Lessons on the best way to use Google and the rest of the Internet Skinner, 2014.

THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER!

(if you know how to use it)

Lessons on the best way to use Google and the rest of the Internet

Skinner, 2014

It’s a lot more difficult than you’d think.

You CAN’T just type the name of the assignment into the Google search box.

Internet Research

Thing is, Wikipedia is only ONE opinion. No matter what the question, you need sources from ALL angles before decided how you interpret it.

Beyond the first page of resultsTruth is subjective!

This semester is about helping you learn to decide who to believe.

Imagine I’ve assigned you a question to explore. A question that may even seem like it has a single answer:

What were the major causes of the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979?

Find three sources you think are reliable to use in a presentation on this topic…go!

Game Time!

Simply typing in the key words from the question/assignment

Only looking at the first one or two pages of results

Never stopping to try and figure out what’s missing

Common Mistakes

Google is a tool.YOU HAVE THE POWER.

SEARCH OPERATORS!

Return to the Iranian Hostage Crisis First ask yourself, what do you think Iranians call this

event? (and WHY?) Next, know how to look:

Web country codes Search operator – site: But we also need something academic! - ac

Searching Secrets

site:ac.ir conquest of the american spy den

NOW we get:

“ ” anything between these quotation marks is

a MUST word. In other words, Google will only show results that have that word.◦ Also, it will search those words in that exact order

What if I wanted to search info about Star Wars Episode I?

Other Key Search Code Secrets

OR

The OR operator applies to the search terms immediately next to it. The first example will find pages that include either “Tahiti” or “Hawaii” or both terms, but not pages that contain neither “Tahiti” nor “Hawaii.” ◦ [ Tahiti OR Hawaii ]

The third example will find pages that contain any one, two, or all three of the terms “blouse,” “shirt,” and “chemise.”

◦ [ blouse OR shirt OR chemise ]

Other Key Search Code Secrets

What if I wanted to search for a vacation to either New Zealand or the Ivory Coast?

Put them together

“New Zealand“ OR “Ivory Coast“ holiday OR vacation package 

Put them together

* is a placeholder

If you know there’s a date on the page you’re seeking but you don’t know its format, specify several common formats using the OR operator. For example:◦ [ California election “Oct * 2003“ OR “10/*/03“ OR “October * 2003“ ]

When you know only part of the phrase you wish to find, consider using the * operator. Find the title of Sherry Russell’s book that can help you deal with the tragedies of 9/11 or losing a loved one.◦ [ “My Beautiful * Fantasy” ]

Other Key Search Code Secrets

~term with term or one of its synonyms

Other Key Search Code Secrets

Why did Google use tilde? In math, the “~” symbol means “is similar to.” The tilde tells Google to search for pages that are synonyms or similar to the term that follows.

[ ~inexpensive ] matches “inexpensive,” “cheap,” “affordable,” and “low cost”

[ ~run ] matches “run,” “runner’s,” “running,” as well as “marathon”

–term without term

Other Key Search Code Secrets

So, to search for a twins support group in Minnesota, but not return pages relating to the Minnesota Twins baseball team:

USE [ twins support group Minnesota –baseball ]

NOT [ twins support group Minnesota ]

Wikipedia is a great place to start, but it’s NOT a reliable source by itself.◦ How can you use Wikipedia to help widen your

search?

What ARE reliable sites?

And now: A Note on Reliability

ppt, pdf, doc…

(and .ac)

A Note on Reliability

Whenever possible, GO DIRECTLY TO THE SOURCE!!!

Don’t just find a quote from a famous person; find the original text in which that person spoke it!

Don’t use other people’s research – look at their works cited/bibliography – and go to their sources!

All right. Now it’s your turn. Let’s say you’re ready to start researching different opinions on what “independent thinking” should look like in the classroom.

How would you search this? Experiment, and make notes of which searches you found most useful.

Another one, Another one!

Search Terms Notes on Results (good? Bad? Reliable? About what % actually related to what I wanted to read?)

Remember, the internet has SOOOOOOOOOOOO much information. But only a small of it is true, and only a small amount of it is relevant. Turn on your brain, think critically, and explore this limitless world of knowledge wisely and carefully.

Do that, and you can do just about anything.

FINAL THOUGHTS

RESEARCH AND PLAGIARISM

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR HOW TO DO RESEARCH, SITE SOURCES, AND AVOID STEALING OTHERS IDEAS

For information on why avoiding plagiarism is so

important, and how to avoid it:

Watch and take notes on my prezi, available at

http://prezi.com/5ehl_cdm7lrc/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

For information on the specifics of MLA style, either

watch parts 3 and 4 of my prezi here:

http://prezi.com/zay7mxhvxf1q/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Or use the handout I have given you in class, also available at the following link:https://

drive.google.com/file/d/0B7e0z6zSb6B4WnVZU1oyZHRRZFU/edit?usp=sharing