What I've Got Here
(v0.2 rev 3/24/99)
This is my attempt to create a web-based instruction html page based
on the guidance provided by C.
Cunningham's WIT Spring Training Session 3 document. I begin that document
after the two Horizontal Rules below.
I put Aim and Goal and Subject Matter here, before the "real" start
of my page as I don't think that's the kind of thing that should go into
the page--but I recognize that I may be mis-understanding by not putting
this into the standard page.
Aim
To get adult teacher attendees of the WIT's Summer Institute started in
advanced search techniques on the Web. NOTE: As I don't and do not intend
to teach students, I choose to set this up for clientele I will work with:
Adults. I hope that doesn't mess anything up.
Goal
Attendees will:
-
What a search engine is.
-
Look at some sample search engines (focusing on altavista).
-
Review and then use a Search Tip help pages from those search engines--a
cheat sheet of some common search tips.
-
Get some sample questions to let them try and use these tips.
-
Help with their search tactics.
Subject Matter
Understanding what search engines are, how they work and their strengths
and weaknesses. What tactics (e.g.: use of quotes, +, -) can you use to
refine your search tactics?
Introduction to Advanced Searching the World Wide Web
Introduction
Can't find what you want on the Web? Don't already have the path to what
you want? How, exactly do you end up with 10 likely choices, not 666,987
possibilities? Read on and see how to refine a search using a Web Search
Engine.
Basics
The Web has lots of places that have information. Search engines are web
sites that provide a searchable index to other web sites (billions and
billions of 'um, or so it seems!). But what and how your search (something
like putting
american history into the search field) may yield so
darn many results (or "hits") that you may get discouraged. It's the same
idea as walking into a Library and being overwhelmed...
You need to learn how to refine your searches. [BLAH BLAH BLAH. More
introductory info follows.]
Links to Look At
Some Commonly Used Web Search Engines
Altavista (www.altavista.com) is considered
the biggest and in many ways the best.
Yahoo (www.yahoo.com) has gotten a lot
of press and is pretty good too.
[others listed]
Help Guides for the Web Search Engines
The search engines themselves offer advice on how to search. Here are some
links to such help pages:
AltaVista General
Help (http://www.altavista.com/av/content/help.htm)
AltaVista
Advanced Help (http://www.altavista.com/av/content/help_advanced.htm)
Yahoo! Search Advanced
Syntax (http://search.yahoo.com/search/syntax?)
[More for other search engines here]
Some Differences between Search Engines
All search engines are not the same. They vary in these major ways:
-
Ease of use
-
Breadth of coverage
-
Flexibility in search tactics
Some search engines allow you to specify case sensitive searches, some
don't. In general you don't care. But what if you want to look at web sites
about the musician names "Prince"? This is a case where Prince is not the
same as prince (case sensitive). You'll want a
Tips and Tricks
[I'm out of time. Here I would put narrative text w/ examples of search
tactics (e.g.: using + and - and such) with quotes of the number of hits
and how using these tactics reduces hits.
I would also explain directories vs. indexes. Or would that be better
for in-class discussion?]
Please answer these Questions
1) What are the strengths and disadvantages of Directories? Of Indexes?
2) Design a search to look for information about Prince (the musician)
but not princes (the title in royalty).
3) Design a search to find out about Roe (fish eggs) but not Roe v.
Wade (the US Supreme Court abortion decision).
[More in this vein: Dates control, Boolean "and" and "or", etc.]