How do I search for information on the Web?

 

To be successful searching the Web or ‘navigating the Net’ as it’s also referred to, it is important to understand that there are MANY WAYS TO LOCATE a web site.

Access to web pages may be accomplished by:

Browsing the Web
Did you ever browse through the shelves of the library or a bookstore and find a great item just by looking through the choices available. Well, this same type of browsing is possible on the Web too.

The user may come across a worthwhile site as she selects certain available links and moves from one page to another. While not the fastest or most efficient way to locate a specific site, it is a legitimate way to find information in general. On the other hand, browsing can be a very useful method of Web searching when the user is presented with a large number collection of sites or links covering the same or similar topic areas. Such collections are often called subject directories.

Entering a Web Address
Another way to locate a site on the Web is by entering in the specific web site address to retrieve the page. Every web page has its own UNIQUE address. Web addresses are also known as URLs. URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. URLs allow any individual to create and use web addresses following a standardized (or uniform) format. The components of a URL are listed below.

If you look closely at each part of this URL, you can see that the web page is for the Alverno College Bookstore. It is good to know that all web pages are HTM or HTML files.

Anatomy of a URL
Type of File (http, ftp, telnet)	World Wide Web	Server & Domain Name (indicates location or source on Web)	Path or Directory to File	File Name (usually ends with .htm or .html)
http://	www	.alverno.edu/	bookstore/	bookstore.html
Adapted from Glossary of WWW, Web Searching and Netscape Jargon. UC-Berkeley Library. ©1996- 2000. Available at: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Glossary.html

Web browser software (including Netscape and Internet Explorer) provides users with a specific box or area where they can enter in a URL. This is the most direct route for bringing up a web page and is the best way to get to a web site quickly. Unfortunately, this method cannot always be employed since many times we do not know or have a specific web address.

Joining an Email Discussion Group or NewsGroup
Nowadays there are email discussion groups on every imaginable topic. This is another way to gain access to information including web resources on a particular subject area. In addition, email and news groups are a good way to communicate with other people about a specific topic, asking questions and submitting answers back and forth as a group. The amount of email correspondence or communication will vary greatly depending on the individual group (multiple times a day, once a day, once a month, bimonthly, etc.).

Performing a Web Search
Another common way to access web pages is by performing a search using one or more of the different SEARCH TOOLS available on the Web. Search tools help you find information on the Internet. After selecting one or more key terms and entering these as a search (also known as a search statement) into a search box you will retrieve a number of sites also known as hits. You must then go through the search results, or hits, until you find a worthwhile item.

Take the Review of Basic Search Tools and Search Engines 1