You are by now familiar with the Internet, a complex system of linked computer networks that allow you to browse the World Wide Web (WWW), participate in electronic discussion groups, bulletin boards, and e-mail. Although the Internet has been around for quite a few decades, it has only been within the last six years that the general public has begun using it. In that short amount of time, it has changed the way people think about accessing information because it offers instant communication and a seemingly limitless availability of sources, literally at the user's fingertips.

All Texas A&M students pay a "computer access" fee. This means that you have paid for a TAMUnet account. If you haven't already done so, go to one of the computer labs on campus and set up an email account for yourself. CIS workers will assist you in doing so. You can also download free software to use with your PC or Macintosh computer so that you can access your email and other Internet resources from home (including the library search tools and a web browser). You can even create your own webpage using software on most of the lab computers and post the page to your A&M account.

The Information Highway

For students writing research papers, the Internet can be-- to rely on an old cliché-- both a blessing and a curse-- a blessing because of easy access to information, a curse if you limit research to Internet sources only or fail to evaluate Internet sources carefully. The instant gratification factor is hard to ignore. By entering names and terms into one of the WWW search engines, or participating in a discussion group, you usually have fast and efficient access to information, so if you are concerned with time management you might argue at length the advantages of using the Internet as a research tool.

For some topics, research on the Internet may be sufficient and library research may not be necessary. Italics are necessary in the last sentence, though. How do you know when to go to the library for research and when to stay "on line" as you search for information? A general rule of thumb is to use all resources available when you are doing research: library, Internet, personal interviews, questionnaires-- explore all avenues available. Because assignments in English courses usually introduce students to methods of research, you should expect to learn how to use both traditional library sources and electronic sources. Whether your Internet sources or limited or whether you have carte blanche in this area, you should understand disadvantages and advantages of working online.

Because the Internet is an excellent method of disbursing information, the information super highway, as it is frequently called, is an uneven road, at best. Currently, the only limitation on participating in chat rooms, electronic discussion groups, or e-mail or publishing information on the WWW is an individual's understanding of how to use the technology and access to it. The Internet is the electronic equivalent of the backyard fence or the office water-cooler-- in other words, a place where people talk to each other and exchange ideas. While chat rooms and discussion groups may be monitored, anyone may participate as long as he or she observes the guidelines established by the chat room or discussion group manager. On the WWW, there are no editorial boards-- no editorial guidelines. This freedom to say what you want to say and publish what you want to publish has become a first amendment issue for individuals and groups who argue that the Internet should be subject to regulation.

For students doing research, the absolute freedom of the Internet makes crucial the ability to read with a critical eye and evaluate sources. The same ability is necessary when you are working with traditional library sources; however, in general, Internet sources may pose more of a problem than books, newspapers, or journals because you may not be able to establish a writer's credentials as easily with online sources. Is the WWW page with the eye-catching graphics, effective format, and well-written text the work of an amateur or expert? Is the message on the medical advice bulletin board the wisdom of a professional with years of experience or the posting of a rank amateur who knows how to throw around medical jargon? You are familiar by now with the importance of analyzing the rhetorical situation of any source and verifying a writer's credentials. Remember that this kind of analysis doesn't stop as you exit the library.

How do you verify someone's credentials? If you are communicating directly with the individual, you can always ask about that person's title. Most people with legitimate credentials are happy to share them with you. Another strategy is to check your the library card catalog. Is the person's name listed? Are works listed that correspond to the topic of the person's web page or discussion group? You may be doing some educated guess work here. Another tactic is to use First Search or one of the online indexes. Again, you may not be able to tell if the name you are looking for is the same as the names listed-especially if the name is a common name such as Robert Smith or Ann Clark. If you find yourself doing too much guesswork, it's probably best to find other sources that are readily verified.

You've already read about the primary advantage of Internet sources: speed and availability. Now, let's assume that your instructor has asked you to avoid Internet sources altogether. Is the Internet still a valuable research tool? The answer is yes. You've probably heard the term surf the 'net. You can surf the WWW, in particular, to develop ideas for topics. Using one of the search engines, such as www.mamma.com, enter key words in issues you would consider investigating or for a question you want to answer. The search engine will offer a list of hits or links to your search term. This is a good way to find out how much information is bouncing around in cyberspace. Some links may lead you to scholarly works-- bibliographies, for example. Some links may help you narrow the topic you are considering. Finally, some links may provide you with a good overview of your topic, making library research more focused than it would have been if you were starting from scratch.

For Practice: An Internet Scavenger Hunt

Find sources that discuss the topics listed below. Be prepared to report to your peers the number of sources you found, and the kinds of sources you found. For WWW pages, identify the search engine or search term you used. Finally, report what the source reveals about the author or publisher (is the writer an expert? scholar? enthusiast?). Part of your preview of WWW pages might include responses to the questions listed below:

• Are there features that suggest the page is primarily or to some degree self-promotional for an individual or a company?
• Does the page include the name of the individual who created it? A way to contact that individual? Date when information was published or updated?
• Do graphics dominate, making the text secondary or insignificant?
• Does the text include documentation? is it well-written?
• Can you readily establish the rhetorical situation?
• Would an academic audience consider this source reliable and appropriate?
• One other note about Internet sources. Documentation of these sources cannot be haphazard. Systems of documentation such as MLA provide guidelines for documenting electronic sources. Documentation isn't any more difficult than it is for books, newspapers, or journals, but the information you need to include may not be as familiar to you as the information you usually include: publisher; edition; year or month; date and year; and page number. Guidelines for documenting electronic sources are available at this link, as well as in grammar handbooks.

Find a site about two of the following topics-- write down the URL and a short review (one or two lines) of the site-- is it reliable? Find the site author's name, if it's there. When was the last update of the site? How easy was it to find a "reputable" site about one of these, that had useful information?

• Release of wolves into Yellowstone Park
• Ferdinand Waldo Demara, Jr, The Great Impostor
• Eradication of small pox
• Ebonics, or, Black English Vernacular
• Statistics on Teenage Suicide
• The "Who was Shakespeare?" debate
• Yangtze River Dam
• Roswell UFOs
• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
• Simon Wiesenthal center
• Statistics on date rape

Next, find the following info, on the TAMU server

• Using the Evans Library (A&M's main student library) webpage, find the MLA bibliography. Tell me how many "hits" you get for the following topic:
  • Mark Twain's humor. There are quite a few sources-- if you only get "zero" you're doing it wrong-- ask me for help.
  • Now, write a correctly formatted Works Cited reference for an English language article on Twain that sounds interesting.
    
• Next, find the ERIC (Firstsearch) database and run a search on:
  • Hazing. How many records does your search find? Write the source of publication for one of the listings.
    
• Next, find the World Cat database and run a search on
  • The novel Little Women. How many records does your search find? Using NOTIS, (use the Telnet version) see if our library has a copy of this novel. What is it's call number?
  • Use a web search engine to see if there are any online versions of this novel.
    
• Now, find the Article First Database. Run a search on
  • Star Wars. How many records does your search find?
  • Tell me what the article "Shot by Shot" by C.H. Coker is about. Send me an email copy of this record. (send it to [email protected])
    
• How many types of databases does our library have?
• Which one would you think would be best to use doe your major? Why?
  
• Find the "Online Reserve" section of the Evans library website. Look up the articles reserved by Dr. Kelly. What are their titles?
  
• Can you renew books you have checked out of the library online? Can you request Interlibrary Loan online?
  
• Use the online Phonebook to look me up. What is my alias?
  

Now we will venture out onto the WWW.

Go to the following URL, choose a search engine (or two-- find one that works best for you), and find the following info: http://www.flash.net/surf/searchisp.html

• Find a site about Louisa May Alcott. List the URL & site author's name, and one interesting fact on the site.
• Find a tourism site for New Orleans, La.
• Send me a virtual post card. (no naughty stuff please).
• Find the Grammar Rock Website. Tell me what topics it lists.
• Finally, go to www.snopes.com and read about one of the urban legends. Click the "no music" button at the bottom of the first page.
  • Who creates this site, and when was the last update?

If you made it through all of these steps, correctly, doing everything I've told you to do, then you can win a prize... turn in your answers at the end of class.