Reference Rebel's Tips for Answering Reference Questions Using the Internet

Reference Rebel's Tips

for

Answering Reference Questions Using the Internet

General tips

· Get in the habit of assuming you will find something of use on the Internet to help answer your reference question.

· Don't forget the reference interview part of librarianship.

· Do a facet or concept analysis to determine the concepts needed to conduct the search. Think of alternate spellings, synonyms, broader and narrower terms.

· While it can be very difficult to search the Internet while the patron is standing looking over your shoulder (unless you know exactly where you are going), it is helpful to find traditional resources if possible and tell the patron that if they have time you would be happy to do a more in-depth search on the Internet and get back to them later.

· Learn how to use the bookmarks/favorites feature of your browser. Set up an organizational system for your bookmarks using folders and meta categories. Some examples of folders in my bookmarks file include: Search Engines, Ready Reference Sites, Current Questions (a place to quickly park sites you are working on for a specific question in case you get interrupted) and various subject categories. Put subject categories in to alphabetical order.

· Use the Personal Toolbar feature in Netscape or the Links Toolbar in Internet Explorer for your most used sites.

· Get comfortable with using more than one search tool. They all index and rank their results differently even when you use the exact same search statement.

· Take advantage of the fact that the Internet provides connectivity to both content and community. There are many experts or other people who are willing to help out there in cyberspace. I have sent email to authors, respected psychologists, composers, anthropologists, model train experts, a priest in Ireland, and doctors for assistance in answering reference questions and I have almost always gotten a helpful response. Don't be afraid to use the email links on a web page indicating that it is OK to write for more information. (However, do not send reference assistance queries to the webmaster's email unless it is indicated that it is OK to do so).

· Use the Internet as reference resource of first choice for the most up-to date information on subjects such as health and medical information, entertainment, law and government information (such as Supreme Court decisions).

· Keep an eye out for useful URLS in such places as books, magazines, TV and radio.

· Keep a small notebook or card in your wallet to jot these down. Bookmark them as soon as you can. If you have a personal organizer such as a Palm- list them there – then hot-sync to PC.

· Keep a reference log. Even if the patron has left happy with traditional resources, see

what you might have been able to find using the Internet.

· It is OK to start out with a print directory such as those by Harley Hahn and Jean Armor Polly.

· Make a conscious effort to read the "what's new," "help" and "search tips" screens in an effort to keep up with the inevitable changes.

Specific Tips

· Learn the basic concepts of Boolean Logic (i.e., the concept of AND, OR and NOT). Understand that in using Internet search tools generally you will not be using these search terms but will be implying them by using the default and other search syntax.

· Learn the default search for each of the search tools you use.

· In search engines, learn how to use the + (plus) sign to require terms, the - (minus) sign to eliminate terms, and the "" (quotes) to indicate phrases if supported.

· Use the Find in Page (under the edit menu or <ctrl F>) feature of your browser to locate your terms in a resulting page to quickly see where your search terms appear (this helps to determine relevancy of the page).

· Learn which search tools are good for which types of searches. For example:

In AltaVista and Google, enter phrase search using quotations (“ “) to answer ready reference type questions such as "what is the largest freshwater island in the world?' or " I remember this line from a poem that I read when I was a teenager back in the forties."

In AltaVista use -.com and -.net to eliminate most commercial sites.

AltaVista and Google have great image collections. Learn how to save images.

Yahoo is great for finding popular culture, current events and consumer websites.

AltaVista has a link to a language translator which will translate some websites it

has found into a language you can understand.

Google uses a search algorithm that includes "link analysis" which finds more

authoritative and relevant results.

Google, AltaVista and Hotbot (and many other search engines) allow you to limit your results by format. For example: mp3, video.

Try some of the new search tools such as Wisenut http://www.wisenut.com

Teoma http://www.teoma.com, Vivisimo http://www.vivisimo.com

and Ixquick http://www.ixquick.com .

· If you get a File Not Found Message, try "back-hacking" or right truncation of URL to move up a level at a time in a website. You may get to a page that works and then work your way down using the links within the upper level. (This happens many times because website developers change page names frequently so even though the parent site exists the web page within that site may have changed names or been revised.

· Learn about a search tools’ rules regarding case sensitivity. As a matter

of course it is best to use all lower case.

· Learn which search tools allow for truncation and wildcards.

· Be vigilant about maintaining bookmarks (Easy to say--easy to let get away from you).

· Be careful when using metasearch engines. They do not process search syntax consistently. I tend to use them as a last resort.

· Subscribe to STUMPERS-L listserv or become familiar with their archive. See http://www.cuis.edu/~stumpers for more information.

· Find good sources of free electronic journals, full-text books and magazine articles, and government documents.

· Try some of the "Ask-a" type reference resources such as Internet Public Library

(http://www.ipl.org/div/askus) Ask Jeeves (http://www. askjeeves.com, Go Ask Alice (http://www.alice.columbia.edu) (for frank health and sexuality questions)and AskERIC http://ericir.syr.edu/ (for education related questions).

· Visit Search Engine Watch http://www.searchenginewatch frequently to keep up-to-date on changes in existing search tools and to learn about new ones.

· Use ready made ready reference lists. There are plenty of these. The Internet Public Library has a great list at http://www.ipl.org . Another great site is ITools

at http://www.itools.com.

· Do a search in a search engine periodically on the phrase "reference using the internet." You will get a nice array of responses that can help in professional development and provide links to sites that other reference librarians have put together.

PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!

Other tips I learned today.

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