ONLINE RESOURCES FOR
RESEARCH
Indika Karunathilake
Why online resources for
research?
What are the online resources
available for research?
Brainstorming Tools
Search Engines
Online databases
Online journals and libraries
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
Maps and Atlases
Online Survey Tools
Online communication tools
Graphic organizers
Data visualization
Data Analyzing Tools
Online file sharing
Social networks
BRAINSTORMING
Brainstorming
• Brainstorming is a group creativity technique by which a group tries to find
a solution for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously
contributed by its members.
VISUWORDS
•Displays related words in an
interactive mind map format.
•You can explore further by
clicking on any of the words
•Helps to generate ideas
EYEPLORER
•When you type a word research, the site
displays the results as a colourful pie chart
• Shows different categories and
relationships between words.
•As you click on one of the results a box
appears with a definition with Wikipedia.
EYEPLORER
•You also have the options to view
results from the web, images and
twitter.
•When you find information you
want, you can drag the text to the
notepad.
MIND MAPS
Mind Maps
• A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks,
or other items linked to and arranged around a central key
word or idea.
• Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure,
and classify ideas,
• It is also an aid to studying and organizing information, solving
problems, making decisions, and writing.
Mind mapping software
 There are many software’s that can be used to mind
mapping.
 They can be either open sources or commercial
 Offers several powerful features
Mind mapping software allows the users to;
 Construct mind maps in their personal
computer
 Share them on the Internet
 Automatically create web pages of their
mind maps
Mapul
MAPMYself - online mind mapping software
It is a web based software allows you to create completely organic looking mind
maps. The outcome looks hand drawn and the words run along the branches.
http://www.mapul.com
WIKI MIND MAP
Creates a mind map or results from Wikipedia
SEARCH ENGINES
Search Engines
 A web search engine is designed to search for information on
the World Wide Web and FTP servers.
Search Engines
META SEARCH ENGINES
• A meta search engine displayed as a mind map showing links
ONLINE DATABASES
Online Databases
 An online database is a database accessible from a
network, including from the Internet.
 It differs from a local database, held in an individual
computer or its attached storage, such as a CD.
 Databases can be used to find bibliographic citations
for key public health and medical journals
Online Databases
 Pub Med
 The Pub Med database “comprises more
than 19 million citations for biomedical
articles
 Citations may include links to full-text articles
 Medline plus
 gives easy access to medical journal articles
Online journals and libraries
 Most of the top range journals have an online version
 Many require subscription
 Open source
 BMC Medical education
 PLOS
Online journals and libraries
 HINARI-Promotes access for researchers from
developing countries
 INFOMINE is a virtual library of Internet resources.
 It contains useful tools such as databases, electronic
journals, electronic books, bulletin boards, mailing
 The Internet Public Library is the first public library of
and for the internet community.
 The library is a collection of online resources that are
organized by subject
ONLINE SURVEY TOOLS
Online Survey Tools
• Online surveys allow students to collect data and
information by preparing questions.
• The survey can be accessed via a link and the results
are collated and presented in a graph format.
Survey Monkey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/
Online communication tools
 A wide range is available
 Simple to sophisticated
 Commercial and open source
 General and custom built
Basic online communication tools
 E-mail
 Instant messaging services
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Yahoo
MSN
AOL
SKYPE
 Features
 Text
 Voice mode
 Video calling
Purpose-built online communication tools
 A wide range is available
 WebEx, WIMBA, Go To Meetings
 Features are similar
 Interactive
 Audio/Video communication
 Text
 File sharing
 Interactive white board
ONLINE DICTIONARIES AND
ENCYCLOPEDIAS
Online Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
 A dictionary, also called a lexicon, wordbook, or vocabulary, is
 a collection of words in one or more specific languages,
 often listed alphabetically, with usage
information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics,
pronunciations, and other information
 An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium
holding a summary of information
ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIAS
ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIAS
ONLINE MAPS AND ATLASES
Online Maps and Atlases
 A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic
depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that
space such as objects, regions, and themes.
 An atlas is a collection of maps;
 it is typically a map of Earth or a region of Earth
 In addition to presenting geographic features
and political boundaries, many atlases often feature
geopolitical, social, religious and economic statistics.
ONLINE MAPS AND ATLASES
http://www.geezees.com/
http://www.galaxy.com/
GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS
Graphic Organizers
 Graphic organizers are visual representations of knowledge,
concepts, thoughts, or ideas.
 Organizes bits of data in easy-to-understand formats, such as
charts, tables, and graphs.
GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS
DATA VISUALIZATION
sabrinabresciani.wordpress.com
Data Visualization
 Data visualization is the study of the visual representation of data
http://www.sabrinabresciani.wordpress.com/
software-dungeon.co.uk
DATA VISUALIZATION
http://www.software-dungeon.co.uk/
DATA ANALYZING TOOLS
Data Analyzing Tools
 Analysis of data is a process of;
 Inspecting
 Cleaning
 Transforming
 modeling data
with the goal of highlighting useful information.
Data Analyzing Tools
 NetEpi , a collaborative project to provide
open source software tools for epidemiology
 On-site tools for data analysis
Rice Virtual Lab in Statistics
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~lane/rvls.html
files32.com
DATA ANALYZING TOOLS
http://www.files32.com/
Online file sharing
 For sharing files between co-researchers,
supervisors
 GSpace
 Drop box
Social networks
 Face book
 My space
 Twitter
Conclusion
 The available range of online tools for research is wide
 Many of them are innovative and exciting
 Need to use them selectively and judiciously as appropriate for
your purpose