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LESSON IV - RESOURCES AVAILABLE VIA THE INTERNET

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this lesson, student should be able to:

1. understand the types of information resources available via the Internet;
2. describe the differences between email, mailing lists, discussion groups, and chat;
3. describe the differences between various forms of social media, such
as blogs, wikis, and podcasts;
4. understand the purpose of RSS feeds; and
5. identify research topics and devise effective search strategies to utilize appropriate
Internet resources and Internet-accessible library databases in the research
process.

Total Learning Time: Week 10-12 (9 Hours)

Introduction

The Internet provides many effective communication tools, including email, mailing lists,
discussion groups, chat services, web conferencing, blogs, and RSS feeds. In recent years, social
networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have also joined the mix. These various tools
allow you to communicate one-to-one or one-to-many, depending on your communication
needs. They also enable communication locally between people who know one another or
worldwide with people who share common interests.

Email and Mailing Lists

Email
Email is one of the most popular Internet services. Email allows you to send messages to one
person or simultaneously to a group of people. Email is convenient and widespread. It offers
24/7 availability and most people have at least one email address. Another advantage of an email
account is that if your email provider offers webmail, it is accessible from any location that has
Internet access. Don’t confuse email with course “mail” or messaging options often available in
online course environments. They are not always the same thing.

In order to send email, you must know the recipient's email address. Email addresses consist of
two parts: a username and a domain name. The username refers to the mailbox name, logon
name, or user ID.

Mailing Lists

Mailing lists (also called LISTSERVs) distribute information to an email subscription list. Many
companies, professional organizations, recreational groups, and clubs rely on mailing lists to
distribute their information. Postings, in the form of email messages, are automatically delivered
to your email. You can simply read the contents of the messages, ask a question, give your
opinion, or participate in an ongoing discussion. Mailing lists can involve just a few people or
tens of thousands. There are thousands of mailing lists covering almost any conceivable topic.

Subscribing to a mailing list involves sending a message to the list’s administrator. Usually, as
shown in the image below, you will need to include the word “subscribe” in the body of your
message. For some lists, your subscription will begin immediately, but for others, you might
have to wait for your subscription request to be approved by the list’s administrator or
moderator. Once your subscription becomes active, you will receive a welcome/confirmation
message, which you should save, since it will contain information on how to unsubscribe. The
confirmation message will also provide the list name/posting address for the list.

There are many different types of LISTSERVs to which you can subscribe. There are
professional LISTSERVs, which sometimes include job boards or notices. Other LISTSERVs
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are for news and different hobbies. Not all fields/communities use LISTSERVs as they are a
little more dated use of communication.

Discussion Groups and Social Networking

Discussion Groups
Sites such as Yahoo! and Google allow users to create and join online discussion groups.
Discussion groups are also referred to as forums or bulletin boards. These function very much
like mailing lists, except they are easier to create and maintain. They are also less invasive than
mailing lists since you go to a website to view and post messages. This reduces the strain on
your email inbox. Discussion groups work very well for communication among local interest
groups and clubs.

Social Networking
As computers have advanced and broadband has expanded, new social networking sites have
developed on the Internet. Social networking sites allow users to share files, pictures, and music,
communicate by email or instant message within the site, and develop networks of friends or
associates. Popular social networking sites include Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn,
and YouTube. Increasingly, large corporations have become more attracted to social networking
sites because of advertising revenue and the ease of marketing products and services.

Facebook, the world’s largest social network, provides a place for social
connection via the sharing of photos, videos, and text updates. Users create
personal profiles and establish relationships with other people and companies.
Facebook was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and his roommates at
Harvard University. The site’s membership was initially limited to Harvard
students, but was expanded to other colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League, and Stanford
University. It gradually added support for students at various other universities before opening to
high school students, and eventually to anyone over the age of 13. In April 2007, Facebook was
the primary vehicle for student communication during the Virginia Tech shooting tragedy. The
name of the service comes from paper “facebooks” that used to be distributed at some
universities at the start of the academic year to help students get to know each other.

Twitter, which launched in 2006, is a “microblogging” platform that allows

users to communicate through brief messages (known as “tweets”), which are
limited to 140 characters. The original idea behind Twitter was for users to
post messages in response to the question, “What are you doing?” The
prompt has since been changed to the more generic “What’s happening?”,
but users can post anything that’s on their minds, and often use Twitter as a way to share links to
websites, photos, videos, and other web based content. Users subscribe to (or “follow”) tweets
posted by others with similar interests, and can, if desired, send and receive tweets through SMS
text messaging. Because of the immediacy and brevity of Twitter, it has helped to shape events
pertaining to social movements such as Occupy Wall Street and the Arab Spring. In 2010, the
Library of Congress announced its plan to create a digital archive of every tweet ever posted.

Twitter employs a convention called a “hashtag,” which is a word or phrase immediately

preceded by a # symbol. By placing a # symbol in front of a word in a tweet, the word is
automatically turned into a hotlink which, when clicked, will perform a search of recent tweets
containing that word. The ability to group together tweets containing a particular word or phrase
has contributed to a phenomenon known as the “Internet meme". A meme can be a word,
phrase, idea, image, video, or anything that spreads very rapidly via Twitter or any other means
of Internet communication. Since memes spread across the Internet in much the same way that
diseases spread through a population, a meme is sometimes referred to as “viral” if it reaches an
unusually large number of Internet users. One example of a famous Internet meme is LOLCats,
humorous images of cats with semi-literate captions. A more recent example is Doge, which are
images of a Shiba Inu with comic sans writing added, like the image below.

When a large number of people include the same word or hashtag in their tweets within a short
period of time, the topic they’re tweeting about begins to “trend.” When pop star Michael
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Jackson passed away, for example, his name became a “trending topic” on Twitter. Trending
topics usually pertain to current news events and come and go very quickly, while memes can
remain popular for long periods of time. KnowYourMeme is a website that documents popular
memes, viral videos, and other online phenomena.

Google+ (Google Plus) was launched by Google in 2011 as an attempt to compete

with Facebook. Features of Google+ include “Circles” for sharing information with
different groups of people (like Facebook Groups) and “Hangouts” for video
chatting with a friend or groups of friends. Google Hangouts merged with Google’s Talk
program, Google+ Messenger, and Hangouts, which was way to video chat using Google+. This
created a single location for all text, video, and image sharing between friends.

Tumblr, which launched in 2007, is a “microblogging” platform that gives users a

quick way to post text, images, audio, video, links, and quotes in a community
setting. Unlike regular blogs, Tumblr blogs (also called “Tumblogs” or
“Tumblelogs”) are frequently used to share the author’s creations, discoveries, or
experiences while providing little or no commentary. Some have described Tumblr as a kind of
online scrapbooking tool that allows users to curate web-based content they find interesting.
Taking on the features of other social networking sites (most notably Twitter), Tumblr allows
users with similar interests to “follow” each other, and offers the option of “liking” or
“reblogging” other blog posts. David Karp, founder of Tumblr, explains what makes this
platform different on CNN.

Foursquare is a location-based mobile application that combines aspects of social

networking and gaming. Users “check in” at a venue (such as a store, restaurant,
library, etc.) and can connect with friends in nearby locations. Users are encouraged
to be hyper-local and hyper-specific with their check-ins – one can check into a certain
floor/area of a building, make recommendations, or indicate a specific activity while at a venue.
Users can choose to have their check-ins posted on their accounts on Twitter, Facebook, or both.
Points and other distinctions are awarded for check-ins, and some businesses offer additional
incentives, such as coupons, for checking in at their locations.

LinkedIn launched in 2003 as a social network for work professionals, and has
become the standard for employers looking for new talent. Through LinkedIn, users
can search for jobs, submit applications, and join work-related groups.

MySpace was launched in 2003, and was, at one time, the most popular social
networking site in the world. It has since been surpassed by Facebook, but continues
to be used, most notably as a way for independent bands to share their music. In
2011, MySpace was sold to Specific Media and pop star Justin Timberlake for approximated 35
million dollars.

YouTube dates only from 2005 but has grown exponentially since then. It was
purchased in November 2006, for $1.65 billion in Google stock. Users may register
with YouTube to upload videos, rate them, and participate in different user groups,
but it is not necessary to register in order to view video clips, send them to others, or embed
them in other websites. YouTube has quickly become the preeminent video-sharing site on the
Internet, though its success has created competitors. Increasingly, advocacy groups and political
parties have also used YouTube to get their messages out. YouTube helped create the concept of
viral video, in which videos may be easily shared with millions of people through other forms of
Internet communication.

Social Networks for Photo Sharing

Popular services for hosting and sharing images include Flickr, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Flickr is an image and video hosting website and online community launched in
2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for
users to upload and share personal photographs, the service is widely used by
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bloggers to host images they embed in blogs and other forms of social media. Services similar to
Flickr include Photobucket and Google’s Picasa.

Instagram is a photo sharing application launched in 2010 that allows users of mobile
devices to take a photo, apply a digital filter to it, and then share it on a variety of
social networks. A distinctive feature confines photos to a square shape, similar to
oldfashioned Kodak Instamatic and Polaroid images. In 2012, Facebook acquired Instagram for
approximately $1 billion in cash and stock, with plans to keep it independently managed.

Launched in 2010, Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social networks on the web.
Pinterest allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections by
uploading their own photos, or by importing (also known as “pinning”) images from
elsewhere on the web. Users can browse and/or “follow” other pinboards for
inspiration, and can “like” and/or “re-pin” images to their own collections. Users can also share
their “pins” on both Twitter and Facebook. A screenshot of Pinterest is shown below.

Social Bookmarking
Social bookmarking is a method for Internet users to organize, store, and share links to online
resources. Prior to the proliferation of social bookmarking services, the only way for Internet
users to save (or “bookmark”) links to web content that interested them was to add them to a list
of favorite links stored on their computers. If they typically used more than one computer (one at
home and one at work, for example), they had go through the inconvenience of saving their
favorite links on both machines. Social bookmarking sites now enable users to gain access to
their favorite links from any device with an Internet connection, and to share links with other
users. Delicious, founded in 2003, popularized the terms "social bookmarking" and "tagging."
Tagging, which is the practice of assigning descriptive keywords to a bookmarked resource, is a
significant feature of social bookmarking systems, enabling users to organize their bookmarks in
flexible ways and develop shared vocabularies known as “folksonomies.” Other popular social
bookmarking services include StumbleUpon, Diigo, and BuzzFeed. Social bookmarking
services such as Reddit give users the ability to vote on bookmarks submitted by others by
giving a virtual “thumbs up” or “thumbs down.” Resources with the most “upvotes” are given
prominence on the service’s website. Twitter and Pinterest are also considered social
bookmarking services, because of the ease with which users can organize and share content
found elsewhere on the web.

Internet Chat, Web Conferencing, and Ask a Librarian

Internet Chat
In Internet chat, people view and respond to messages from
one another instantaneously, much like a telephone
conversation. Although some chat software includes audio
and/or video aspects, most chat and instant messaging
programs are text-based. One person types a message on the
screen, and the other person sees the message either as it is
being typed or immediately after it has been typed.

There are two forms of Internet chat that are frequently found
on the web: chat rooms and instant messaging. Chat rooms
tend to be open forums where a number of people chat with one another simultaneously. Often
the people who meet in a chat room are people that have not met each other in the "real world."
Instant messaging (IM), on the other hand, is a one-on-one form of Internet chat. Although you
can choose to IM with strangers, often it is used to communicate with friends and family.
Examples of instant message services include AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger (see
screenshot below). Some social networks, such as Facebook, have their own instant messaging
components. Services known as Voice over Internet Protocols (VoIP), such as Skype and
Google Hangouts, enable users to place phone calls over the Internet to communicate by voice,
video, or instant messaging.
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Web Conferencing
Many institutions are discovering new ways to integrate Internet communications into their
organizations. One of the most frequently encountered is Web Conferencing, which takes
Internet chat to a new level. Web conferencing is currently being used by businesses for
employee training, meetings, and general communication. Educational institutions are using web
conferencing as a way to enhance on-site classes or distance education classes.

Popular conferencing programs include AnyMeeting (a free service for hosting meetings of up
to 200 participants), and fee-based services
Blackboard Collaborate and GoToMeeting,
which provide programs specifically
designed for businesses and educational
institutions.

The illustration below is an example of a

web conference using the Elluminate
software. In the column on the left is a list
of conference participants, a chat box where
participants can engage in live chat, and a
“talk” button, which allows participants
using microphones to communicate by
voice. In this example, it looks like the
conference participants are collaborating to
solve a mathematical problem.

Web conferencing programs can be particularly useful for group work. Students can use
programs such as Google Hangouts and Skype. Many people use their smartphones for this
purpose since they have cameras and microphones built into the devices.

Ask a Librarian
In July 2003, the state of Florida created a library information service
that uses several methods of Internet communication to provide
information to all Florida residents. The Ask a Librarian service is
part of the Florida Electronic Library and provides "virtual reference"
service. The goal of a virtual reference service is to provide
information seekers with free, convenient, real-time access to a
librarian who can answer reference questions and assist the
questioner in locating information on the web.

Special software is used to enable the questioner to communicate with a librarian via live chat,
text messaging, or email. The librarian can send handouts, help files, spreadsheets, or slide
presentations to the questioner. Since an increasing number of library resources are available
online, librarians can also recommend and provide assistance with databases, eBooks, and other
online reference sources. A knowledge base has been created to provide answers to questions
about local libraries. By selecting a local library, questions may also be emailed to that library.
Some institutions have desk hours where their own institution’s librarians are on Ask a
Librarian.

When you see the Ask a Librarian icon on a Florida library website, simply click to access chat,
email, or query the knowledge base. To log in to chat, make sure you disable your pop-up
blocker or set it to allow pop ups from the Ask a Librarian site.

If you are having trouble researching a topic for a paper, you can ask a librarian what other
sources are available to you or what other search terms you may have overlooked.
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Blogs, RSS Feeds, and Podcasts

Blogs
A blog is a website that allows a web author to simply and easily share thoughts and ideas with
other web users. The word blog comes from weblog, which refers to a log of dated postings by a
particular author or group of authors. Blogs can cover any topic or can just be someone’s daily,
weekly, or occasional diary of thoughts and opinions. Blogs can be interactive when readers add
comments and a discussion is created. Many blogs are topic specific, such as Inside Higher Ed
or Simply Recipes. You can find blogs on almost any topic.

You can also create your own blog. There are many software programs and web-based blog
hosting services, such as WordPress, Blogger, Weebly, and Squarespace. Blogs are created
using a simple-to-use content management system that offers such features as organization of
postings into categories, a calendar view of postings, password protected posting, file uploads,
and comment moderation. If you do decide to develop your own blog, remember that the
information you post can be viewed for a long time by just about anyone, including future
employers.

Twitter is an example of a “microblogging” service, because it allows users to share (or “tweet”)
their thoughts, but limits them to 140 characters per tweet. Although Tumblr doesn’t impose
such strict limits, it is also considered a microblogging platform because users tend to be brief
when posting content to their Tumblr blogs. However, some use Tumblr blogs as "full format"
blogs, and post opinions, criticisms and longer form articles.

RSS Feeds
RSS is an acronym for several phrases; the most common is Really Simple Syndication, but it is
sometimes referred to as Rich Site Summary, or RDF Site Summary. An RSS feed allows you to
track new content on a website or blog or to keep up with the latest news stories. An RSS reader
or browser is required for you to read the headlines or updates.

Instead of visiting your favorite blogs and websites independently to check for new content, it is
much more convenient to subscribe to each blog’s RSS feed. Then, new content will
automatically be delivered to your RSS reader, providing you with a onestop shop where you
can monitor all of your favorite sites.

The popularity of RSS has declined in recent years. Some browsers, email services, and websites
have discontinued supporting RSS. For example, Google’s RSS reader, Google Reader, has been
discontinued. There are still ways you can access RSS feeds including via browser extensions
for your computer or apps for your smart phone. Feedly is a popular RSS aggregator offering a
browser extension and apps for Android and iOS.

Increasingly, web users are finding that social media sites such as Twitter can be used in place of
RSS readers. Since many news sites and blogs tweet links to their latest posts, you can simply
follow them on Twitter to keep track of new content.

Podcasting
A podcast is a series of computer files, usually in audio or video format, to which users can
listen to via streaming or download. It is helpful to think of a podcast as being similar to a radio
or television series, but instead of having to remember to tune in at a particular time to listen to
or watch your favorite program, a podcast is a program to which you can subscribe, and have
each episode automatically delivered to your computer. You can also visit a hosting site, at your
convenience, and stream or download episodes. iTunes is an example of software that can be
used as a podcatcher (an RSS aggregator that supports multimedia). Other popular podcatchers
include gPodder and Juice. iTunes is also a good place to search for podcasts that might be of
interest to you. You can also find many podcast directories on the web, including Digital
Podcast. As with blogs, there are podcasts on almost every conceivable topic.

Anyone can start his or her own podcast. To create an audio podcast, you would need a
microphone, a computer, and some kind of sound recording software such as GarageBand (an
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application for Mac computers and iPhones), or Audacity (freely available on the web for
Windows, Mac, and other operating systems). You would then have to publish your recordings
on the Internet. There are many audio/video hosting services, such as iTunes and Podbean, that
will help you accomplish this.

There are differing opinions as to the origin of the word “podcast.” Some say it is a combination
of the words “iPod” and “broadcast.” According to others, it comes from the acronym P.O.D.,
which stands for “portable on demand,” or “personal on demand.” This refers to the fact that
podcast episodes are available on the web for users to consume at their convenience. It is
important to note that you do not have to have an iPod in order to receive or create podcasts.
Podcasts can, however, be downloaded to iPods and other mobile devices for listening on the go.

Wikis
A wiki is a collaboratively developed website that allows users to edit the site’s content using a
web browser. The most famous example of a wiki is the Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that
is continuously maintained by a worldwide community of tens of thousands of volunteer
contributors. Many businesses, educational institutions, and social groups use wiki software to
collaborate on various projects.

The Wikipedia was created using a free software program called MediaWiki. If you want to start
your own wiki, you can use the same software, but a certain amount of technical knowledge is
required. There are other, easier-to-use wiki services such as PBWorks, Wikidot, and
WikiSpaces.

The first wiki software, known as “WikiWikiWeb,” was invented by computer programmer
Ward Cunningham in 1995. He chose the word “wiki,” which in Hawaiian means “quick,”
because of the ease with which users can edit wiki sites.

Internet Resources and Internet-Accessible Library Databases in the Research Process

Whether you are searching for traditional library resources or using electronic resources
available over the Internet, the development of a search strategy is essential. A search strategy is
simply a plan for conducting an information search. The process begins with selecting a general
topic, focusing the topic so that it is appropriate for the assignment by narrowing or broadening,
creating and refining search statements, deciding which resources are appropriate to search,
revising search statements appropriate to the resource, and finally conducting the information
search.
Selecting A Research Topic
Before attempting to search for Internet resources, you should have a clear idea of your topic and
the kinds of information you will need.

One of the most common problems in trying to come up with a topic is narrowing a broad subject
to a topic that is specific enough to handle within the constraints of a research paper. The
following list provides three subjects and some possible topics within each subject.

Subject: Alternative Medicine

Topic: Can hypnosis cure disease?
Topic: Should insurance companies reimburse patients who use "unproven" treatments?
Topic: Does the interest in alternative medicine suggest that conventional medicine is failing?

Subject: Animal Rights

Topic: Should animal tissues and organs be transplanted into human beings?
Topic: Is animal dissection or vivisection still necessary as a teaching tool? Topic: Should
animal experimentation for cosmetics be abolished?

Subject: Home Schooling

Topic: Does home schooling isolate children socially?
Topic: Should home schooling parents be required to be certified in the subjects they teach?
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Topic: Should public schools offer extracurricular activities for homeschooled children?
A specific topic may not be obvious when you first start a research project. You may need to
practice some of the activities outlined in this module, where you will purposefully attempt to
narrow and focus your topic.

Focusing Your Topic

You may need to begin your research project by using resources such as encyclopedia articles or
books to gain a basic understanding of the scope of your topic. Look at the basic concepts or
ideas your topic involves and decide whether you need to focus on a specific aspect of the
subject. You may need to narrow or broaden the scope of your topic.

One basic source for background information on research topics is Encyclopedia.com, a group of
encyclopedias that offer a free abridged version on the Internet. There are also a number of
specialized encyclopedias available either on the Internet or accessible through your local library
system. Articles written in an encyclopedia often give a good general introduction to a topic.

Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia created and maintained by users. Because the authors are
unknown and entries can be edited by anyone, credibility of the content is sacrificed.

Questions to help you state a topic: When selecting your topic, consider the following
questions.

● What terms and keywords are frequently used to describe the topic?
● What dates are important to the topic?
● What specific places are important to the topic?
● What important events are related to the topic?
● Which people, groups or organizations have made a significant contribution or have been
involved in some way with the topic?
● Which subject or discipline is the topic part of?
● Are there any conflicting views or controversies surrounding the topic?

As you answer these questions by thoughtfully examining your topic, you will be building a body
of search terms, concepts, and ideas that will help you engage in productive research as you
continue with the process.

You may also need to visit your local library or search an online library catalog to find
background material, usually in books, for your topic and to get a sense of how much
information will be available on the topic.

● LINCCWeb provides access to all of the Florida Community and State College library
catalogs, and specifically to Indian River State Colleges’ databases. Items may be
requested by current students from any of the statewide collections.
● The State University Libraries of Florida provides access to eleven of the Florida State
University library catalogs.
● WorldCat provides links to library catalogs worldwide.

Interlibrary Loan: Indian River State College offers interlibrary loan services that allow you to
borrow materials located in remote library catalogs. It may take a week or so to borrow material
via interlibrary loan so begin your research early. In addition, any student enrolled in a state
institution of higher education in Florida has reciprocal borrowing privileges at all community
college libraries and all state university libraries.

Searching the online catalog: As you peruse the online catalog for books and material in
alternative formats, consider the following questions:

● Approximately how many titles are in the online catalog on your topic? What, if
anything, can you tell from the listed titles, dates and authors?
● Are there subheadings displayed for the topic?
● Are cross-references or alternative headings displayed for the topic?
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● Will your local library be able to support your topic, or will you need to get material from
other libraries through interlibrary loan?

Stating Your Topic as a Working Thesis

As you begin to develop a thesis for your research project, it is important to note the difference
between a topic and a thesis. A topic is a general area of inquiry and is frequently stated as a
question; a thesis is more specific and can be defined as an opinion statement.

At this early point in your research, you can expect the thesis statement to be a preliminary or
working one. As you learn more about your topic, you will be able to revise the thesis. The
working thesis will help keep you on track as you research your topic. The following illustrates
some topics and preliminary thesis statements.

Topic: What effect does the use of alcoholic beverages have on college students?
Thesis Statement: College students who are binge drinkers are more likely to engage in risk-
taking behavior than students who are either moderate drinkers or who abstain from drinking
alcohol.

Topic: Should animal tissues and organs be transplanted into humans?

Thesis Statement: The potential medical benefits of xenotransplantation outweigh any ethical
concerns the public may have.

Topic: What effect does television violence have on children?

Thesis Statement: The implementation of V-chip technology to block violent or sexually
explicit television content will reduce the incidence of school violence.

Creating Search Statements--Identifying Keywords

The next step is to create a search statement, also called a search string, which you will use to
search for appropriate resources. First, identify the main concepts or keywords in your
preliminary thesis.

By creating a list of keywords, you can increase your search capacity. This enables you to find
more information on your topic. Try to think of all the ways your topic could be described. For
example, if you are researching on acid rain, you might also use words like pollution, air
pollution, carbon dioxide levels, ozone depletion, etc.

Choose your keywords carefully. Do not use a complete sentence or phrase as you do in spoken
natural language. Leave out minor words, such as articles ("a", "an", or "the"), and prepositional
or verb phrases ("on...", "in...", or "going to…"). Stick to the keywords, usually nouns or noun
phrases that express the major concepts of your thesis.

For the thesis, "College students who are binge drinkers are more likely to engage in risk-taking
behavior than students who are either moderate drinkers or who abstain", you might choose the
nouns and noun phrases alcohol, alcoholic beverages, binge drinking, risk-taking behavior and
college students as keywords. For the thesis, "The implementation of V-chip technology to block
violent or sexually explicit television content will lessen the incidences of school violence", you
could use television, TV, V chip, school violence and children.

As you begin your search, you should write down all search terms so you can decide which were
effective and which were not. You may find terms you wish to eliminate from your results list or
terms you want to always appear in your results.

To identify alternative keywords, use a thesaurus (Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus) is available

online), check the Library of Congress Subject Headings, a reference book available in most
libraries, or try browsing or searching web subject directories you will learn about later in this
course. The subject directories may provide alternate keywords or related topics that you
wouldn't necessarily think of on your own.
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Refining Search Statements

The next step in developing your search statement is to refine your keyword search string. This
may help to narrow or direct your search so that you retrieve the most relevant results. When
results are relevant, they are on target or very close to the information being sought. Complex
search statements could be refined by adding words and characters such as Boolean operators,
quotation marks to indicate exact phrases, truncation symbols, or field search limiters.

Boolean Searching
Boolean searching is based on a system of symbolic logic developed by George Boole, a 19 th
century English mathematician. Most computer databases and Internet search engines support
Boolean searches. Boolean search techniques help reduce the number of irrelevant documents in
the search results.

The power of Boolean searching is based on combinations of keywords with connecting terms
called Boolean operators. The three basic operators are the terms AND, OR, and NOT. Many
general search engines, such as Google, replace Boolean operators with symbols, for example +
for AND, - for NOT.
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The examples above illustrate general topics expressed with just two keywords. Actual search
strings, which express complex topic ideas, may consist of several keywords and combinations
of Boolean operators.

For example, the thesis statement "Automobile air bags are not safe for children" might result in
the search string:

automobiles AND air bags AND children AND safety

Nesting
Most databases and major search engines support complex Boolean searches. If you have a
complex search using more than one operator, you can nest your search terms, using parentheses.
Search terms and operators included in parentheses will be searched first, then terms and
operators outside the parentheses. A search for:

(ADD OR attention deficit disorder) AND college students

will search for documents containing either the acronym ADD or the words attention deficit
disorder, then narrow the search results only to those documents that also contain the words
college students.

Phrase Searching
Pay attention to phrases in search strings. If you are looking for information on the capital gains
tax, you need to enter that part of your search string as a phrase. Otherwise, you may retrieve
irrelevant documents which contain all of the keywords, in any order, anywhere in the document.
Most search engines and databases support phrase searches. Internet search engines usually
require quotation marks to indicate exact phrases such as: "capital gains tax", "physician assisted
suicide", "human genome project".

Truncation
Another useful search parameter is truncation. Truncation allows the searcher to insert a
truncation symbol, usually an * or ?, as a wildcard at the end or the middle of a word. For
example, the search term teen* will locate the terms:
● teen
● teens
● teenager
● teenagers
● teenaged
● teensy
● teeny

Try not to use truncation on a very short root word as too many words would be retrieved, and
the relevance of the search would be affected. Some search engines automatically truncate your
search terms to find plural, -ing, or -ed endings. Truncation symbols will vary. Some search
engines and databases do not support truncation.

Field Searching
Field searching is a technique that allows you to search a particular part of a computer record.
For example, in many search engines and electronic databases, you can specify that a specific
word in your search string be found in the title of the document.

You may also be able to search for an author's last name, a range of dates, full-text documents, or
material in a particular language. In web search engines, you may be able to search by domain
name, URL, or type of file (picture, sound or video). This search technique works efficiently
when you need to narrow your search in a very specific way. Some web search engines make
field searching available only in the advanced search mode.
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Deciding Which Resources to Search

Once you have identified the keywords for your topic and have created search statements that
reflect the relationship between the keywords, you should also consider the types of resources
that will be most appropriate for your topic. Often your professor will require that certain types
of resources be used. Both free Internet resources and library-based electronic resources can be
used to access a wide variety of types of information.

You may be required to use scholarly or peer-reviewed publications in addition to popular

resources. Depending on your research project, primary source documents may be essential. The
discipline area in which your search topic falls may require that the information be current.
Finally, you may need to access information from a variety of different formats such as
audiovisual, graphical or raw data.

Scholarly vs. Popular

Professors will often require that students use a certain number of scholarly resources for
research projects. Scholarly information will present original research findings and provide much
more detail and usually a better understanding of a topic than will a popular or general interest
publication. In some cases, deciding what is a scholarly publication versus what is a popular
publication may be easy, especially when considering print sources; in other cases, it may be
more difficult to make the distinction. Some of the distinguishing factors that are obvious in a
print source (e.g., price, availability, etc.) will not be relevant for an electronic publication. Use
the following table as a guide to help differentiate between popular and scholarly
publications/Internet sites.

Popular Sites Scholarly Sites

General readers Scholars, researchers, professors,
AUDIENCE students
Colorful, eye-catching, engaging, Attractive but also serious
APPEARANCE lively, slick

Many, colorful; banner ads that Few, if any, advertisements

ADVERTISEMENTS change on a regular basis

Commercial Universities, individual faculty

organizations, non-profit pages, professional associations,
PRODUCER organizations, personal home pages some commercial or non-profit
organizations

Staff writers, journalists, usually not Professionals, experts in the field,

AUTHOR experts, web sites are frequently credentials given with the site
unsigned
Non-technical, informative, Original research, specific narrow
CONTENT & introductory information, focus
FOCUS entertaining, news oriented,
opinions
Easy to read, engaging Formal language, specialized
LANGUAGE, jargon used, requires prior
STYLE knowledge of the subject matter

Usually short to medium in length, Usually rather lengthy in order to

LENGTH providing broader overview of provide in-depth analysis of a
topics topic
Heavily illustrated, photographs, Few illustrations, little or no
eyecatching color, will include appropriate
ILLUSTRATIONS
research oriented tables, charts,
and graphs
 67

Very little Documentation, bibliographies,

DOCUMENTATION documentation, if any footnotes

Up-to-date Timeliness is not as important;

TIMELINESS thoroughness, originality, and in-
de
No specific words included or Titles may use language of the
excluded; titles may be cutesy or discipline; frequently words such
WORDS IN TITLE contain slang as research or study will appear in
the title
Dotinga, R. (2016). Did Compton, W., Jones, C., &
Painkiller Crackdown Baldwin,
Cause Heroin G. (2016). Relationship between
Epidemic? WebMD News from Nonmedical Prescription-Opioid
HealthDay. Use and Heroin Use. New
EXAMPLES Retrieved from: England Journal of Medicine,
http://www.webmd.com/ 374, 154-163.
mentalhealth/addiction/news/2 doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1508490
0160113/did-painkillercrackdown-
causeheroin-epidemic

Primary vs. Secondary

Depending on the general subject area or discipline of your research, primary sources may be a
major focus. Primary sources take different forms depending on the discipline. In literature, a
primary source is the novel, short story, poem, etc. Primary sources in history include laws,
letters, oral histories, diaries, and newspaper articles on events. In science, primary sources
include reports of original research. Primary sources tend to stand on their own and be firsthand
observations of an event.

A secondary source is one which analyzes, critiques, reviews or explains a primary source. They
are often authored by people who were not present when the event occurred or the person under
study was alive. Many are written by scholars who have carefully studied the primary source and
have drawn their own conclusions from it. One type of source is not, by nature, more or less
reliable than the other. Some examples of both primary and secondary sources follow.

Primary Sources Secondary Sources

The Autobiography of Charles
Darwin Remembers: A Play by Fred Sandford
Darwin
Founding.com: A User's Guide to the Declaration of
The Declaration of Independence
Independence

Plato's Republic Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Plato

Current vs. Historical

For some disciplines, timeliness or currency of information is crucial. In the sciences and
medicine, it is very important that the most recent information on a topic be retrieved. In history
or literature, currency may not be as important. Frequently, professors will place time limitations
on assignments and this will help guide your research. Some search engines and library-based
electronic databases will allow you to specify a time frame for a search.

All databases will allow you to refine your results by publication date. If you have a topic in a
medical or technical field, you probably will not want sources older than 5 years from the current
date, as the information may become outdated or superseded quickly. Conversely, if your topic
concerns a historic event, for instance, coverage from a hundred years ago is likely as valid as
present day research.
 68

Resources by Discipline
Information is organized into disciplines or subject areas. The discipline or subject area in which
your research topic falls will have a bearing on the type of research you will do. In addition, the
same research topic you choose for a general composition class in which you primarily retrieve
Internet sites and articles from library-based general electronic resources will take on a very
different flavor in an upper-level discipline-based class.
Depending on the discipline area, the following considerations may be important:
● One or more organizations may be responsible for the dissemination of information.
● There may a standard terminology for the discipline.
● There may be a standard index for the discipline.
● Scholarly resources may be preferred over popular resources.
● Primary resources may be preferred over secondary resources.
● One or more of the following investigative methods may be preferred:
○ laboratory experiments ○ surveys
○ simulations ○ statistical analysis
○ field work ○ tests and measurements
○ interviews ○ original thought and analysis
● Current resources may be preferred over historical resources.

Resources by Format
Since research material on the Internet is available in many different formats, you may find that
an audio file, an image, or a video clip may be appropriate for your research topic. For example,
if you were required to make an oral presentation of your research project in addition to a written
report, and you were going to create a presentation with PowerPoint, you might find it helpful to
import audio files, images and video clips into the presentation.

Revising Your Topic and Searching

Research is seldom a neat, tidy process. Sometimes your first search attempt will not give you
the results you anticipate. You may either find too much information on your topic, not enough
information on your topic, or the information you find may not be helpful. In this case, it may be
necessary to change or redesign your topic question or statement.

One of the most common problems encountered in research is retrieving search results that are
too broad or unrelated. In that case, you will need to rethink your search strategy to limit your
search results.

Try the following to narrow and define your search:

● Use the AND Boolean Operator to add relevant terms to the search.
● Use the NOT Boolean Operator to eliminate terms from the search.
● Search for one or more words in the title field as opposed to searching throughout the
full-text of a document.
● Use phrase searching to define your search terms.
● Use vocabulary that is more specific.
● Choose a narrower category of a major topic.

When there are too few sources on your topic, try the following to expand or broaden your topic:
● Combine synonymous terms with the Boolean OR Operator.
● Use wildcards and truncation to retrieve alternate spellings or endings of root words.
● Think of the topic in broader terms and use a more general vocabulary.
● Make sure you are using the appropriate vocabulary for the discipline in which your topic
falls.
● Eliminate the least important concept to broaden the search.
● Revise the date range. Perhaps your topic is so new that there is not much scholarly
information available yet.
● Try the option available in some search engines that will look for related documents to
one or more of your relevant hits.
● Use a thesaurus.
 69

Finalizing Your Thesis

Now that you’ve done your initial searching and decided on a firm direction for your topic, you
are better equipped to revisit your thesis to make it stronger.
A strong final thesis should be:

● Focused on a single position or point of view in your thesis statement. Addressing too
many ideas in a project is likely to make your point muddy and incomplete.
○ Weak thesis: Underfunded arts programs, underpaid teachers, and standardized
testing are all factors in underachieving students in public schools.
○ Stronger thesis: The emphasis on standardized testing is a critical factor in the
underperformance of public school students.
● Clear and concise. Present your argument or point precisely without generalizations.
○ Weak thesis: The lack of funding in public schools is a major issue in the
American education system.
○ Stronger thesis: Underfunding arts programs in public schools does not adequately
prepare students for college.
● Declarative, explaining your position or point-of-view as a statement rather than a
question.
○ Weak thesis: Does car exhaust impact climate change?
○ Stronger thesis: Car exhaust is a leading contributor to climate change
● Written in third-person voice. Rather than addressing “I”, “we”, “you”, “my”, or “our” in
your thesis, look at the larger issues that affect a great number of participants. Think in
terms like “citizens”, “students”, “parents”, “teachers”,
“artists”, etc.
○ Weak thesis: I think using your cell phone while driving is the leading cause of
traffic deaths for people in my age group.
○ Stronger thesis: Cell phone use is the leading cause of traffic deaths in teenagers.

A Sample Research Problem

The following is a sample research topic and a thesis statement that illustrate how a researcher
might work with keywords, Boolean operators, nesting of operators, and truncation to get better
results.

Sample Research Topic: "Does recycling E-Waste lead to environmental problems in and of
itself?

Background: As more and more computers, cell-phones, televisions and other electronic media
are dismantled and recycled, a whole set of environmental concerns are created. Frequently
these materials are sent to developing countries without any concern for their environment.

You may find this too broad a topic. The following thesis statement is more specific:

“Companies that produce recyclable electronic products must be responsible and pay for safe and
reliable methods of disposal, as well as safe, environmental friendly recovery of component parts
and rare-earth metals.”

Keywords for this might include:

• e-waste • third-world countries
• recycling • toxic metals
• electronic devices • recycling fees
• environmental pollution
Some of the possible search statements which could be used for this thesis are: environment
AND recycling AND “electronic devices” AND “third-world countries”
• (“e-waste” OR “electronic devices”) AND environment AND “third-world” and corp*
• (“toxic metals” OR “rare-earth metals”) AND “recycling fees”
 70

EVALUATION

Test I. From the following social media accounts, make a sample on the web or make your
sample account.
a. Email
b. Instagram

Test 11. Search on the web the following social media accounts and screenshot and on the group
chat to prove that you have search this site
a. Sample of blog
b. Tumblr
c. Linkedin
d. Youtube
e. Rssfeed

Test III. Let one of you research on how to make a link on the google so that we can have google
met, as an example of WEB CONFERENCING. An let us set a date and time wherein we can
have the google meet.

Test IV. Research for a problem as an example of making a thesis or action research. The
following is the format

1. Title of the study

2. Introduction/ rationale ( cite authors if you get from the internet)
Example.
Ticar (2020) stated that ……..
3. Objectives of the study
4. Related Studies (get at least three)
5. Methods
Respondents of the Study
Time and Place of the Study\
What will you use for the respondents to answer?