Source:  Finding Information on the Internet:  A TUTORIAL:  (UCLA) Teaching Library Internet Workshops.  This is an excellent site, newly-updated and expanded, that provides a guided tutorial, and includes basic to advanced techniques.  General categories include:  Introduction to the Internet, Glossary of Internet and Netscape Jargon, Things to know before you begin searching the WWW, Searching the World Wide Web, Meta-Search Engines:  Power with Limitations, How to analyze your topic before you begin, How to choose the search tools you need, Detailed searching instructions, including sample searches, and Beyond General Web Searching.
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html
 

Things to Know Before You Begin Searching the WWW:

I.  What are you really searching? Your success will depend on three factors:

• your ability to create exact matches between terms you search for and terms used in the documents you want to find
• the size and contents of the database you choose, and
• its features for searching its contents successfully

• find documents matching your interests
• each search tool operates on its database of URL’s, texts, and descriptions selected from the entirety of the WWW
• when you search an engine, you search the contents of its database - not the WWW directly
• different results from different search tools
• all provide hypertext links which permit you to retrieve Web documents found through a search of the tool’s database
• each search tool is different, varying in features, size and comprehensiveness

• subject directories (usually hand-picked, good sites;  best for topics with vast quantities of information)
• keyword search tools (comprehensiveness;  generic searches)
• other options

See also:  Li, Xia, and Nancy Crane.  Electronic Style:  A Handbook for Citing Electronic Information, 2nd ed.  Medford, NJ:  Information Today, 1996 [PN171.F56 L5 1996].  For additional guides to citing electronic resources, see the CU Government Publications website.
http://www-libraries/ps/gov/gd/cite.htm

Note:  Each university campus library maintains its own on-line computer public access catalogue, which provides access to library collections and provides connections to the collections of many other research libraries within that particular state as well as across the country.  In addition, there are connections to a variety of other databases via FirstSearch and WorldCat.  The usual services that each system provides can include interface catalogues which provide enhanced searching capabilities and flexible local gateways, and contain:

the libraries catalogue (i.e., a database of books, periodicals, government publications, audio-visual materials, maps, and manuscripts); and

Gateways to other databases (i.e., national services such as Library of Congress Catalogue, the Melvyl catalogue of the University of California, and the New York Public Library catalogue - state and local services such as state and regional library catalogues available through differing systems and services - and article access such as FirstSearch, Paperchase, and Uncover.  Connection can be made through your university account or your local Internet provider (telnet capabilities required).  Login protocol and introductory information is explained for each system online, as well as advanced search techniques.  FirstSearch is an excellent online system available through many university Gateways.  The Article Access and Delivery feature provides access to over 40 databases covering a wide range of topics and types of publications.  Many of the databases index, and sometimes abstract, periodical articles from scholarly journals, newspaper and popular magazines.  In addition, there are indexes to dissertations, conference proceedings, and Internet resources, a world catalogue of books, and number of factual databases such as telephone directories and a world almanac.

Dr. Judith A. Coe
Assistant Professor of Voice and Commercial Music
Coordinator of Voice

Music & Entertainment Industry Studies Department

Arts Building 288H

Campus Box 162, P.O. Box 173364

Denver, Co  80217-3364

Phone:  303-556-6013

Fax:  303-556-2335

E-Mail

Cyberspace Music Resources

J. Coe Homepage

University of Colorado

College Music Society

International Alliance for Women in Music

Academic and Recording Industry Alliances

updated 3/06/03