Once a subject has been selected and probable locations of materials have been identified, it is necessary to decide which resources are right for the task.
Along with the Internet come innovations and improvements on traditional ways of communicating and organizing information. What follows is a brief discussion of various Internet tools and their helpfulness in conducting research.
Hypertext describes a technique for organizing information that lets users access documents in whatever order or sequence they prefer. Hypertext links let searchers move from one Web sites to another and back, or move among sections of a hypertext document without following a strict order. This holds special appeal for researchers because it becomes possible to follow a link from a footnote or citation in one document, directly to the original source document.
One of the best applications of links is when they connect a Web site with other related sites. If a researcher visits the National Endowment for Democracy, they can go to the Resources page and see Internet Tools, a collection of links to other sites NED believes to be of value to its audience. In addition, once a user follows a link, that new Web sites can carry them to yet more related sites or to one that may prove useful in the future.
These are the best-known tools for finding Web sites. Allowing users to browse a database of sites arranged by subject or search the entire collection, engines can be distinguished by the features they offer. Portals are an all-in-one search engine, directory of rated or evaluated Web sites, and a source of original content such as news or special reports.
When deciding which search engine or portal is appropriate for research, users may wish to examine criteria that can be applied to both engines and portals:
Scope
What types of Internet resources are included in the search engine's coverage?
How large is the database?
How often is the database updated?
Searching
Can users search the database using simple words (keywords)? Can entire phrases be used? Is controlled vocabulary used?
Can one search be combined with another to get the most relevant items?
Is searching permitted on different parts of the database (title, URL, description, etc.)?
Other
Are the search results listed in order of the most relevant items first?
Is the quality of the resources in the database rated or evaluated? How is this done?
How extensive is the help section? Does it illustrate ways to create an effective search?
Is there any commercial bias? Are the sites listed at the top ranked more highly because the site owners paid for a high ranking?
It is very easy to find Internet search engines and portals. Users can read advertising, follow links to a new engine from a familiar one, or read online guides that review and evaluate engines. These guides compare features such as speed, update frequency, and size of database. Among the more comprehensive sites for such information are:
A Web site that offers a collection of Internet links to resources on the same or similar topics is considered a metasite. Given the nature of the Internet, almost any site with a good collection of links can fit that definition, but two factor that can help identify which metasites are of better quality are:
Authorship - who is responsible for creating and maintaining the collection.
Evaluation criteria - what methods and standards are employed to decide which resources are included on the site.
Finding metasites is often as simple as doing a keyword search in a search engine for the desired topic. In addition, university and college library Web sites can be very good sources because librarians often link to authoritative sites that have proven themselves helpful over time.
Some of today's best known and well-regarded metasites are:
A discussion list (sometimes called discussion group, mailing list, or electronic discussion list) is a list of people's e-mail addresses that is used to send e-mail messages or announcements to many people at once using a mailing list computer program. Discussion lists tend to be dedicated to a specific topic or audience and can be very helpful in soliciting rapid replies to comments and questions as subscribers may frequently monitor their incoming e-mail.
Unlike Web pages and other Internet resources, discussion lists are accessed using e-mail. There are three (3) major types of discussion lists.
Open/Public - the general public can join the list.
Moderated - a person monitors e-mail messages being sent to the list.
Closed/Private - a list created for a specific group of people and is not open to public.
Libraries are a researcher's best friend. Gathered in one place is an array of information and searching tools so vast, that almost anyone can move from ignorance to wisdom. In today's high-tech world, the role of a library remains constant - but the tools have changed dramatically. In many libraries, card catalogs are now computer databases, questions are posed to librarians via e-mail, and it is not always necessary to visit a library in order to use it.
Described here are just some of the resources that libraries can offer in support of a researcher's needs.
A library's collection of books, journals, videocassettes, audio cassettes, CDs, CD-ROMs, Internet links, etc. is often compiled into a catalog. Thanks to the Internet, Web interfaces have been created that permit users from anywhere in the world to log on and see what useful items a library may possess. It is an ideal opportunity to expand a user's universe of known resources and broaden the base from which subsequent research is done.
Important caveat - not every item in a library catalog is necessarily available to everyone who would like to use it. Libraries have policies and guidelines governing who has access to the library's materials. With that in mind, however, it may be worth searching some of the online catalogs listed below to see what new things can be discovered.
The Library of Congress has compiled a comprehensive list of links to academic and research libraries around the world with online catalogs in compliance with Z39.50, a computing standard for computer-to-computer information retrieval. To view go to http://lcweb.loc.gov/z3950.
This technical term describes databases that contain information in various levels of detail - from a citation to a document found elsewhere, to the actual full-text document itself. These databases can be one standalone database or a collection of several databases. There is one for almost every known subject or discipline, often the problem can lay in finding it and then being able to afford to search it.
Because of the presumed added-value database vendors give to their product (easy-to-use search screens, strong customer support, friendly search commands, etc.) online databases can be prohibitively expensive for an individual searcher who is not trained on how to conduct effective searches on that system. Many of these larger and more powerful databases count libraries, law firms, and other institutions as clients, and the cost of research on these systems are often passed directly to the person requesting the search.
For researchers who want to locate databases to use individually or through an institution, a starting point can be the professional literature in the discipline being studied. Publications that feature advertising and product reviews for electronic resources can be a way to learn about new or popular tools. Taking those suggestions to a librarian who works within that discipline can add an objective evaluation of the resource.
If the database ultimately proves to be a likely source of quality information, a survey of libraries that have an interest in that topic can determine which library subscribes and will perhaps accept research requests. For academic disciplines, survey libraries at schools offering degrees in that subject. If it is business or financial research, consider contacting libraries at trade associations. Again, not every library is open to the general public, but most librarians are willing to help users locate potential paths of access.
Examples of what some large bibliographic databases:
In addition to search engines, one of the best ways to find Internet resources on a subject is to use a research guide. A research guide is a bibliography that links users to other Internet-based resources valuable to people interested in a particular topic. Guides that link to well-evaluated sites and provide helpful annotations tend to be compiled by academic centers or important organizations within a discipline, so those would be Web sites a researcher may want to visit if looking for guides.
