SEARCH STRATEGY

Get subject overview

e.g World Book or Encyclopaedia Britannica in hard copy or online or Encarta on CD provide good starter info or use Dewey no. to find good general book.

Keep your topic MAP next to you and use your SEARCH TERMS as spades to dig for info.

Use chapter headings and terms used in the general encyclopaedias for search terms. Arrange terms in a hierarchy from general to more specific. Don't forget synonyms, e.g. jungle, forest, rain forest, tropical...

The map, key search terms and questions form a mental filter which lets your mind bleep like a radar when it filters something relevant.

Use the same 3S formula, SURF, SLURP and SUMMARISE to go through websites quickly (surf) making a mental note of anything relevant. Then go back more slowly and read (slurp) what you selected as relevant. Make notes very selectively (summarise).

SEARCH ENGINES

Use search engines, e.g.
www.google.com
www.teoma.com
www.hotbot.com
www.altavista com for keyword searching.

Use subject directories, e.g.
www.yahoo.com
www.thegateway.com
if you want material organised in subject categories (like a library).

If you've got questions, use
www.askjeeves.com
www.anzwers.co.nz
NZ Ask an Expert

For NZ material use www.tepuna.natlib.govt.nz/web

If you want educational sites use Teachers@Work.co.nz or Te Kete Ipurangi.

if you want sites for primary - early secondary students use
www.yahooligans.com

For maths/ science sites, use
www.excite.com

BOOLEAN searching

AND dogs+cats (info on dogs and cats)
NOT pets-cats (info on pets but not cats)
OR dogs or cats (info on dogs or cats)

Refining your search

Look on HotBot SuperSearch
(www.hotbot.com). You can limit your search by language, date, media type, word stems, etc.

Linked sites: Find these through HotBotSuperSearch or AltaVista - Type "link" in the search box. Then copy & paste URL of the site into the search box and click on 'search' to get the linked sites.

RELEVANCE

Apply MAP, search gaps and terms (spades) and questions (sieve).

If the information relates to your gaps and questions, it is relevant. If it doesn't it probably isn't.

ACCURACY

Check at least TWO or more different sources eg book // Internet site // CD// interview with expert.

If the interview in two or three sources makes similar claims/ gives similar facts, it is likely to be accurate

AUTHORITY

Check the URL for

- named author/ expert

- reputable organisation/ institution (like a university)
.edu - education
.ac - education
.org - non-commercial organisation .com - commercial company .net - network service
.nz - New Zealand
.au - Australia .uk - United Kingdom .ca - Canada
.jp - Japan

Check that the info is 'solid' and sources are referenced. Check site links to evaluate authority of linked sites.