What they are

When to Use Them

And Why

Search Engines vs. Databases

What is a Search Engine

Definition

A search engine is a service that utilizes a

computer program to search the Internet and
identify items that match the characters and
keywords entered by a user.
How they Work
 Use proprietary computer programs to find items
that match the keywords entered.

 These programs use spiders to crawl over the world

wide web to find information.

 Spiders (also called webcrawlers) are specific to a

search engine, ie. Google makes sure its spiders are
programmed to find sources they own to list first in
their results.
Examples of Search Engines

 Google

 Alta Vista

 Dogpile

 Bing
Search Engine PROS

 FREE to anyone with computer access

 Can find information on:

-Organizations
-Groups (ie. Social Networking Sites)
-Businesses
-Personal Web Pages
Search Engines Cons

 FREE to anyone with

computer access.

 Information not
organized ~difficult to
narrow down results
and find relevant
materials.
Search Engine Cons (Cont.)

 Limited quality control

-open to consumer influence
(ie. Wikepedia)
-open to business influences
(ie. Wikepedia)

 Information not stable

~location and content continually change.
World Wide Web

 Anyone can create their own Website

http://www.smokershistory.com/

 Anyone can say they are someone else and

create their own website.
http://www.rythospital.com/2008/
WHO
WHAT
WHEN
WHERE
WHY

THE FIVE W’s of WEB SITE

EVALUATION
WHO

 Who wrote the pages and are they an expert?

Is a biography of the author included? How
can I find out more about the author?

http://www.dhmo.org/
WHAT

 What does the author say is the purpose of

the site? What else might the author have in
mind for the site? What information is
included and does this information differ
from other sites?

http://www.thedogisland.com
WHEN

 When was the site created?

http://www.dreamweaverstudios.com/moonbe
am/moon.htm

 When was the site last updated?

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planets/m
oonpage.html
WHERE

 Where does the information come from?

 Where can I look to find out more about the
sponsor of the site?

www.martinlutherking.org

http://shardsoglass.com
Free Search Engines with a Purpose

 http://www.intute.ac.uk/

 www.scirus.com

 http://lii.org/

 http://scholar.google.com
WHY

 Why is this information useful for my

purpose?

 Why should I use this information?

 Why is this page better than another?

Web Site Citations

Complete publication information may not be available for a Web site; provide what is
given.
Entire Internet Site: Scholarly Project or Professional Site [5.9.2]

Title of the Site. Editor. Date and/or Version Number. Name of Sponsoring Institution. Date of Access <URL>.

Encyclopedia Mythica. 2004. 13 May 2004 <http://www.pantheon.org/>.

Document from a Web Site [5.9.1]

Author. "Title of Web Page." Title of the Site. Editor. Date and/or Version Number. Name of Sponsoring Institution. Date of
Access <URL>.

Sherman, Chris. "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About URL." SearchEngineWatch. Ed. Danny Sullivan. 24 Aug.
2004. 4 Sept. 2004 <http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3398511>.
Some Sites Cite for you . . . .

 www.scirus.com

 Databases like the ones Rangeview

subscribes to :
EBSCO (Magazine Articles)/American
History/American Government/ and World
History will all cite sources for you.
http://rangeview.aurorak12.org/
What is a Database?

Definition

A database is a collection of electronic

information organized in a way that allows a
user to easily retrieve information.
Databases are usually collections of journal and
magazine articles, reviews, and abstracts.
Examples of Databases

 EBSCO (Edward B. Stephens Company)

 Atomic Learning

 Discovery (United Streaming)

 ABC-CLIO
Database Cons

Costly~ tens of thousands of

dollars

Yearly Renewals

 Do not own the material

Database Cons

Costly~ tens of thousands of

dollars

Yearly Renewals

 Do not own the material

Database PROS

 Information is reviewed
(Legitimate Sources)

 Information is organized
(Relevant Sources)

 Information is stable
(No outside access/influence)