16 Webpages - Searching Specific Formats part 3 (Information Research)
Description
This article is from the Information Research FAQ, by David Novak david@spireproject.com with numerous contributions by others.
16 Webpages - Searching Specific Formats part 3 (Information Research)
Strategy
Searching the web is more skill than most of us acknowledge. The web is
a manifestation of the demon professional researcher's work with all
the time in the commercial information market. There is constantly the
fear you have missed that single important site with everything.
Consider the researcher's motto:
Someone, somewhere, probably knows the answer.
But how long do we search for gems, and where do we look? To decide, we
must learn about internet structure and organization. Why is
information published on the web? Why is it promoted? Let's review the
reasoning behind effective internet research. There is so much more
than putting words into search engines.
#1 Motivation
We can make some very astute generalizations about a webpage very
quickly if we can judge the reason it was published. Not only is this
an important step in analyzing any information, but this tells us a
great deal about the contents of the webpage.
Yes, merely determining a site belongs to an association actually
specifies the quality, motivation and type of information we will find.
Associations either publish what is termed 'brochureware' (promotional
material), or if well advanced, present research work previously
restricted to the association library: important research studies & the
like. Commercial interests have much more difficulty delivering useful
resources. The importance of projecting a corporate image comes first
(lots of 'brochureware'), and service descriptions come second. On
occasion, commercial interests will support a worthwhile service tied
closely to their own service - thus banks present interest rates -
bookstores present their book database.
The certainty with which we can make these judgments will astound you.
Corporate websites never publish "changes to patent law". They simply
don't have the motivation. Only an individual would publish this, most
likely not on the web but though a mailing list.
Information is not distributed randomly. Consider Format, Preparation,
Motivation and Promotion. Consider this, then Visualize the information
you seek.
#2 Promotion
We can make further snap judgments about web information from the way
you get there. Promotion is very difficult on the web, and it is hard
to find poorly promoted information. The tools you use to reach
information pre-determines the type and quality of information you will
find.
Search engines index webpages indiscriminately. Advertised websites
must have a pay-off. Directories focus on established websites (not
webpages). Link pages also link to established websites but put more
thought into the selection of resources. Both usually focus on general
sites. For specific or current resources, we need to move to mailing
lists or active nexus point.
Yes, when we find a webpage through the Scout Report (a prominent
resource discovery newsletter), we can assume the webpage has a high
quality of information, is reasonably current and has a general appeal
(within the interest of the newsletter readers).
Let's put this in reverse. If we are looking for a recent document by a
prominent library committee, we will not find it through Altavista,
Yahoo, or normal link pages (except accidentally). We may find it
through specialist newsletters, active nexus points, or through mailing
lists.
#3 Visualize
When an artist begins to paint, they visualize the image. They already
have a concept of the finished result. Internet research is no
different. We start by building a vision of the information we seek.
Who would publish it. What is their motivation? Who would promote it?
Where would I find it?
Information Clumps. Information is created, nurtured, develops, gets
transplanted, gets arranged and becomes visible through a process which
brings similar information together. Your understanding of this
process, including motivation and promotion, must guide your search of
the web. Only then will we know where to look, and quickly know if the
answers are on the web.
Continue to:
My Books
