Research & resources E homepages F Computer advice

The ‘Internet’, often called the ‘World Wide Web’ (WWW), increasingly impacts for teaching and researching. Browsers like Internet Explorer or Netscape can find a range of materials:

• ‘primary sources’
• ‘journals’ (i.e. ‘electronic journals’ )
• ‘information sites’ by institutions, organisations, museums, etc
• ‘discussion sites’ for academics and researchers

I KNOW THE ADDRESS OF THE WEB SITE

You go to the web site address (often www.etc…) from your ‘home page’ – on-site at the Brunel web site page, or off-site via your particular I.S.P gateway you are using like Freeserve, etc. Then either/or:

I DO NOT KNOW A SITE, BUT I AM INTERESTED IN A TOPIC

One way is to have a ‘Search Machine’ conduct a search targeted on a word/phrase that you give it. This should show up everything that the particular Search Engine knows is there on that particular subject. Apart from your own initial home port page’s search option (Brunel-Netscape, or whatever), there are a range of search engines (with their own web addresses that you can ‘open up’, as explained above) that you can use. However none of them cover more than 25% of the actual individual web site entries, and they do it in differing ways and style. Because of this are further ‘meta-searchers’ which will trawl through several search engines. A second way is to use directories compiled by search machines like Yahoo, etc., which give you a smaller number of sites that have been checked out by that search engine. Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages. Browse around.

Netscape has a Related Sites button for a general thematic bouncing around effect. Web sites will also often have further potential ‘links’ to other sites, usually indicated by an underline or box. Click on it to get to it. Searches and bouncing onwards is what is meant by "surfing the net" !! Such surfing can be thought-provoking, suggesting conceptual links for you in your reflection and presentation. Try it!

To view any individual sites signalled from the above methods, then left/double click entry with your mouse. If it is an interesting site, you can Print it out. Alternatively, you can transfer it onto your own computer hard disk for a more leisurely looking at later on. To do this, go to File, then click on Save As option, and then click onto where you want to put the file from the various scroll down alternatives being presented to you, i.e. H-drive for Brunel, C-drive for individual computer terminals, or A-drive for a floppy disk. Graphics take up more space than text. Interesting Web Site address can be saved for future, by ‘adding’ it to your ‘Bookmark’ (Netscape) or ‘Favorites’ (Internet Explorer) address menu.

EXAMPLES (some)

If you use Internet material you should cite its web site address and pages in footnotes/ bibliography

– otherwise you are open to the charge of possible plagiarism -

Research & resources E homepages F Computer advice