JaneLarringtonAssociateDirector&

HeadofPublicServicesjlarrington@sandiego.edu

619.260.4766

Tips & Tricks for Finding (Reliable) Web Content

Research AssistantTraining

What we will cover

v FindingStatistics

v AdvancedGoogleSearching

v Wayback Machine

v URLParsing

Finding Statistics

What we will cover

v GovernmentSources

v OtherSources

v ThingstoRemember

Government Statistics

Government Statistics

v First,lookfornewsorjournalarticlesforreferencestospecificstudiesordata

v GovernmentAgenciestendtohavealotofstatisticalinformationv Thehardpartcanbefiguringoutwhich

agencyyou’relookingforv Tryusa.gov/statistics

https://www.usa.gov/statistics

Other Sources

v PewResearchCenter(www.pewresearch.org)v Nonpartisan“facttank”thatdoespublic

opinionpolling,demographicresearch,etc.v Professionalorganizations

Things to Remember

Things to Remember

v Lookforreports,notrawdatav Itcanbeusefultohaveaccesstothedata,butyou

don’twanttobeinapositionofhavingtododataanalysis

v Beawareofbiasv Readthereportscritically.Doestheconclusion

actuallyfollowfromthedata?v Keeptrackofyoursourcesanddoresearchtofind

outwhatkindofslanttheymighthave

Internet Research

Topics

v AdvanceGoogleSearching

v InternetArchive

v URLParsing

Advanced Google Search

Advanced Google Search

v Googlehasadvancesearchfunctionsv Easiestwaytofinditisbysearchingfor

“advancedsearch”v Orgotogoogle.com/advanced_search

Advanced Google Search

v Youcanalsousetheoperatorsinthesearchbarv site: Searchwithinonedomainortoplevel

domain(i.e.,edu,gov)v inurl: URLmustcontainthesearchtermv filetype: Findonlyaparticularformat(i.e.,pdf)v AROUND(X) Proximitysearch

v Andsomanymore!(Foralonger list,seehttps://moz.com/learn/seo/search-operators)

Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine

Wayback Machine

https://archive.org/web/

v TheWayback Machineisaservicethatallowspeopletovisitarchivedversionsofwebsites.

v Why?v Tryingtofindinformationfromasitethatno

longerexistsv Lookingforareportthathasbeenremovedfroma

governmentwebsitev CurioustoseewhatUSD’swebpageusedtolook

like

URL Parsing

URL Parsing

v UniformResourceLocators(URLs)orwebaddresses,isthelocationofthewebsiteordocument

v Understandingthewayawebsiteisorganizedcanhelpyoubypassasite’snavigationorfindorphanedpagesandinformation

http://www.example.com/index.html

protocol hostname filename

How?

v Imaginethatyou’relookingforanarticlebyprofessorFloydNeiderman fromvolume20,issue2ofLawandTechnology.

v You’vedonesomesearchingbuttheclosestyou’vecomeisanarticlefromvolume23,issue3atthisaddress:

v ByeditingtheURL,wecantryandfindourwaytothearticlewewant.

http://www.uwec.edu/Admin/Journal/LawTech/2014/Vol_23/Issue_3/smithberger.pdf

How?

v Generally,goingbackthroughtheURLwillleadtoindexpages.SothiswouldshowusanindexpageforallissuesandarticleswithinVolume23:

v Whatifthatfails?

v WecaninfertheorganizationalstructurefromtheURLandtrymanipulatingittofindthedocumentweneed:

http://www.uwec.edu/Admin/Journal/LawTech/2014/Vol_23/

http://www.uwec.edu/Admin/Journal/LawTech/2011/Vol_20/Issue_2/neiderman.pdf

And always remember…

v TheReferenceLibrariansarealwaysheretohelp!