Internet 101/102: Untangling the Web

welcome | bibliography | glossary

I. How does it work?

II. What's really out there?

III. How can I search?

IV. Why should I evaluate?

V. How do I cite sources?

Untangling the Web

There are billions of web sites, web pages, research databases, and email addresses available to us via the Internet, and many more are being created as you read this page.

For many researchers, this ever-expanding online environment can prove to be mysterious and frustrating.

This series of pages will answer the five basic questions most academic researchers have about the Internet:

I. How does it work?
This section provides a basic description of how the Internet works, how you can access it, what you can use it for, and why Internet addresses are so long.

II. What's really out there?
This section provides an overview of the types of content you can find on the Internet and who is producing that content.

III. How can I search?
This section provides detailed information on the differences between web directories, search engines, and other search tools available to us via the Internet. Also contains links and descriptions for specific search tools.

IV. Why should I evaluate?
This section lists the questions you need to ask yourself before using content found on the Internet.

V. How do I cite sources?
This section lists the basic pieces of information to collect about a web page in order to cite its use in a research paper. Also contains links to the official APA and MLA online style guides.