Resources for Information Skills
Section contents page Introduction Choosing the right tool for the job Search engines When to use information gateways and specialist databases Google Access to the invisible web Google development How to get the best out of Google Why not always Google? Other search engines Meta-search engines Why use a directory? Overview Summary
Next Next
 

Introduction

The term internet is a network of the interlinked computer networking over the globe. It consists of millions of computers, all forming a network so that every single computer can communicate to each other, regardless of location. Sometimes the internet is called as the network of all the other networks because it contains several different interlinked networks. The term world Wide Web (WWW) and the internet are often used interchangeably, although they have a significant difference. The WWW is a method of sharing information across the Internet via web pages. However, it is not the only method available. Information can be shared through chat; email, instant messaging; and file transfer protocol (FTP)

No doubt that both the internet and the WWW play a pivotal role to find information, but it is complex enough to locate the specific and appropriate information as you wanted. The use of other tools such as search engine, information gateways and directories will have immense value to find specific information, without knowing the web address of every page. However, to make an effective search you do need to know how search engine functions, what material will be included in your results. Perhaps more importantly, how to formulate your search strategy and what material should be excluded in your search results

The aims of this tutorial is to:

  • Explain the difference between a search engine, a meta-search engine, an information gateway or directory and a specialist database.
  • Assist decide which tools to be used for different types of searches
  • Perform effective searches using examples of these tools
  • Construct effective Google search and to introduce free features and products offered by Google

When using these tools for search you may require Adobe FlashTM software. If you do not have Adobe Flash Player on your computer, why not download and install the latest version now? It will only take a moment.