Surfing the web is great! Loads of fun and all sorts of information only a key or quick hotlink away. The downfall is that it is way too easy to be distracted or lost. If you've found yourself wandering around websites that sound like they might have the information you're after, but inevitably don't or your search keywords bring in thousands of hits, then you need a few tips in how to shorten your path to knowledge.

1. Define your search parameters

Firstly, know what it is you're after and be aware of a variety of specific keywords that will lead you to the right websites, and a few thousand less hits. Variety is wonderful, but after hours of reading through the wrong websites your eyes and head will be feeling the pain. The more specific you are the more specific your search will be, which leads me to…

2. Search engines

Most people around the world have heard of Google. The name has, in a very short time, become synonymous with searching for just about anything. The theory is that you can "google" anything and you'll find what you need, and I agree that the Google search engine is far and away one of the best available. Google provide easy to use sections on website searching, image searches, groups, news and more. Click on the "More" link and you'll be lead to a page with more specific search engines.

Other good search engines that I regularly use include Teoma, About, and Dogpile. I usually find what I want on at least one of these. Dogpile is a metasearch engine meaning that it will give you results found in the top search engines. I still like to do individual searches across a variety of search engines as the results are more rounded and less is likely to be missed. However, it depends on the difficulty or the obscurity of the topic I'm researching.

There are hundreds of search engines. Google them and you'll find a list long enough to keep you happy for hours.

3. Newspaper Articles, Press Releases and Journals

Newspaper articles can lead to people, institutions, and sources of information while providing the reader with background and current information on a topic. A general search in online newspapers from a relevant locality is always worthwhile. If your topic isn't connected to a particular locality then hit the major news sources from a variety of countries. You can find these sources via search engines, but some of the main ones are Reuters, NY Times and CNN. In Australia, try Fairfax and ABC, in Britain try the BBC. Each news source, in each country, will provide a differing slant on the news they cover. The Refdesk site provides quick links to most of the major news sources as well as many other handy links. Test it out for yourself!

There are more newspapers on the web than there are search engines and each provide their own internal article and image search. Become familiar with them. Find out which sites charge to read their articles [usually a nominal amount] and which are free. Subscribe to some or subscribe for notification of articles on particular topics. Some search engines will also email you notification when articles on your particular topic appear on the web. Keep that information wheel rolling!

As with the article notification services, there are also ways to have press releases emailed to you. How easy is that? Check your email box every morning to read the newsfeeds sent to you according to your profile, and for free. Once again, go back to your trusty search engine and type in "press releases" and you're sure to find enough to suit your needs. I use PRWeb and Emedia newswire, and have picked up quite a few ideas and background info on research topics.

4. General Interest Websites

These websites are mixed in with all the "expert" websites and should never be disregarded. A lot of web authors put many hours of their own research time into providing the best information they can on their pet topics. They will also provide lists of links back to their sources and to other websites, both general and expert. Look for websites that cite their sources, avoid wild claims, and aren't necessarily trying to sell you something. Before quoting or basing your work on any information, always find reliable support material.

5. Ezines, Discussion Forums and Mailing Lists

I'm pretty sure there's an ezine, forum or mailing list out there for every topic under the sun. Do a specific search on your topic, and include the communication form you are interested in. For a well-rounded search, look at a variety of forms - many are connected - and you'll have almost instant contact with others interested in the same area as you. If nothing comes up then broaden your search to include the subject your topic resides in. The people in these groups want to help each other. They want to pass on information, help you to find what you're looking for and talk, talk, talk. Always take note of any etiquette rules posted and jump right in with an introduction. The more friendly and forthcoming you are the more help or contact you should receive.

Remember, that everything written in these communications is subject to copyright and often presumed privacy. Ask permission before you use anyone else's work and never abuse the rules of the group or you'll find yourself out in the cold.

6. Museums

Some museum websites are definitely more user-friendly than others, but generally the level of interactivity is rising. You can search archives, find links and resources, contact them with questions, preview exhibitions, and read the latest news on discoveries, events and what's coming soon. Museums may be topic specific, such as an Aviation Museum or much broader in their scope, such as the British Museum or the Australian Museum. Look for large and small museums alike and be prepared to ask questions on their exhibitions. Curators want to talk about the pieces they have on display and the history behind the artefacts. They are experts in their field and a valuable source of information in their own right.

7. Universities and Libraries

To find academic papers, go to the universities. University websites regularly publish their studies and provide contacts for finding out more. If you know your topic well then you should be able to find the department of study relating to your needs or simply do a search on your topic using their internal search engine. Not sure which university to visit? Many academic papers are published on the web through external publishing companies. These papers link back to the universities. You might like to start with Questia.com or Google Scholar [in the "more" section].

Libraries will get you book titles, authors, date of publication, and a brief summary of contents. If you actually go to the library to borrow some books, you'll also have access to the information and just as importantly the bibliography. Books can be "ordered" online and, through library networks, sent to your closest library. In most cases, you'll still have to go pick the book up, but you can't sit at your computer all the time anyway.

Warnings

Treat everything you read on the web as tertiary information, hearsay that requires support from other sources before it can be considered as accurate, reliable information. One source is never enough, always find more and be prepared to end up with conflicting reports.

Bookmark all the worthwhile sites you visit and back-up your list to a disk in case of computer failure. Keep your list of favourite websites in easy-to-find order and delete any urls that become obsolete. Housekeeping is a good habit that will save you time later on.

Copy urls into a wordprocessing document for later use in bibliographies and resource list, and index them accordingly.

Back up everything you do on the computer to an external disk. You don't want to be almost finished a project to have your computer pack it in and all your hard work lost.

One final point to remember, the World Wide Web is not the "be all" of world knowledge. Telephone calls, trips to libraries and archive centres are still a necessary part of any good researcher's arsenal. It's just that now, we have access to more libraries and centre's of information and email to smooth our trail and ease our weary feet.

Trish Anderson
http://beginningsmiddlesends.blogspot.com