Technology has impacted my academic life with the invention of the Internet search engines. They are the newest and most valuable additions to the tools researchers have for finding in-depth information on any topic. With a click I can explore the endless possibilities available for net-searchers seeking alternative methods in information gathering. There is no better resource available, for students and professionals, than the Internet: it is invaluable when researching topics for school, hobby or work. The Internet allows me to access infinite amounts of resource material and gives me the ability to sort information instantaneously in any way I desire. By using a different method of net research, using tricks for obtaining the best results on a key-word oriented search engine and identifying alternatives to traditional searching, my fascination and reliance on the Internet for my most important research will become clear.
It is very easy to get trapped in a circle of dead ends when searching the Internet; for this reason, I rely on specific techniques for net research.
screenshot from a opensource search engine (openwe...
English: a chart to describe the search engine mar...
GoodSearch home pageThe first place to start info-seeking is Infoseek, or Altavista, Microsoft, Yahoo and Lycos: these search engines are known for having a particularly vast entry to the wealth of information on the net. The availability of different search engines allows me to access enormous amounts of information, all from unique resources, on almost any subject matter. The next step in net searching is to clearly articulate the topic of interest. I have found that by being very specific with the search request, for example using "Mechanical Engineering Colleges in Michigan"ÃÂ instead of "Engineering Colleges", more accurate web site matches are located. The more specific searches also dramatically reduces the volume of web site matches I must sort through in order to pinpoint pertinent information.
Once the topic has...