Unit 5 -Searching
Katherine Chacon
Kimberley Weber
ILS 501-S70
Professor Hak Joon Kim
Online Searching - Going Beyond Google
The Internet is bulging with information, at last count well over one trillion pages worth (Alpert, 2009). It’s a vast collection of constantly expanding information, full of both good and bad information, and all of the shades in between. In 2009 the Census Bureau reported that in 77% of American households there is someone who has access to the Internet at some location. More people turned to the Internet for answers than any other source of information including experts, family members, government agencies or libraries (Pew/Internet Study 2007). The study also found that young adults from Generation Y (ages 18-29) are more likely to visit libraries than other age groups, and that what they appreciate most is access to computers and the Internet.
So if people are already turning to the Internet for their information needs what is the role of libraries and librarians in the search process? How do we help this new generation of savvy Internet users navigate the World Wide Web?
The Librarian’s Role
Although the Internet is increasingly important as a source of information for a majority of Americans, most adults still use libraries. Some 53% reported going to a library in the last 12 months (Pew/Internet 2007). Clearly librarians can play an important role when online investigating requires going beyond the Google search. In fact, the Internet Research Firm IDC reports that least half of online searches are not successful (Barker 2005).
In addition in helping to locate and acquire information, librarians can offer assistance and advice in evaluating sources. Credibility, accuracy, and reasonableness are all important factors to consider when retrieving content. The librarian should be asking: What kind of information do you need? Do you want facts, opinions, reasoned arguments, raw data or statistics?
Studies have found that most people do not distinguish between organic search results and sponsored links (Bates 2005). However, knowing who has sponsored a web page is certainly key in interpreting the information provided. Information seekers should proceed with caution though because the internet makes more wrong information available to more people than ever before (Dyszel, 2009). If you are questioning a search source on a website a good place to verify it can be AllWhoIs, which will look up registration information about the domain name and will return back all available data so that you can contact the website owner. Librarians should therefore have a responsibility to educate users in how to make astute choices when working with online resources. No one approves content on the Internet. Searches should be approached with a healthy amount of skepticism.
Internet Search Tools
There are a variety of search types on the Internet. Of particular use to librarians are the following: 1.) Search Engines and Meta Search Engines, 2.) Indexes and Directories, 3.) The Deep Web, 4.) Social Searching, and of special interest 5.) New Trends to Watch.
Search Engines and Meta Search Engines
It is estimated that 80 percent of all online sessions begin with a search (Dyszel 2009). Despite the growing number of search engines, Nielsen Netratings reports that searchers still choose Google as their primary search source. In August 2009, Google received 64.6% of searches, Yahoo! followed with 16% and Bing trailed behind with 10.7%. (Werts, 2010). In order to compete with Google, Yahoo!, MSN, and other search engines have tried to make themselves a one stop shop by becoming gateway sites that offer a variety of different tools which can be personalized for local news, weather, etc. (Schlein, 2006).
While users feel comfortable using their tried and true search engines, there are several types and breeds of search tools emerging on the web. Depending on the type of information being sought Google may not always retrieve the most relevant documents. Meta search engines for example, are often overlooked, but do the job of two or more search engines at once and either display a combination or comparison of the results. Twingine.com, for example, will search Google and Yahoo! at the same time and show you the results on a split screen. Blind Search will compare Bing and Yahoo! but hide the name of which engine it came from until you pick which list you prefer (Werts, 2010).
Indexes and Directories
When tackling a more advanced search, indexes and directories are a good place to begin. They work well for general browsing or if you don’t have a specific goal. They are organized by general subject headings, much like the now obsolete card catalog. Indexes and directories can usually be accessed for free, unlike databases which are subscriber supported. World Wide Web Virtual Library is the original (created by Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web) and oldest (launching its first history link in 1993) subject catalog, and is inspected and regularly evaluated for reliability as an information source (Virtual Library, 2010). Other well-regarded subject indexes include Librarian’s Index to the Internet, Digital Librarian, and Infomine. Directory Resources, also a good resource, is a directory of directories but is identified as a subject tracer information blog. Indexes do have limitations because they can only search for items on the surface web, unable to retrieve potentially valuable information hidden inside a database.
The Deep Web
The Deep Web is the part of the web which holds content that is only accessible when “asked for” through a custom query. A simple search query through a search engine such as Goggle has limitations and misses a lot of potentially relevant information (BrightPlanet, 2010). Estimates on the size of the deep web vary but BrightPlanet, a deep web harvesting site, estimates that it is approximately 500 times larger than the surface web. Sites that resist search engines may require registration, subscription, be protected behind a firewall, or they may include newly added pages. Many databases have subscription fees that would be prohibitive to an individual user. Fortunately, one of the great benefits of having a library card at a public library is access to a multitude of some very powerful databases. Some of Buley Library’s multidisciplinary databases include
Gales’s Virtual Reference Library, JSTOR, and Academic Search Primer, plus many for specific areas of study. For example two great law oriented databases are Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw.
Social Searching
Traditional search engines are also gaining competition from social search engines which provide human responses and are better at answering advice or recommendation questions (Independent News and Media, 2010). One of the biggest changes in information searching is the phenomenon of Web 2.0. Users can now collaborate, rate, and share information on the web on sites such as Wikipedia and Digg. Anyone can create their own website, contribute to a discussion board, or provide Yahoo! answers for example. On these sites you will find reasoned arguments and informed opinions on everything from current events to where to go for the best Thai food in Albany.
Unlike Yahoo! answers which allows anyone to answer a question posed, Q & A sites like Aardvark.com use people in your social network, by searching your Facebook friends and friends of friends, to find the best person to answer (Stross, 2009). Mahalo is also another human-powered search engine that is also half web directory (Gaylord, 2009). Mahalo even allows questioners to offer a cash reward if they choose for receiving a good answer. "You really need millions of people adding accurate information to the sites," says Kevin Ryan from Search Engine Watch in New York. "But if lots of stupid people contribute, it's really the antithesis to the wisdom of the crowds.” (Robson, 2008) " Other social network types include blogs (Bloggdigger, BlogPulse), micro blogs (twitter), and social bookmarks (Del.icio.us, Stumble Upon, which allow you to organize and share web pages that are relevant to you.
New Trends
An up and coming search engine trend is semantics, which aims to have search engines understand natural languages so they can answer questions phrased in natural language. While there are currently many natural language sites such as Ask.com and Lexxe.com, most still return a list of web links rather than answer the question posed. Microsoft is aiming to solve this problem with their search engine Powerset, however, currently it only searches through Wikipedia articles.
Search engines are also becoming customizable in order to generate more relevant results. Eurekster.com allows users to create their own “swiki”, a keyword or subject specific search portal. These have been especially useful for small businesses and bloggers who are serving a small group of clients or enthusiasts. Creators can choose what types of sources the results come from and share their "swiki” on a website or blog. Some other search sites are forming combinations or mash ups of other popular sites. 2RealEstateAuctions.com for example is a mash-up site that uses Google Maps, Ebay compatible listings, and a Craigslist style directory to allow users to find and bid on properties in the United States.
Another emerging trend in information searching is getting the information in real time. Search engines like Google and Yahoo list search results that may be months old because there is a lag in time between when a crawler first finds a web page and indexes the page so it can show up on a search (Schlein, 2006). Information seekers want the most up to date information, particularly when it comes to current events. In June 2009, when Michael Jackson passed away, users who wanted the latest information turned to real time search sites such as OneRiot and Wowd to get the up to the minute updates (Boutin, 2009). Topsy, a search engine powered by tweets, also saw an increase in users that month. These sites crawl social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter to see what people are talking about in real time.
Conclusion
“With more and more information becoming available on the Internet, easy access, and remote availability, searching online for information will continue to grow. The amount of information in the future will double every eleven minutes by some estimates. Searching will more closely resemble exploration, navigation and discovery (Abram and Luther, 2004).” With Web 2.0, we have little control over who can upload and share information, so for librarians it will be vital to verify sources to make sure they are accurate. It will also be important to keep up with new search tools and social searching sites which are emerging. Most importantly, it will be essential to teach patrons that there is more out there besides Google!
Bibliography
Abram, Stephen, and Judy Luther. "Born With the Chip: the next generation will profoundly impact both library service and the culture within the profession." Library Journal 129.8 (2004): 34. Gale. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.
Alpert, Jesse, and Nissan Hajaj. "We Knew the web was big..." Web log post. The Official Google blog. Google, 25 July 2009. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.
Barker, Melissa S. "Top Ten Internet Search Tips." World Wide Web Virtual Library. Marcus Zillman. (2005) Web. 19 Feb. 2010.
Bates, Ellen. "What Do Users Want?" Online Inc. 29.5 (2005): 64. Gale. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.
Bell, Suzanne. "Tools Every Searcher Should Know and Use." Online 1 Sept. 2007. Gale. Web. 02 Feb. 2010.
Boutin, Paul. (2009, December 12.) Web Searches in Real Time. Magazine Desk The
New York Times, 70(L) 19 Feb. 2010.
Brightplanet, http://brightplanet.com/who-we-are/
Census Report, http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s1118.pdf
Dyszel, Bill. (2009, June). Eight tips for super searching: plain old web searching doesn’t do the trick anymore: It yields too much random data. Here’s how to get what you want when you want it—sometimes before you ask for it. PC Magazine, 28, 76-80. 17 Feb. 2010.
Gaylord, Chris. (2009, May 8). Little search engine that could. Christian Science Monitor, 25. 19 Feb. 2010.
Goldsborough, Red. (2007, June 18). Beyond Google: new developments in Web searching. Community College Week, 28. 19 Feb. 2010.
Harris, Robert. "Evaluating Internet Research Sources." Web log post. Virtual Salt. 15 June 2007. Web. 19 Feb. 2010.
Independent News & Media PLC. (2010, February, 10). Can a social network be smarter than a search engine? The Independent, 8. 19 Feb.2010.
Pew/Internet & American Life Project “Information Searches That Solve Problems- How people use the internet, libraries and government agencies when they need help. 30 December 2007 http://pewinternet.org. 15 Feb. 2010.
Raff, Adam. "Search, but You May Not Find." The New York Times 28 Dec. 2009, Late Edition - Final ed., sec. A: 27. Print.
Robson, David. (2008, Oct. 11). Search engines show off their social side: give search engines a human view of the world and you get a very different set of results. New Scientist, 24-26.
Schlein, Alan M. (2006). Find it Online. Tempe, Arizona: Facts on Demand Press.
"Search Engine Usage for 2009." Web log post. AHDigital FX. 12 Aug. 2009. Web. 01 Feb. 2010. <http://www.ahfx.net/weblog/154>.
Smith, Brian C. "Getting to Know the Invisible Web." Library Journal 126.12 (2001): S16. Gale. Web. 14 Feb. 2010
Stross, Randall. (2009, June, 27). Now All Your Friends Are in the Answer Business. The New York Times, BU3. 17 Feb. 2010.
Tanackovic, Sanijca Faletar, and Maja Krtalic. "LIDA 2009 : focusing on heritage, intelligent access, and learning." Information Today July 2009: 23. Gale. Web. 16 Feb. 2010.
Tenopir, Carol. "Are You a Super Searcher?" Library Journal 125.4 (2000): 36. Gale. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.
Werts, Cybele Elaine (2010, January/February). Comparing search engines for quick and dirty answers. Online, 34, 32-36. 19 Feb. 2010.
Wright, Alex. "Exploring a 'deep Web' that Google can't grasp." New York Times. Nytimes.com, 23 Feb. 2009. Web. 19 Feb. 2010.eco
Zillman, Marcus P. "Searching the Internet." Searching the Internet. Marcus P. Zillman. Web. 19 Feb. 2010.
Katherine Chacon
Kimberley Weber
ILS 501-S70
Professor Hak Joon Kim
Online Searching - Going Beyond Google
The Internet is bulging with information, at last count well over one trillion pages worth (Alpert, 2009). It’s a vast collection of constantly expanding information, full of both good and bad information, and all of the shades in between. In 2009 the Census Bureau reported that in 77% of American households there is someone who has access to the Internet at some location. More people turned to the Internet for answers than any other source of information including experts, family members, government agencies or libraries (Pew/Internet Study 2007). The study also found that young adults from Generation Y (ages 18-29) are more likely to visit libraries than other age groups, and that what they appreciate most is access to computers and the Internet.
So if people are already turning to the Internet for their information needs what is the role of libraries and librarians in the search process? How do we help this new generation of savvy Internet users navigate the World Wide Web?
The Librarian’s Role
Although the Internet is increasingly important as a source of information for a majority of Americans, most adults still use libraries. Some 53% reported going to a library in the last 12 months (Pew/Internet 2007). Clearly librarians can play an important role when online investigating requires going beyond the Google search. In fact, the Internet Research Firm IDC reports that least half of online searches are not successful (Barker 2005).
In addition in helping to locate and acquire information, librarians can offer assistance and advice in evaluating sources. Credibility, accuracy, and reasonableness are all important factors to consider when retrieving content. The librarian should be asking: What kind of information do you need? Do you want facts, opinions, reasoned arguments, raw data or statistics?
Studies have found that most people do not distinguish between organic search results and sponsored links (Bates 2005). However, knowing who has sponsored a web page is certainly key in interpreting the information provided. Information seekers should proceed with caution though because the internet makes more wrong information available to more people than ever before (Dyszel, 2009). If you are questioning a search source on a website a good place to verify it can be AllWhoIs, which will look up registration information about the domain name and will return back all available data so that you can contact the website owner. Librarians should therefore have a responsibility to educate users in how to make astute choices when working with online resources. No one approves content on the Internet. Searches should be approached with a healthy amount of skepticism.
Internet Search Tools
There are a variety of search types on the Internet. Of particular use to librarians are the following: 1.) Search Engines and Meta Search Engines, 2.) Indexes and Directories, 3.) The Deep Web, 4.) Social Searching, and of special interest 5.) New Trends to Watch.
Search Engines and Meta Search Engines
It is estimated that 80 percent of all online sessions begin with a search (Dyszel 2009). Despite the growing number of search engines, Nielsen Netratings reports that searchers still choose Google as their primary search source. In August 2009, Google received 64.6% of searches, Yahoo! followed with 16% and Bing trailed behind with 10.7%. (Werts, 2010). In order to compete with Google, Yahoo!, MSN, and other search engines have tried to make themselves a one stop shop by becoming gateway sites that offer a variety of different tools which can be personalized for local news, weather, etc. (Schlein, 2006).
While users feel comfortable using their tried and true search engines, there are several types and breeds of search tools emerging on the web. Depending on the type of information being sought Google may not always retrieve the most relevant documents. Meta search engines for example, are often overlooked, but do the job of two or more search engines at once and either display a combination or comparison of the results. Twingine.com, for example, will search Google and Yahoo! at the same time and show you the results on a split screen. Blind Search will compare Bing and Yahoo! but hide the name of which engine it came from until you pick which list you prefer (Werts, 2010).
Indexes and Directories
When tackling a more advanced search, indexes and directories are a good place to begin. They work well for general browsing or if you don’t have a specific goal. They are organized by general subject headings, much like the now obsolete card catalog. Indexes and directories can usually be accessed for free, unlike databases which are subscriber supported. World Wide Web Virtual Library is the original (created by Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web) and oldest (launching its first history link in 1993) subject catalog, and is inspected and regularly evaluated for reliability as an information source (Virtual Library, 2010). Other well-regarded subject indexes include Librarian’s Index to the Internet, Digital Librarian, and Infomine. Directory Resources, also a good resource, is a directory of directories but is identified as a subject tracer information blog. Indexes do have limitations because they can only search for items on the surface web, unable to retrieve potentially valuable information hidden inside a database.
The Deep Web
The Deep Web is the part of the web which holds content that is only accessible when “asked for” through a custom query. A simple search query through a search engine such as Goggle has limitations and misses a lot of potentially relevant information (BrightPlanet, 2010). Estimates on the size of the deep web vary but BrightPlanet, a deep web harvesting site, estimates that it is approximately 500 times larger than the surface web. Sites that resist search engines may require registration, subscription, be protected behind a firewall, or they may include newly added pages. Many databases have subscription fees that would be prohibitive to an individual user. Fortunately, one of the great benefits of having a library card at a public library is access to a multitude of some very powerful databases. Some of Buley Library’s multidisciplinary databases include
Gales’s Virtual Reference Library, JSTOR, and Academic Search Primer, plus many for specific areas of study. For example two great law oriented databases are Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw.
Social Searching
Traditional search engines are also gaining competition from social search engines which provide human responses and are better at answering advice or recommendation questions (Independent News and Media, 2010). One of the biggest changes in information searching is the phenomenon of Web 2.0. Users can now collaborate, rate, and share information on the web on sites such as Wikipedia and Digg. Anyone can create their own website, contribute to a discussion board, or provide Yahoo! answers for example. On these sites you will find reasoned arguments and informed opinions on everything from current events to where to go for the best Thai food in Albany.
Unlike Yahoo! answers which allows anyone to answer a question posed, Q & A sites like Aardvark.com use people in your social network, by searching your Facebook friends and friends of friends, to find the best person to answer (Stross, 2009). Mahalo is also another human-powered search engine that is also half web directory (Gaylord, 2009). Mahalo even allows questioners to offer a cash reward if they choose for receiving a good answer. "You really need millions of people adding accurate information to the sites," says Kevin Ryan from Search Engine Watch in New York. "But if lots of stupid people contribute, it's really the antithesis to the wisdom of the crowds.” (Robson, 2008) " Other social network types include blogs (Bloggdigger, BlogPulse), micro blogs (twitter), and social bookmarks (Del.icio.us, Stumble Upon, which allow you to organize and share web pages that are relevant to you.
New Trends
An up and coming search engine trend is semantics, which aims to have search engines understand natural languages so they can answer questions phrased in natural language. While there are currently many natural language sites such as Ask.com and Lexxe.com, most still return a list of web links rather than answer the question posed. Microsoft is aiming to solve this problem with their search engine Powerset, however, currently it only searches through Wikipedia articles.
Search engines are also becoming customizable in order to generate more relevant results. Eurekster.com allows users to create their own “swiki”, a keyword or subject specific search portal. These have been especially useful for small businesses and bloggers who are serving a small group of clients or enthusiasts. Creators can choose what types of sources the results come from and share their "swiki” on a website or blog. Some other search sites are forming combinations or mash ups of other popular sites. 2RealEstateAuctions.com for example is a mash-up site that uses Google Maps, Ebay compatible listings, and a Craigslist style directory to allow users to find and bid on properties in the United States.
Another emerging trend in information searching is getting the information in real time. Search engines like Google and Yahoo list search results that may be months old because there is a lag in time between when a crawler first finds a web page and indexes the page so it can show up on a search (Schlein, 2006). Information seekers want the most up to date information, particularly when it comes to current events. In June 2009, when Michael Jackson passed away, users who wanted the latest information turned to real time search sites such as OneRiot and Wowd to get the up to the minute updates (Boutin, 2009). Topsy, a search engine powered by tweets, also saw an increase in users that month. These sites crawl social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter to see what people are talking about in real time.
Conclusion
“With more and more information becoming available on the Internet, easy access, and remote availability, searching online for information will continue to grow. The amount of information in the future will double every eleven minutes by some estimates. Searching will more closely resemble exploration, navigation and discovery (Abram and Luther, 2004).” With Web 2.0, we have little control over who can upload and share information, so for librarians it will be vital to verify sources to make sure they are accurate. It will also be important to keep up with new search tools and social searching sites which are emerging. Most importantly, it will be essential to teach patrons that there is more out there besides Google!
Bibliography
Abram, Stephen, and Judy Luther. "Born With the Chip: the next generation will profoundly impact both library service and the culture within the profession." Library Journal 129.8 (2004): 34. Gale. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.
Alpert, Jesse, and Nissan Hajaj. "We Knew the web was big..." Web log post. The Official Google blog. Google, 25 July 2009. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.
Barker, Melissa S. "Top Ten Internet Search Tips." World Wide Web Virtual Library. Marcus Zillman. (2005) Web. 19 Feb. 2010.
Bates, Ellen. "What Do Users Want?" Online Inc. 29.5 (2005): 64. Gale. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.
Bell, Suzanne. "Tools Every Searcher Should Know and Use." Online 1 Sept. 2007. Gale. Web. 02 Feb. 2010.
Boutin, Paul. (2009, December 12.) Web Searches in Real Time. Magazine Desk The
New York Times, 70(L) 19 Feb. 2010.
Brightplanet, http://brightplanet.com/who-we-are/
Census Report, http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2010/tables/10s1118.pdf
Dyszel, Bill. (2009, June). Eight tips for super searching: plain old web searching doesn’t do the trick anymore: It yields too much random data. Here’s how to get what you want when you want it—sometimes before you ask for it. PC Magazine, 28, 76-80. 17 Feb. 2010.
Gaylord, Chris. (2009, May 8). Little search engine that could. Christian Science Monitor, 25. 19 Feb. 2010.
Goldsborough, Red. (2007, June 18). Beyond Google: new developments in Web searching. Community College Week, 28. 19 Feb. 2010.
Harris, Robert. "Evaluating Internet Research Sources." Web log post. Virtual Salt. 15 June 2007. Web. 19 Feb. 2010.
Independent News & Media PLC. (2010, February, 10). Can a social network be smarter than a search engine? The Independent, 8. 19 Feb.2010.
Pew/Internet & American Life Project “Information Searches That Solve Problems- How people use the internet, libraries and government agencies when they need help. 30 December 2007 http://pewinternet.org. 15 Feb. 2010.
Raff, Adam. "Search, but You May Not Find." The New York Times 28 Dec. 2009, Late Edition - Final ed., sec. A: 27. Print.
Robson, David. (2008, Oct. 11). Search engines show off their social side: give search engines a human view of the world and you get a very different set of results. New Scientist, 24-26.
Schlein, Alan M. (2006). Find it Online. Tempe, Arizona: Facts on Demand Press.
"Search Engine Usage for 2009." Web log post. AHDigital FX. 12 Aug. 2009. Web. 01 Feb. 2010. <http://www.ahfx.net/weblog/154>.
Smith, Brian C. "Getting to Know the Invisible Web." Library Journal 126.12 (2001): S16. Gale. Web. 14 Feb. 2010
Stross, Randall. (2009, June, 27). Now All Your Friends Are in the Answer Business. The New York Times, BU3. 17 Feb. 2010.
Tanackovic, Sanijca Faletar, and Maja Krtalic. "LIDA 2009 : focusing on heritage, intelligent access, and learning." Information Today July 2009: 23. Gale. Web. 16 Feb. 2010.
Tenopir, Carol. "Are You a Super Searcher?" Library Journal 125.4 (2000): 36. Gale. Web. 17 Feb. 2010.
Werts, Cybele Elaine (2010, January/February). Comparing search engines for quick and dirty answers. Online, 34, 32-36. 19 Feb. 2010.
Wright, Alex. "Exploring a 'deep Web' that Google can't grasp." New York Times. Nytimes.com, 23 Feb. 2009. Web. 19 Feb. 2010.eco
Zillman, Marcus P. "Searching the Internet." Searching the Internet. Marcus P. Zillman. Web. 19 Feb. 2010.