Exploring Wikipedia

After browsing several topics on Wikipedia including the border wall and politicians, I finally decided on the two articles I would write about.  Living in South Texas many of our students research The Rio Grande Valley.  The article on Wikipedia seems fine but many population and percentage information is stated without citations.  There is even a note on top of the page stating that the “article needs additional citations for verification.” In fact, I wouldn’t allow my students to use any Wikipedia article that had that type of notification.  I also browsed through several TV series, movies, and books.  I would allow my students to use the article based on “Looking for Alaska,” which mentions characters, plot, and even discusses the controversy without taking sides.  I would also like to share an article I found while researching the accuracy of Wikipedia.  The article mentions 3 main topics that are prone to inaccurate or biased information such as politicians, celebrities, and fantasists.

Rio grande valley.   (2010) In Wikipedia, Retrieved September 20, 2010, from             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Grande_Valley

Looking for Alaska. (2010) In Wikipedia, Retrieved September 20, 2010, from             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looking_for_Alaska

McLaughlin, M. (2008). Falling exam passes blamed on wikipedia 'littered         with inaccuracies'. The Scotsman, Retrieved September 20, 2010,     from         http://news.scotsman.com/education/Falling-exam--passes-blamed.4209408.jp

References:

What is the definition of a 'gateway'? (2010). Answers.com. Retrieved (2010, September 6) from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_definition_of_a_'gateway'

Bare bones 101: A basic tutorial on searching the web. (2006). Usc beaufort library. Retrieved (2010, September 6) from http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml

Databases die and are reincarnated as a part of other databases...

To my surprise databases such as Excite are no longer alive but may still function as products taken over by Yahoo and Ask.com.  As I searched through Excite I noticed that at the top on the page, right next to the search button, there is a label that reads "Results from: Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Ask."  This is because the original site does not exist and therefore uses the indexes of other search engines.  The reincarnation process just goes on and on. For example, Excite started off as a very popular database which was eventually bought out by Ask Jeeves who later partnered with Teoma and ended up alone redirecting to Ask.com.  It almost sounds like a love triangle. Similar stories revolve around other databases such as AlltheWeb, Alta Vista, and Ask Jeeves. 

If some of these databases were the best of its kind at a particular time, it makes me wonder if current popular databases such as Google and Yahoo will ever be replaced by newer models.  I can not imagine that happening!  I think that if such databases continue to grow in strength by keeping up with their resources, speed, and features, then they should be irreplaceable.

Bare Bones offers additional tutorials.  Most of the ones I browsed such as those directed to Search Engine Watch seemed overwhelming and complicated.  I think that the tutorial provided by The University of South California was simple and beneficial.  The chart found under recommended search engines were very interesting and useful in further analyzing various search engines.

Google and Yahoo are different?

Before I compare and contrast let me make it clear that I have used both of these search engines for years with out any preference.  I simply use whatever is readily available.  My home computer's homepage is yahoo, therefore, that is what I am more familiar with. 

Compare: Yahoo and Google are search engines. Both were created by Stanford Graduates, Yahoo being the first created. They both allow symbols such as quotations and other Boolean type searches.


Contrast: Apperantly, Google is the largest search engine and has other aspects that set it apart from other search engines such as Yahoo.  For example, Google provides cached copies of pages that no longer exist and therefore are unavailble through other search engines.  The "I'm feeling lucky" feature also assists in directing you to the exact website of what you are searching for.

Yahoo started as a subject directory but then partnered with Google to present a combination of a directory and the broadness of a search engine.  Like Google it is easy to use but does not provide additional features such as "cached copies" or the  "I'm feeling lucky" search option. However, it does provide breaking news.

My Personal Conclusion: There are more differences than similarities between both of these popular search engines.  I believe that Google is more equipped to provide the best searches and has better features.  However, I find the Yahoo homepage more appealing because it provides the latest headlines and interesting photographs.  At times, this feature has been a downfall in the sense that I have become distracted by such headlines.  I think that I should stick with Yahoo when conducting random searches and then switch to Google when working on serious assignments.  What do you prefer and why?

Having trouble finding what you need?

I have said "yes" to that question many times!  This is about the only subject mentioned in the tutorial that I was experienced in.  When I have problems finding what I need, I usually edit my search keyword(s) or phrase.  Some helpful tips I plan to keep in mind are to have at least 3 keywords or pick words that may broaden the search, depending what the problem is.  Another idea shared, was that of playing around with different domain names such as org, net, gov, etc.  I also plan to bookmark metasearchers and directories to try other tools aside from the popular search engines that I tend to stick to.

I will be bookmarking:

Metasearchers: Clusty, Dogpile

Search Engines (other than the popular): Ask, Gigablast

Subject Directories: Looksmart, Netscape

Gateways: Digital Librarian,Virtual Library

Subject Specific Databases: Educator's Reference Desk, Expedia

Is this for real?

After following the prompts to search for "The White House" I discovered how even the most serious of subjects can be used as a hoax.  That is why it is so important to verify the information obtained and to make appropriate searches.  First lets discuss the steps to verify the information obtained.  You can start by reading the web address and taking notice of the directory and domain name.  For example, the official White House web page's address ends in the domain name of .gov which marks it as an official governmental or military site.  The hoax site ends in the domain name of .org which are usually host pages.  Such pages that end with .org could be from creditable non-profit organizations but one must look for verification.  In finding such verification, one must consider the author or publisher of the site, contact information, and update notifications.

The way you conduct your search will also affect the types of results you get.  The more specific you are in your keywords the better your results will be.  You can also use signs as + to ensure the inclusion of each word, the minus sign to exclude specific words, and quotation marks are just a few suggestions to employ when conducting searches.  Such suggestions can even be combined.  I tried this by simply searching for "astros" in which the Houston Astros were first to appear in my results.  I then combined the suggestions by typing in "astros" +astronomy -baseball.  This resulted in scientific results without the trace of baseball.  Personally, I was not aware that using the + or - sign was even accepted in searches prior to reading Bare Bones.  However, in LS 560 I was informed that if we included "quotation marks" around our keyword or phrase we would end up with a more defined search.  I have used such a suggestion when looking for articles and song lyrics.  Using Boolean searching, you can even include words such as and, or, and not. Such words should be in all caps and may require the use of quotations and/or parenthesis.  Another search suggestion that I will certainly benefit from is field searching.  This is when you specify the title, domain, host, link, or image you are searching for.  For example, while searching for information on teaching strategies I can specify that I want all results to be from a educational source.  Therefore, my search would look something like this: domain:edu AND "teaching strategies." These kinds of suggestions will definitely refine your searches. What search ideas have you tried?

A gateway is like a bridge, right?

Well, the concept of a bridge is not completely wrong.  "A gateway is a network that acts as an entrance to another network," therefore, acting like a bridge. (wiki)  One kind of gateway is that of library gateways which are created by specialists or librarians to support academic needs.  The other kind of gateway is that of subject specific databases also known as vortals.  Such databases are about a specific subject and are created by subject specialists or organizations. Gateways and subject specific databases assist searchers in locating resources that are in the "invisible web." Resources located in the invisible web are inaccessible through regular search engines because they require pass words, include documents behind firewalls, archived material, and other obstacles.  In order to access such material, one needs to find direct links to such documents or websites.  Use library gateways when looking for accurate academic content and subject specific databases when searching for direct links to specific topics. Examples of such networks are: Academic Information (Library Gateway) and Expedia (Travel, Subject Specific DB).

I had no idea about such bridges!  I have experienced problems when searching for specific pdf files online because many are blocked off.  However, if I search with specific criteria and point directly to the link I can get through! Beneficial information for the future. Previously, I was not familiar with any library gateways but I was familiar with some subject specific databases even though I was not aware of it.  I usually search for hotels or travel packages through expedia and I find it so much better than using an entire search engine with thousands of responses about "cruises" or "Boston."  A question I asked after reading about subject specific databases was, "How do they differ from subject directories?" As I visited each kind, I quickly noticed that subject specific databases are like search engines for one specific subject only such as travel, educational references, computer software, etc.  A subject directory is just that, a directory to various subjects.  A directory usually consists of various subject categories and subcategories.  For example, on a directory you may find "Health" as a category and then "health and fitness" and  "food and diet" as sub categories. Through re-reading the Bare Bones Tutorials, I am coming to understand the differences and similarities in search engines, subject directories, and subject specific databases.  Aside from noticing the differences, I am coming to appreciate their uses and the benefits of having access to such technological tools.

Metasearchers vs. Subject Directories

Metasearch Engines search various databases at the same time from a single site thus providing you with a quick list(s) of results from multiple databases.  This can assist you in finding out which search engine would best meet your immediate needs.  Metasearchers are fast and provide you with quick results but they do not offer as many results as search engines.  One example of a metasearcher is: dogpile.

Subject Directories are not search engines.  Instead of using "spiders" to maintain their pages, they employ human editors. Subject directories can run individually, partner up with  one another, or partner up with a search engine (Gigablast).  Since the selection of resources is reviewed by humans, a higher quality of content is provided through subject directories.  Updating resources is a thougher job when carried out by humans, therefore, more dead links appear under subject directories than in search engines. One example of a subject directory is: looksmart.

Reading this made me think, "Do we really need anything else aside from search engines?"  I don't think we NEED other things but I think that they are beneficial to have.  We usually conduct searches for different purposes such as for pleasure, work, and academic reasons.  Therefore, we need various methods of meeting those different needs.  If we are conducting research for an academic reason then maybe we should stick with search engines to provide us with a broad choice of resources.  However, if we want to narrow our search and find more reliable material then we can turn to a subject directory.  If we are just browsing for a subject of interest such as health or education, then maybe it would be less time consuming to browse using a subject directory instead of an entire search engine.

"You mean there are spiders crawling inside my computer?!"

That was my first thought as I learned about how search engines work. Yes, a little naive but you must understand that I never wondered about how web information was sorted or accumulated.  All I ever knew was that I had to type something in and then take the time to sort out the best response.  Truth is that "spiders" are used by search engines to compile databases.  These figurative spiders search the web and index pages which are then stored in a database.  The spiders regularly return to the sites that they have indexed and make updates if needed. Therefore, a search engines is made up of only the sites that have been indexed and not the entire web.  Search Engines will vary in speed, size, pages indexed, and their ranking criteria which will in turn affect your searches.  A search engine will always have results for your searches but that may present a problem.  For example, if the search criteria or key words are not specific you may be faced with thousands of responses, many of which are not relevant or reliable.  Examples of search engines are: Google (Individual) and Gigablast (partnered with subject directories).

Here is a website that helped me visualize what "spiders" do in a search engine:

http://www.webconfs.com/search-engine-spider-simulator.php

http://www.webconfs.com/spider-view-article-9.php