Slide65: The end. Questions? From the library Web site select
Library Services Ask-A-Librarian or go to http://www.masters.edu/libraries/AskALibrarian.asp
BIBLIOGRAPHY: BIBLIOGRAPHY Research Strategies Internet Searching Helps
Search Engines
Subject Directories
Evaluating Resources
Research Strategies: Research Strategies Badke. Research Strategies: finding your way through the information fog. Lincoln, NE: Writers Club Press / iUniverse.com, 2000 ISBN: 0595100821; Price: $15 est.
DDC: 001.42/B142r/2000
http://www.acts.twu.ca/LBR/research.htm
Internet Search Helps: Internet Search Helps UC Berkeley http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html
University of Albany http://library.albany.edu/internet/searchnet.html
Internet Search Helps: Internet Search Helps “How to choose a Search Engine or a Subject Directory”
http://library.albany.edu/internet/choose.html
Search Engines & Subject Directories: Search Engines & Subject Directories University of Tennessee Search Engines
http://www.lib.utk.edu/refs/search.html
Search Engine Watch http://www.searchenginewatch.com
SearchIQ http://www.zdnet.com/searchiq/
Search Engines: Search Engines Go to University at Albany http://library.albany.edu/internet/engines.html for an abstracted list of:
Search Engines, Meta Search Engines, Deep Web Collectors, Specialty Search Engines, Domain names, Multi-media & Images finders, New Page Trackers
Subject Directories: Subject Directories Go to University at Albany http://library.albany.edu/internet/subject.html
for an abstracted list of :
Academic & Professional Subject Directories
Commercial Directories & Portals
Evaluate Everything Physical AND Electronic: Evaluate Everything Physical AND Electronic http://milton.mse.jhu.edu:8001/research/education/net.html
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Evaluation.html
Answers to Search Query Exercises: Answers to Search Query Exercises Search one resulted in ("jesus")[in Title] AND ("christ")[in Title] OR ("messiah")[in Title] with 454 records. The search engine performed the AND operation first then it applied the OR Messiah. The results contain the records with both Jesus AND Christ in them as well as all the records with the term Messiah in them. It could be written this way
(jesus AND christ) OR messiah BACK
Answers to Search Query Exercises: Answers to Search Query Exercises Search two resulted in ("jesus")[in Title] AND (christ OR messiah)[in Title] resulting in 378 records. The search engine performed the OR operation first then it applied the AND operation to it. The results contain those records with both Jesus AND Christ in them as well as Jesus AND Messiah in them. The search statement could be written like this
jesus AND (christ OR messiah) BACK
Answers to Search Query Exercises: Answers to Search Query Exercises BACK
Answers to Search Query Exercises: Answers to Search Query Exercises BACK
Answers to Search Query Exercises: Answers to Search Query Exercises BACK messiah Or christ And jesus resulted in 7214 records with the AND operation being performed first then the OR operation. The hit list contains all the records with both christ AND jesus and well as all the records with the term messiah. It can be written this way messiah OR (christ AND jesus)
Answers to Search Query Exercises: Answers to Search Query Exercises BACK Christ OR messiah AND jesus resulted in 12592 records with the AND operation being performed first then the OR operation. The hit list contains all the records with both jesus AND messiah as well as all the records with Christ. It can be written christ OR (messiah AND Jesus)
Answers to Search Query Exercises: Answers to Search Query Exercises jesus AND (christ OR messiah) resulted in 6323 records. The OR operation was performed first then the AND. The hit list contains all the records with jesus AND christ as well as all the records with jesus AND messiah. BACK