What’s on the Web
The Internet is an excellent source of certain types of information. Information which changes frequently or which appeals to a wide audience is perfect for posting on the Internet. This includes current stock prices, headlines and summaries of the news, sports scores, and the weather.
Much of the information on the Internet is free, but some is available only for a fee. Typically, assess to proprietary information, such as analyses by research firms, reports from consultants, and articles from scholarly or technical journals, is restricted and available only to authorized subscribers or for a fee.
What’s not on the Web
Copyright law grants to the copyright holder the right to determine how information is to be published for up to 75 years after the death of the creator of the information. Therefore, information from journal articles and books is available for free only if the copyright holder (usually the author or publisher, but it may also be a descendant or the estate of the creator) has released it for publication in this manner. Usually, this kind of information is available only through licensed databases or in libraries. Expert analyses of the news or the stock market also have copyright protection. Although many newspapers publish headlines or summaries of current news stories, in-depth accounts and archives of older articles are available only to subscribers of the newspaper’s online service.
Guides to the Web
Several types of guide are available in both printed and online format to help you identify and evaluate information on the Internet. However, since the Internet changes daily, any guide becomes useless unless it is frequently updated. Printed guides become dated more quickly since they take longer to produce, but even guides found on the Internet may not be updated often enough.
Learning to Search
A great deal of your success in finding the information you need in the Internet will depend on learning to select appropriate tools for finding that kind of information, and learning to use them effectively. There are several guides which teach you to select and use Internet search tools, available both in print and online. Some of them include:
Cottingham, Scott. Internet101. 1997-2008. Available: http://www.internet101.org/. Date of Visit: May 21, 2008.
Internet basics, where to find software, search engines explained.
REFERENCE TK5105.875 .I57 F774 1998
Freedman, Alan, et al. The Internet glossary and quick reference guide. New York: Amacom, 1998.
A glossary of the terms users are most likely to encounter when connecting to the Internet, as well as Internet-related cultural phenomena and slang.
Vidmar, Dale. Internet Searching Tools. 2007. Available: http://www.sou.edu/library/searchtools/. Last Update: January 7, 2008. Date of Visit: May 21, 2008.
Links to search engines, metasearch tools, and subject directories, with brief instructions for using them effectively.
Cohen, Laura. Internet Tutorials. Available: http://www.internettutorials.net/. Last Update: May 2008. Date of Visit: May 21, 2008.
A collection of online tutorials providing general introducions to the Internet, guides to selecting an Internet search engine, and tips for conducting effective Internet research.
Learn the net : the Internet owner's manual. Michael Lerner Productions, 1996-2008. Available: http://www.learnthenet.com. Date of Visit: May 21, 2008.
A tutorial on using the Internet, sending e-mail, and selected sites on music, literature, music, travel and leisure, glossary of Internet terms, how to build a Web site, and more.
Vidmar, Dale. Tips to Effective Internet Searching. 2007. Available: http://www.sou.edu/library/searchtools/searchtips.html. Last Update: November 9, 2007. Date of Visit: May 21, 2008.
Simple tips for getting the most out of any Internet search.
Revised: May 29, 2008