Instruction
Take time to read the questions and the instructions within each question and submit your answer accordingly. To perform a keyword search, type in the search term (s) in the search box and hit Enter or click on Search. The search box is usually located next to the Search button. Search buttons may have different names such as Find, or Submit, or Go Get It depending on the website you are searching.

I . Subject Directories

A. Academic Subject Directory

1. Go to the Librarians' Index to the Internet at http://www.lii.org and do a keyword search for information on the pyramids of ancient Egypt.

a.List the keyword (s) you used for this search, and any modification of your search terms.
b.List one relevant Web site including the URL and the title of the Web site
c. Evaluate the annotations for this Web site (its clarity and its usefulness).

B. Commercial Subject Directory

Go to Yahoo at http://www.yahoo.com and search for a list of public libraries Web sites in California. You will perform two search modes as follow:

a. Browse search - Follow the subject tree path starting with the broadest main heading, then click down to all the subdivisions to get to the Los Angeles Public Library Web site. Hint: There are at least six subdivisions to go through before you get to the Los Angeles Public Library Web site. Yahoo makes it easy to follow the thread: at each subdivision page, you will see at the top of the page your step-by-step path down the subject tree.
List all the subdivision names that you have clicked to get to Los Angeles Public Library Web site.

b.Keyword search ­
Write down the exact search terms you typed in the search box and any modification of your search terms.
Compare the two search modes (i.e. their speed and ease of use).

II. Search Engines

A. Single Search Engine

a. Perform a search to find the full-text of a poem called Ithaca by the Greek poet Constantine Cavafy using the listed search engine below and answer the following questions:

Altavista at http://www.altavista.com

1. Write down the exact search terms you typed in the search box and any modification of your search terms.
2. List the relevant Web site where the full-text poem Ithaca is found. Include the URL and the title of the Web site.
3.When was this Web site last modified?

 

b. Using the listed search engine below, perform a search to find a short biography about Jack Kerouac and the literary movement linked with him. Answer the following questions:

Google at http://www.google.com

1. Write down the exact search terms you typed in the search box and any modification of your search terms.
2. How many of the first 10 retrieved Web sites you would consider as relevant? Why?
3. List the relevant Web site where Kerouac's biography is found. Include the URL and the title of the Web site.
4.What is Jack Kerouac's date of birth?
5.What is the name of the literary movement associated with him?

 

B. Meta Search Engine

Go to Metacrawler at http://www.metacrawler.com and search for resources relating to the subject of Wetlands in California.

1. Write down the exact search terms you typed in the search box and any modification of your search terms.
2. Briefly scan through the first page of the results list. On the average, how many search engines are listed with each result entry? (Hint: Search engines are listed in between parentheses).
3. Which search engine appears often in most result entries?
5. List one relevant Web site including its URL and its title, and the search engines (these are listed in parentheses) that have found this Web site.

III. Evaluation of Web sites

Visit and evaluate the two listed Web sites below by answering the following questions for each Web site:

a. http://www.amnesty.org
b. http://www.nrahq.org

1. What is the title of the Web site?
2. Who are the Web site's sponsors and is there any information given about the sponsors? (Hint: Information about the sponsors is usually found by clicking on the link called About us. Is there such a link on this Web site?).
3. Is this Web site an educational, or informational, or propaganda, or a multi-purpose Web site?
4. Would you consider this Web site reliable and would you use it for research? Why?