III. Tools for the Electronic Partnership

The World Wide Web is the huge collection of hundreds of thousands of computers that make up part of the Internet. Like the Internet, the Web has no central management system-it is unstructured and unorganized and gloriously uncategorical in nature. How then can it be of any use to anyone? Several wonderful inventions have come about to address just this.

Your browser is a piece of software that transfers files from HTML (the language of the Web) into text form or images that you can read and see. Microsoft Explorer and Netscape are examples of browser software. It is through use of your browser that you have access to the various resources on the Web, located at Web sites. Web sites might be organized and operated by institutions (like your college or university); by government agencies or professional organizations; by individuals, or by groups of people, with something to sell or display, be that ideology or product. Basically, anyone can have a Web site.

Web sites can be easily updated and changed because they are stored electronically. They are therefore dynamic and can be tremendously useful tools in conveying information that changes rapidly, such as the progress of a bill in Congress. They can be dynamic conveyors of changing information, but are not necessarily so. A Web site that is frequently updated means the site manager is actively involved with conveying changing information to site visitors. One way to evaluate the information you are receiving from your resource is the date of the most recent modification, if that information is available and if it is relevant to your search.

Each Web site contains one or more pages that are connected by links. Links are identifiable in one of three ways: (1) an underlined word, usually in color; (2) a graphic with a border around it; and (3) a hot spot, identifiable when the cursor arrow turns into a little hand, but otherwise not visible on the page.

So how do you get to a Web site? How do you return to one that you thought to be particularly useful? It's through the Universal Resource Locator, commonly known as the URL. Rather than reading about the component parts of the URL here, log on and go to the following URL (address) and learn all you need to from this resource:

Understanding and Decoding URLs (Kirk, 1997),

After exploring this site, bookmark the URL so you can return, if your browser has that capability. You may want to copy the URL and paste it into a document along with a brief description of why you are keeping this address. You will be developing a personalized address book that will be very useful to you over time. As you become more familiar with Internet searching, you can delete URLs whose content is no longer of interest to you, and you can add addresses as your interests and experience with the Web change and expand.

A system of universal address codes makes sense, but how do you know which address you want when you are doing a search? A search engine is a program that locates Web sites based on certain criteria-usually organized by topic. Examples of search engines are Altavista, Excite, Google, Lycos-there are many others.

Let's say you are seeking information about types of marriage relationships. By giving the search engine you are working with a set of key terms (your criteria), you will begin to come up with sources (URLs) having to do with those key terms. To some extent different search engines will locate different sources. HotBot search tool site will have a somewhat different focus for its search than, for example, Northern Lights, though there will be overlap. You will find that your search is enhanced when you use more than one search engine to track down information on your topic.

There are different levels of search engine to help you with your search. Engines such as Excite and Lycos have their own directories, and provide links to specific sites based on the criteria you gave. You will probably begin your search using one of these sites. .A collection of specialized search engines can be located at http://www.search.com.

Meta-resources

Meta-resources exist to help you in your process of refining the range of information you use in your search. Some of these resources include evaluation sites, mega-sites and meta-searches, and research tools. Other terms for these sites that you will encounter in your continuing online adventures will include virtual libraries and Web directories. In building your personal glossary of these terms, remember that each type is not mutually exclusive, and many terms are interchangeable.

Evaluation sites. These sites allow you to search for other sites by category, plus they provide reviews of the sites. One example of evaluation site can be found at Lycos Top 5%, http://www.lycos.com/ (their evaluation of the best 5% sites in their categories). Internet evaluation is a young discipline that will develop over time. These are good sites to visit. However your experience will continue to be your best guide to the search engines that give you access to the sites best for your particular interests.

Mega-sites. These sites go by many different names, but there are basically two types. One type can be found at research centers, institutions, libraries, government agencies, and other official institutions. These sites typically contain specialized search tools that allow you access to a variety of information including other Web sites, online texts and documents, directories of printed material, data sets, graphics, and multimedia resources. Good examples of these sites include the Library of Congress and the US Bureau of Census.

The next type of mega-site goes by many names, including online directory, virtual library, and meta-resource. These resources are designed to categorize and evaluate other Web sites and additional resources around a given theme or discipline. Examples include The SocioWeb, at http://www.sonic.net/~markbl/socioweb; and the Social Science Information Gateway, at http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/art2/index.htm.

Again, it is important to remember that the best resource you have is your own experience. You get that experience by spending time surfing the Web, but there are surfing lessons out there. An example of mega-site tutorial resources is http://www.wcsu.ctstateu.edu/socialsci/socres.html. These provide a structure for you to use in your explorations, as well as links to other mega-sites.

Meta-searches. Some sites perform searches of search engines based on the criteria you provide. Let's say that you are looking for information on ethnicity and intimate relationships, including but not exclusive to marriage. A good site to visit first might be http://www.savvysearch.com, which will search other search engines to locate sites for you. Another good site is the Argus Clearinghouse at http://www.clearinghouse.net. Many other sites exist, which you may or may not find helpful along the way.

Other resource tools. You are bound to discover a variety of online tools that can be helpful in your investigations. Examples of research tools that may be of use include A Web of Online Dictionaries, located at http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/rbeard/diction.html. Statistical information resources from over 70 government agencies can be found at http://www.fedstats.gov. There are many others that you will come upon as you become a more experienced Web researcher.

An interesting meta-resource at http://www.itools.com/research-it.html offers a research page with dictionaries and a translator program in which you can translate a word in any language to any other language, as well as maps, geographical facts, and financial tools. The Library of Congress has a section in which Internet guides, tutorials, and online training courses are referenced.

One truly amazing meta-resource is the Monster Board, http://www.monster.co.uk, which provides an international database of employment opportunities. This site is also interactive-it will scan its resources based on a profile you provide, and notify you by email of new postings. It's worth a visit, even if you are not currently job-hunting.

As you build your vocabulary for using online tools, it is important to remember that your experience is the most important resource you will bring to the endeavor. Systematic use and documentation of what you find is the best possible way to become your own expert.

Virtual Connection: Levels of intimacy

To understand about Web searching, it helps to understand a bit about the World Wide Web itself. Go to http://www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/FAQ.html for current and historical information formatted as Frequently Asked Questions. By means of links, these two resources will lead you other similar resources if you develop an interest in learning more about the Web.

Exercise 1

Imagine that you are a assigned to help bring out the "youth vote" as a volunteer by a local youth advocate agency. Which Web sites of national agencies exist to help educate young people on the importance of voting? What legislation caused the establishment of these agencies, and when was it enacted? What resources are available for young voters in your own state? Using the terms provided above, how would you categorize these Web sites?

Exercise 2

Let's say that you have been given an assignment to find information about discrimination against Arab and Muslim Americans. Describe the kinds of information you find when typing in the key words "Arab American" in three search engines of your choice. Now use the key words "Arab-American Discrimination" and describe the resources you have found.

Compare the quality of these findings with a similar search at the Social Science Information Gateway. What did the differences in results tell you about the importance of using the tools described above for refining your search?

Exercise 3

Update your personal glossary and your URL address book.