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	8 hours

03.1 Practice Search

The reading portions of this activity are short and may be completed in separate time increments. You may click in this frame then use your browser's Print function to print hard copies. This works for any part of this course, but remember, all contents are copyrighted (one copy for you only).

Locating information on the Internet is deceptively complex. On the surface it appears so simple: type in a word and get links in return. You have tried it and you know it is not always that easy. Oftentimes you get literally millions of pages that have nothing to do with what you were looking for. Rather than roaming off, surfing through the returns, what are the most efficient ways to format a query so that the returns are exactly what are needed in as short a time as possible? Expert Internet searchers know how to obtain effective results efficiently. What follows are their most powerful strategies and tips:

Please read each of the following selections.

• The Top Ten Search Tips
• Search Engines
• The Invisible Web
• Search Results / citations
• Spell check
• Thesaurus
• Domains

OR

Evaluate six (6) of the 21CIF MicroModules developed for online learning. Choose from these titles:

Search Box Strategy	Subject Indexes	Synonyms	URLs: How do URLs Work?
Search Process	Search Engines	Hyper- and Hypo- Nyms	Spelling
Query: What is a Query?	Using Keywords Effectively	Nyms: How Lesser Known Nyms Help You Improve a Search	Invisible Web: How Can You Search It?

Use the Online Evaluation form to tell the 21CIF team what you think of the content and approach. We continually make improvements based on users' input.

OR

If you're already familiar with 21cif approaches to searching, as well as our MicroModules, you may want to consider another perspective. Try Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial published by the University of California Berkeley Library.

When you have completed one of the task groupings above, practice the techniques and strategies using one of the following exercises (both if you have time). Your goal is to supply a correct answer in as few steps as possible, in as little time as you can. Even though it will slow down your pace, keep a log of the queries you submit and the amount of time it took you.

Practice Searches (choose one) Avoid a practice search for which you may already be a content expert.

Directions: Supply the correct answer requested by the task. Copy and paste the url of the site where you found the answer. Record your Search History and length of time taken.

Practice Search 1 Navigation Aids -- using only the Internet, give the proper name for the navigational aid pictured and tell what it signifies to boaters.

Practice Search 2 Naturalist Detective -- using only the Internet, name the animal that left these tracks.

Practice Search History

There are several ways to build a Search History, which you will read about in the next activity. For now, keep a digital version of your history so you can easily share it with others in the class. A handy, low-tech method is to create a table with each of the criteria across the top and record each link on a new numbered row. You may do this electronically by running a word processing window or an Excel spreadsheet next to your browser; this will enable you to copy and paste the URLs rather than copying by hand.

Keywords and Operators

URL

Comments, Observations, Techniques

1. Numbered Practice Search History (each line should contain the following information):

• List the specific words searched and operators used under "Keywords and Operators";
• List the url visited under "URL";
• In "Comments, Observations, Techniques" make some brief notes about your activity on this url. For example: "used the find command to identify key terms," or "read for content--found some other possible search terms";

Copy and paste your responses to the questions below on the 03.2 Forum and examine other participants' results to discover alternate ways the result may be found. Which searches were the most efficient? You may need to revisit the Forum if you are one of the first to post.

• What result did you get for your Practice Search? (copy the url of the page where you found the answer)
• What steps did you use to get that result? (copy and Paste your numbered Search History, listing the keywords, operators and other search techniques you tried);
• How long did this take you?
• In response to other participant's strategies and time, what did you discover that may improve your efficiency next time?