Accessing Information Online
Web browsers: software that allows you to view the World
Wide Web
PC
APPLE
Popular search engines: websites that search for and
identify information on the World Wide Web that
corresponds to keywords
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Choosing a search engine
Choose one of the web browsers – double click it.
Go onto Google
Type in the keywords search engine – how many hits?
Choose a search engine and use it find the names of at least 2 other search
engines not mentioned on page 1.
Write them here:
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Log on to this website to see how many search engines are out there!!
www.thesearchenginelist.com
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Choosing keywords:
It is important to choose keywords that are:
Specific:
only use the exact words related to your search.
Most search engines ignore the other words we put into a sentence (of, the,
to, in, etc.)
Prioritised:
type in keywords in the order of importance to the search.
Example –
“Find information on the history of further education in Scotland”
Write here some options of what you think would be specific, prioritised
keywords for this search:
Option 1
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Option 2
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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13.5 million hits!
Just over 11 million hits
Down to just over 3 million hits
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Carrying out an advanced search:
Go onto Google
Let’s say you’re treating someone special to an Xbox One!
Type in Xbox One
-
how many hits?
………………………………………..
Type in “Xbox One”
-
how many hits?
……………………………………....
Much less - why the difference? Have a guess and write it here:
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
This time, type in “Xbox One” but after you search click Search tools
Then, under Any country, click the UK
You won’t see how many hits you have this time but what do you think clicking
this did to your results and why is it useful?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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Using Google, type in the keywords “Christmas Number Ones”
How many hits?
………………………………………………………………
When the results page appears, click on the Options button:
Click Advanced Search
Use the drop down menus to make the same selections as above for: exact
words, language, region, terms appearing and reading level.
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Use the results page to find out what was number one in the UK charts on
Christmas of the year you were born AND the year 1964.
Write the artists’ / bands’ names and song titles here:
Birth year:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
1964:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Using Boolean terms with keywords:
Boolean term
Example
Quotation marks: “ ”
“global warming”
NOT or minus symbol -
“global warming” NOT
Arctic ice cap
AND or plus symbol +
OR
“global warming” OR
“greenhouse effect”
What it does
Searches for the phrase, rather than the
individual words
Returns pages on global warming but
omits those relating to the Arctic ice cap
Links similar ideas
Exercises:
Use Google’s Advanced Search tool and Boolean search terms to find the
following:
1. A local news story that has been updated in the last 24 hours
2. A copyright free image of Eminem
3. Information in pdf format on a Business course offered at Carnegie
College
4. Advice on healthy eating from a non – profit making organisation (not
.com or .co.uk)
5. A UK website selling Ugg boots
Open a blank Word document and use copy and paste or screen shots to
display your findings for each search. Type your details in the page Footer
(name, course code and date) before saving and printing.
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Reporting searches:
Step 1 - Search Strategy (level 4 and 5) narrative report required at level 6
You will report your searches in a supplied table template, giving details of
how you search as well as what you find. This is an example of the table you
will use.
Level 4 table
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Level 5 table
Level 6 report
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Step 2 – Evaluation of information located (levels 5 and 6)
As you complete each search, you will evaluate the information found and
report your comments in the same template. You will evaluate any
information based on its relevance to your requirements and will pick 1 other
from:
1. Reliability – can the information be trusted as being true and factual?
How can you tell?
2. Currency – is the information up to date? How can you tell?
3. Appropriateness of format – is the information in the format you were
looking for? (remember different types of file formats can be uploaded
to the web)
4. User friendliness – is the web page laid out clearly and in a way that
makes it easy for you to find the information you want? (links, search
boxes, etc.)
5. Bias – depending on the type of information you are looking for, is the
information given balanced or very one sided?
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Step 2 – Evaluation of search strategy (levels 5 and 6)
Comments recorded for each search should relate the information you found to the 2 evaluation
criteria recorded on page 1 of this form
Finally, you will evaluate your own search strategy in terms of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Your choice of search engine(s)
Your choice / order of keywords
Your use of advanced search techniques
Your choice of websites from given results
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Exercise:
Choose your preferred PC web browser and search engine and carry out the
following searches, using the search template to record your findings and
evaluations.
Details:
Carry out 4 advanced searches for information on a celebrity of your choice
Information to try to locate:




Some biographical information
Information on the person’s career
Whether or not the person has their own website
A copyright free image related to the person
Your searches should match the following criteria:
 At least 1 UK search
 information to be sourced from at least one non-profit making
organisation (not a .com or .co.uk)
When you have completed the task, save your document as Celebrity to your
ICT folder. This will preserve the blank copy for future use.
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