# Presentation: 016674

## WORKING  SMARTER 

- Using the World Wide Web for Transportation-Related Research
- Reminder:
- Make sure that your screen resolution is set at 1024 x 768.
-  Click on "My Computer" and select the "Control Panel"
-  Click on the "display" icon and select the "settings" tab
-  Move the bar in the screen area to 1024 by 768 pixels
- You do not need to reboot your computer after this.

## WORKING  SMARTER 

- A tutorial brought to you by:
-   the Midwest Transportation Knowledge Network,
-   the National Highway Institute, and
-   the National Transportation Library.

## What You Will Learn 

- Find transportation-related information and resources on the Web efficiently and effectively
- Evaluate and interpret information found on the Web
- Identify the information resources and services that libraries provide

## Poll: Which of the following would produce accurate results ...

*[PlaceWare Multiple Choice Poll. Use ****PlaceWare**** > ****Edit Slide Properties...**** to edit.]*
- US DOT
- us dot
- US dot
- All of the above
- None of the above

## Poll: Web Directories include:

*[PlaceWare Multiple Choice Poll. Use ****PlaceWare**** > ****Edit Slide Properties...**** to edit.]*
- Yahoo
- NTL Reference Desk
- U.S. DOT home page
- All of the above
- None of the above

## Poll: Most library catalogs differ from search engines or sp...

*[PlaceWare Multiple Choice Poll. Use ****PlaceWare**** > ****Edit Slide Properties...**** to edit.]*
- Only the contents of a specific collection
- Everything published on a particular subject
- Only citations and abstracts of documents
- All of the above
- None of the above

## Points to keep in mind 1 of 2

- Not everything is on the Web, and not everything on the Web is useful. Anyone can publish information on the World Wide Web, and some of that information is not reliable.
- To ensure the quality of your research, try to confirm the authenticity of the information or Web site that you choose, as well as the individual or group that created it.

## Points to keep in mind 2 of 2

- Compare what you find with reliable print resources available in your library.
- If the information item you choose is not available in full-text electronic format, look for contact or citation information for the item so a librarian can help you locate a print copy.

## Lesson 1 

- Find transportation-related information and resources on the Web efficiently and effectively

## Decide which information tool to use 

-  Search Engines
-  Web Directories
-  Information Resource Databases

## Search engines 1 of 3 

- A Search Engine is a computer software tool that helps you locate information on the World Wide Web by using specific subject terms or search criteria. (1)

## Search engines 2 of 3

- There are also specialized search engines that search only a specific sub-set of Web sites.
- For example, the U.S. Department of Transportation search engine (also known as DOTBOT) is used to search only U.S. DOT Web sites.

## Search engines 3 of 3

**Search engines**** **3 of 3

- DOTBOT is available at: _[http://search.bts.gov/ntl/](http://search.bts.gov/ntl/)_
- You can search all of the DOT Web sites at once or just one specific administration’s Web site.

## Know the facts first 1 of 2

- Each search engine works a little differently and the search results from each may vary.
- However, the basic searching concepts described here can be adapted for use with almost all search engines.

## Know the facts first 2 of 2 

- Take time to learn how your search engine or information tool works.
- Look for the “Help,” “About,” or “Search Tips” section for notes and instructions on how to use the tool more effectively.

## Use “Advanced Search” mode 

*Use “Advanced Search” mode*

- The “Advanced Search” mode of a search engine gives you more control by letting you search multiple fields of a document.

## Quantity vs. quality 

- Be specific. If you know the exact item you are looking for, ask for it. The more specific you are, the more likely you are to get what you want.
- The less specific you are, the more returns you will get, and therefore the more information you will need to sift through.

## Case sensitivity 1 of 2 

- Case sensitivity refers to the use of uppercase and lowercase letters when typing search words or phrases into a search box. (3)
- Some search tools are case sensitive in that they require the searcher to use either uppercase or lowercase letters. Using the wrong case may severely limit your success. (3)

## Case sensitivity 2 of 2 

- Most search tools are not case sensitive or only respond to initial capitals, as in proper names. (3)
- It is safer to use lowercase letters because lowercase will retrieve entries with both lowercase and uppercase letters in them. (3)

## Field searching 

- This feature limits a search by requiring a specific keyword or phrase to appear in a specific field of the document you are looking for, such as title and author. (3)

## Phrase searching 

- In phrase searching you group two or more keywords together as a phrase so that your search retrieves only documents containing that exact phrase. (3)
- In some search engines you must enclose the phrase in quotation marks like this: “pavement preservation.”
- In the advanced search section of some search engines (such as Google) you can enter the search terms in an “exact phrase” search box. In such a case you would not need to enclose the phrase in quotation marks.

## Truncation 1 of 2

- Truncation refers to the addition of a symbol at the beginning or end of a word stem in a keyword search to retrieve variants of that keyword.  (6)
- Truncation is particularly useful in retrieving both the singular and the plural forms of a word in the same search.
- It is usually an optional function and does not happen automatically.

## Truncation 2 of 2

- Often the truncation symbol is the * (asterisk), but other symbols including ?, $, and “etc” may also be used.  (NOTE: AltaVista does truncate.) (6)
- Example “sign*” retrieves records containing “sign,” “signs,” “signal”, “signals,” “significantly.”

## Stemming

- In some search engines (such as Google) the optional function of truncation has been replaced with the automatic function of “stemming.”
- During keyword searching the search is actually performed on the word stem and its common endings.
- For example, a search for the word “lines” retrieves “lines,” “line,” “line’s,” “lining,” “lined,” etc. (3)

## Boolean logic 1 of 5 

- Boolean Logic allows you to use a sophisticated search strategy by using logical operators to combine key words or phrases.

## Boolean logic 2 of 5 

- When searching for information in electronic resources, you can increase your efficiency by developing a search strategy. For example:
-  What do you want to find?
-  What do you want to exclude?
-  Which search terms will you use?
-  How will you arrange them?

## Boolean logic 3 of 5 

- When using Boolean Logic to put together your search strategy, you arrange and connect your search terms with words or symbols known as “operators.” The most frequently used operators are:
-  and
-  or
-  not
-  near

## Boolean logic 4 of 5 

- These operators instruct the search engine or database to include or exclude certain information from your search returns.
- Placing AND between two search terms will retrieve documents or Web pages that contain *both *search terms.  (7)
- Placing OR between two search terms will retrieve documents or Web pages that contain *either* search term (this type of search will retrieve a larger number of items). (7)

## Boolean logic 5 of 5

- Placing NOT between two search terms will *exclude* documents or Web pages that contain the second search term. (3)
- Some databases and search engines support a strategy called “proximity searching.” This involves searching for documents or Web pages in which one search term occurs within a certain proximity of another search term (3)

## Poll: "Boolean Logic" refers to:

*[PlaceWare Multiple Choice Poll. Use ****PlaceWare**** > ****Edit Slide Properties...**** to edit.]*
- A logical system of arranging words and phrases to search for information
- A computer programming language
- A problem solving formula used in geometry
- All of the above
- None of the above

## Poll: The "Advanced Search" function of a search engine and ...

*[PlaceWare Multiple Choice Poll. Use ****PlaceWare**** > ****Edit Slide Properties...**** to edit.]*
- By allowing you to combine key words and phrases
- By allowing you to exclude unwanted elements from your search results
- By allowing you to create complex search strategies
- All of the above
- None of the above

## Poll: Which of teh following would produce accurate results ...

*[PlaceWare Multiple Choice Poll. Use ****PlaceWare**** > ****Edit Slide Properties...**** to edit.]*
- US DOT
- us dot
- US dot
- All of the above
- None of the above

## Poll: By applying the process of "Truncation" or "Stemming",...

*[PlaceWare Multiple Choice Poll. Use ****PlaceWare**** > ****Edit Slide Properties...**** to edit.]*
- Narrowing your search
- Widening your search
- All of the above
- None of the above

## Search engine overview 

-  Search a narrow topic or specific subject. (5)
-  Search for a specific Web site or document. (5)
-  Search the full-text of millions of Web pages.
-  Search for specific formats of documents or files.
-  Widen a search using truncation.
-  Narrow a search by using exact phrases.

## Web directories 1 of 3 

- Web Directories are Web sites that provide a collection of links arranged by category—much like the yellow pages of a telephone directory. (1)

## Web directories 2 of 3 

- There are also subject-specific directories that cover a single topic area, such as transportation.

## Web directories 3 of 3 

- You can...
-  Do a broad topic search. (6)
-  Find nonspecific items. (6)
-  Get an overview of the information available on your subject of interest, the research already performed in that field, etc. (6)
-  Search for lists of Web sites about your topic instead of searching the specific pages inside each Web site. (6)

## Information Resource Databases 

- Information resource databases defined
- Scope
- Fees
- Free access or password-protected
- Complete documents or abstracts
- What kinds of content you can access

## TRIS Online (Transportation Research Information Service) 1 of 2

- TRIS Online is a specialized transportation database that contains over 535,000 citations and abstracts. (7)
- TRIS Online is produced and maintained by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies and is sponsored by the U.S. State Departments of Transportation.
- Free access to this comprehensive bibliographic resource is provided by the National Transportation Library through TRIS Online _[http://ntl.bts.gov/](http://ntl.bts.gov/tris)__[tris](http://ntl.bts.gov/tris)_

## TRIS Online 2 of 2

- As a subject-specific bibliographic database, TRIS Online is the most comprehensive source of transportation-related citations, abstracts, and electronic full-text documents.
- Information found there can be supplemented with that found on the World Wide Web or through your library.

## RIP (Research-in-Progress) database

- If you’d like to know what State DOT research projects are in progress, select the Research-In-Progress Database produced and maintained by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies _[http://rip.](http://rip.trb.org/)__[trb](http://rip.trb.org/)__[.org](http://rip.trb.org/)_

## RIP database

- The RIP database contains nearly 7,000 records of current or recently completed transportation research projects.
- About 100 new RIP project records are added each month and another 150 records are updated.
- Most of the RIP projects are federally or state funded. University transportation research is also included. (4)

## Uses of the RIP database 

-  Search the entire Research-in-Progress database in one central location.
-  Browse project records by subject.
-  Use a look-up directory for individuals and organizations.
-  Subscribe to receive e-mail notification of new RIP records in specific subject areas.
-  Submit bibliographic records on current research projects (Non-DOT personnel can submit with an online form).

## Information resource databases-- questions to ask yourself 

- Who is the creator/provider of the database?
- What periods of time does the database cover and is it a full-text database or does it only provide access to the citations and abstracts of the information?
- Is it a free-access or a pay-access database?

## Lesson 1 overview 

- A search engine, like Google, allows you to search over 3 billion pages on the World Wide Web for the information you need.
- Web directories are Web sites that provide a collection of links arranged by category—much like the yellow pages of a telephone directory.
- Subject-specific databases allow you to search for information in one centralized location.

## Poll: TRIS Online is:

*[PlaceWare Multiple Choice Poll. Use ****PlaceWare**** > ****Edit Slide Properties...**** to edit.]*
- An Information Resource Database with some full-text links
- A web directory
- A web search engine
- All of the above
- None of the above

## Poll: Web Directories include:

*[PlaceWare Multiple Choice Poll. Use ****PlaceWare**** > ****Edit Slide Properties...**** to edit.]*
- Yahoo
- NTL Reference Desk
- U.S. DOT home page
- All of the above
- None of the above

## Lesson 2 

- Evaluate and interpret information found on the Web.

## The Web --know what to ask 1 of 4 

- As stated earlier, not everything on the Web will be authoritative or useful to you.
- Think critically and be selective in choosing your information resources.
- Academic, government, and scientific print publications and Web sites are usually reviewed, edited, and well organized. Much of the publicly accessible Web, however, does not receive the same level of validation.

## The Web --know what to ask 2 of 4 

-  Who authored the information? If you can’t tell who the author is, the information may not be reliable.
-  Are you familiar with the author; is he or she an authority in their field of research or interest; are they reputable?
-  Who does the author work for; how long has the author been in the field?

## The Web --know what to ask 3 of 4 

- What else has the author written in this field, and how current are the author’s writings?
- Why did the author publish the document; for profit?
- Was the information reviewed by an editorial board or peer group?

## The Web --know what to ask 4 of 4 

- When reviewing a Web site, rather than an individual document, ask who maintains the Web site and how often is it updated?
- Look at the domain name. What does the domain tell you?
- Is it an academic, government, nonprofit, or for-profit site? The URL can give you some clues: .uk, .de, .jp, .nl, .gov, .mil, .org, .com, .edu.

## Quantity vs. Quality 

- Are you conducting a broad survey of information and Web sites available on your subject, or are you focusing on a specific item?
- If you are doing a broad survey, you will evaluate those results much differently than if you have a specific item in mind.
- For example, are you looking for a single piece of information or are you doing a complete literature review?

## Relevance 

- Which search results are actually relevant to your needs?
- The most relevant resources are not necessarily found at the top of the list.
- The best way to determine relevance is to thoroughly review the information and decide if it meets your needs.

## What is a citation? 1 of 2 

- A citation identifies author, title, and publication information (e.g., format, year, publisher, volume, issue number, edition, etc.). These are the main elements of a solid citation.
- Here is an example:
- American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. AASHTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures, 1993. Washington, D.C.: The Association, 1993. 1 vol.
- For additional citation information: http://www.beadsland.com/weapas/
- You can use a citation to locate an item, but you can also use a citation to give credit for information that you have referenced in your own work.

## What is a citation? 2 of 2 

- Sometimes there are several similar documents and you’ll need to distinguish which is the one you need.
- Documents can be difficult to identify and locate. Look closely to see if the item is a book, a journal article, a full-text electronic file, a dissertation, or a working paper.

## Why is a citation important?

- The citation properly identifies a document and allows you to cite it in your own work.
- A citation can help you or a librarian find a print copy of a document if it is not available on the Web.

## Acquiring an item 1 of 2 

- If the citation for an item includes a URL/link to an online version of the document, you are in luck. Such a link will usually lead to a PDF file of the document or an HTML file.
- However, links are seldom permanent and may no longer work.
- If the citation does not contain a link, then you will most likely need to contact your librarian and have them borrow or acquire the item through interlibrary loan or document delivery.

## Acquiring an item 2 of 2 

- If you don’t have a DOT library, you can also contact a nearby university, state, or public library.
- This URL will provide you with a list of transportation libraries _[http://ntl.bts.gov/tldir/](http://ntl.bts.gov/tldir/)__ _
- Give the librarian the complete citation for the item or as much information as you know about it, including where you got the citation.

## Poll: When evaluating information and documents found on the...

*[PlaceWare Multiple Choice Poll. Use ****PlaceWare**** > ****Edit Slide Properties...**** to edit.]*
- Who authored the information?
- Is the author an authority in their field of study?
- Who maintains the information and how often is it updated?
- Does this information meet my need; is it really relevant?
- All of the above
- None of the above

## Poll: Which of the following is the most useful citation for...

*[PlaceWare Multiple Choice Poll. Use ****PlaceWare**** > ****Edit Slide Properties...**** to edit.]*
- Accelerated Pavement Testing of Rutting Performance of Two Caltrans Overlay Strategies
- Accelerated Pavement Testing Strategies
- Harvey, John & Popescu, Lorina, Univ. of Ca. Berkeley. Accelerated Pavement Testing of Rutting Performance of Two Caltrans Overlay Strategie
- 35 pages
- All of the above
- None of the above

## Poll: Which of the following would be considered the most re...

*[PlaceWare Multiple Choice Poll. Use ****PlaceWare**** > ****Edit Slide Properties...**** to edit.]*
- www.statistics.com
- www.regionwise.org
- www.census.gov
- All of the above
- None of the above

## Lesson 3 

- Identify the information resources and services that libraries provide.

## How to use your library 

- Librarians are here to help. They are information professionals trained to provide the information services you need. They can also recommend alternate or additional resources.

## Library advantages 1 of 2 

- Librarians can provide a comprehensive search of the current literature on a subject.
- Libraries can provide physical copies of documents or articles that are not available for free on the Web. Your library can borrow or acquire them from another library or outside source.
- Many libraries and their catalogs and databases are accessible from your desktop computer.

## Library advantages 2 of 2

- Library catalogs are another very important information resource.
- Library catalogs are different from other databases in that they provide access to the holdings of a specific collection, such as the catalog for the Transportation Library of Northwestern University:
- _[http://](http://nucat.library.northwestern.edu/)__[nucat](http://nucat.library.northwestern.edu/)__[.library.northwestern.](http://nucat.library.northwestern.edu/)__[edu](http://nucat.library.northwestern.edu/)__[/](http://nucat.library.northwestern.edu/)_

## Transportation Libraries CatalogIn progess (available in March 2004)

## Poll: Most library catalogs differ from search engines or sp...

*[PlaceWare Multiple Choice Poll. Use ****PlaceWare**** > ****Edit Slide Properties...**** to edit.]*
- Only the contents of a specific collection
- Everything published on a particular subject
- Only citations and abstracts of documents
- All of the above
- None of the above

## Poll: If you need a hard copy of a transportation related jo...

*[PlaceWare Multiple Choice Poll. Use ****PlaceWare**** > ****Edit Slide Properties...**** to edit.]*
- State Library
- DOT Library
- Academic Library
- The person in the next cubicle
- All of the above
- None of the above

## Overview 

- Use “Advanced Search” mode when possible. This gives you more control and allows you to be more efficient.
- Be selective. Always try to confirm the authenticity of the information or Web site that you choose, as well as the individual or group that created it.
- Be specific. If you know the exact item you are looking for, ask for it. With a “precision” or “known item” search you are more likely to get exactly what you want.
- Get a citation. If the information item you choose is not available in full-text electronic format, remember to look for contact or citation information for the item so that a librarian can help you locate a print copy.

## Acknowledgments

- Hock, Ran. The Extreme Searcher’s Web Finding Tools, Workshop Presented  for the Central Ohio Chapter, Special Libraries Association, Columbus, OH April 23, 2003.
- Search Engine Watch as of 12 September 2003: _[http://www.searchenginewatch.com/links/article.php/2156221#top](http://www.searchenginewatch.com/links/article.php/2156221#top)_
- Glossary of Internet & Web Jargon, University of California, Berkeley, Teaching Library Internet Workshops: _[http://www.lib.](http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Glossary.html)__[berkeley](http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Glossary.html)__[.](http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Glossary.html)__[edu](http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Glossary.html)__[/](http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Glossary.html)__[TeachingLib](http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Glossary.html)__[/Guides/Internet/Glossary.html](http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Glossary.html)_
- Research in Progress (RIP) Database: _[http://rip.](http://rip.trb.org/)__[trb](http://rip.trb.org/)__[.org/](http://rip.trb.org/)_
- Carlson, Cindy.  The Seven Commandments of Highly Effective Web Searching.  June 17, 2002 - 12 Sept. 2003:  _[http://www.llrx.com/columns/notes54.htm](http://www.llrx.com/columns/notes54.htm)_
- Reitz, Joan. M.  ODLIS: Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science, 2002. As of 12 Sept. 2003
- Transportation Research Information Service (TRIS): _[http://](http://ntl.bts.gov/tris)__[ntl](http://ntl.bts.gov/tris)__[.](http://ntl.bts.gov/tris)__[bts](http://ntl.bts.gov/tris)__[.](http://ntl.bts.gov/tris)__[gov](http://ntl.bts.gov/tris)__[/](http://ntl.bts.gov/tris)__[tris](http://ntl.bts.gov/tris)_

## Acknowledgments (continued)

**Midwest Transportation Knowledge Network**
- The members of the Midwest Transportation Knowledge Network (MTKN) generously contributed their time, expertise, and bibliographic instruction materials to create this course. Partners in the Network include the State DOT libraries in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, as well as the Center for Transportation Studies Library at the University of Minnesota, the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute Library, and the Northwestern University Transportation Library.

## Special thanks to the following for their work in producing this course:

- Jerry Baldwin, Minnesota DOT Library
- Janet Bix, Ohio DOT Library
- John Cherney, Wisconsin DOT Library
- Catherine Flaherty, National Highway Institute, FHWA
- Roger Garren, National Transportation Library
- Alpha Glass, Bureau of Transportation Statistics
- Joyce Koeneman, National Transportation Library
- Chip Moore, Bureau of Transportation Statistics
- Jennifer Pimentel, National Highway Institute, FHWA
- Bob Sweet, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute Library
- Jane Watson, National Transportation Library
- Hank Zalatel, Iowa DOT Library