Tutorials and Library Instruction

Information literacy is the new term for the basic skills necessary to research a topic and produce an authoritative document. In addition to traditional information resources, today an understanding of the Internet, and other electronic media is essential. There are many useful sites on the Internet with tutorials and/or information to aid students in developing necessary skills. Sometimes just a quick visit to one or more of these sites will answer a specific question, but more often it will enable the student to learn something new to add to a continually growing body of knowledge.

Internet Search
Writing
Evaluation of Internet Resources

Internet Search

• Ask a Question at the IPL Reference Center. One of the first, and still one of the best, online reference services.
  www.ipl.org/ref/QUE/
  
  
• Internet Searching. Many links to sites evaluating search engines. Recommendations for search techniques and tips on search strategy.
  web.hamline.edu/Administration/Libraries/search/comparisons.html
  
  
• net.TUTOR. Ohio State University Libraries. Non-interactive learning modules on concepts, tools, and techniques for becoming an effective Internet researcher.
  http://gateway.lib.ohio-state.edu/tutor/index.html
  
  
• Guide to Effective Searching of the Internet. This 48 topic online tutorial explains searching strategy, query design, Boolean and other advanced search operators, filtering based on fields, and specialty searches.
  http://www.thewebtools.com/tutorial/tutorial.htm
  
  
• Internet Resources. UC Berkeley Library. The items on this page focus on instruction for using and creating Internet resources. They will tell you how to use Internet services, but will not tell you what specific resources exist.
  http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/
  
  
• Finding Information on the Internet; A TUTORIAL. UC Berkeley Library.
  http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html

• Tools for Finding Information on the Internet. Richard Peters, MD, PhD and Robert Sikorski, MD, PhD. Good discussion of current search environment on the Internet. Provides links to appropriate resources for novice or expert Internet searchers.
  http://www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/journals/archive/jama/vol_277/no_6/jn7001x.htm

• The Internet Tutorial. Jonathan Leger, United Technologies.
  http://www.angelfire.com/la/internettutorial/

Writing

• Purdue University Online Writing Lab. Site offers a variety of resources and direct assistance for any writer in need of help or guidance in writing matters. Handouts and other resources available.
  owl.english.purdue.edu/
  
  
• Internet Public Library - Books & Writing - Writing Instruction. Links to many writing tutorials and reference tools.
  www.ipl.org/cgi-bin/teen.db.out.pl?id=bw3000
  
  
• A+ Research & Writing for High School and College Students. Includes a guide to researching and writing a paper, finding information in cyberspace and in your library, and links to great online resources for research and writing.
  www.ipl.org/teen/aplus/

• Resources for Writers and Writing Instructors. Jack Lynch, Rutgers University. Author apologizes for the disorganization of this site, but the variety and value of the links makes this a good resource. Note: the site contains no links to commercial sites.
  http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/links.html

Evaluation of Internet Resources

Introduction-The Internet is an excellent source for certain kinds of information, but inherent in the medium are many pitfalls and potential problems to which the careful, responsible researcher will attend.  How to evaluate Internet resources is a very important aspect of information literacy.  The following sites discuss various aspects of Internet resource evaluation.   This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but it provides a place to start.

• Evaluation of Selected Internet Search Tools. Northwestern University Library. Evaluations of twelve popular search engines include the databases accessed, search features, format for results, and useful comments on noteworthy attributes.
  www.library.nwu.edu/resources/internet/search/evaluate.html
  
  
• Principles of Web Searching. Albert R. Mann Library Workshop Series, Cornell University. Content includes discussions on robot-assembled databases, human-selected databases, metasearch engines, customizing search engines, geographically-focused databases, evaluating content on the Internet, and further reading on search engines. An excellent short course on Internet searching.
  www.mannlib.cornell.edu/mannorama/services/instruction/WebSearching/index.html
  
  
• The Search is Over. Adam Page, PC Computing Online. Subtitled The Search-engine Secrets of the Pros, this sites presents discusses Alta Vista, Excite, HotBot, Infoseek Guide, Lycos, Open Text Index, WebCrawler, and Yahoo. Includes a matrix rating and comparing these engines.
  http://www.zdnet.com/pccomp/features/fea1096/sub2.html
  
  

• Search Engine Evaluation. 
  www.monash.com/spidap3.html
  

• Internet Searching.    This site contains many links to sites evaluating search engines, recommendations for search techniques, and tips on search strategy.
  web.hamline.edu/Administration/Libraries/search/comparisons.html
  

• Garbage or Gem???  Evaluating Internet Resources.  How do you know if the information you are getting from Internet sources is accurate, objective, current?  This brief page provides some tips for evaluating web sites.
  alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/~stoerger/evaluation.html

• Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources. Esther Grassian, UCLA College Library. The World Wide Web has a lot to offer, but not all sources are equally valuable or reliable. Here are some points to consider. http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/instruct/web/critical.htm