SOLAR SYSTEM

The Greatest Paper Ever Written

by Charles Kazilek

Another long day in class is almost over. Thank goodness. At least there will be no homework tonight.

Wait! The teacher is saying something. Oh noooooo! She is saying those dreaded words…

"Your assignment is… Please write at least five pages. Please type. The paper is due on…."

You miss some of the details. No problem. This will be an easy assignment now that you have access to a computer and the Internet. No worries. The assignment is quickly forgotten except for the few words scribbled in your class notebook.

Fast forward to the night before the paper is due. Your computer is on. You click off the game program and make a connection to the "all knowing" Internet. The paper writing begins. This is going to be a snap.

You open a search engine. Inside the search box you type a word or two about the paper's topic. Click. You tap the enter key with confidence. A moment passes. Onto the screen pops one of 40 pages that include 10,000 possible web sites.

You are filled with a feeling of absolute power. This will be the greatest - and easiest -- paper ever written.

Click. You select the first link. It turns out to be a product name for some company in New Zealand. Click. The second link turns up another dead end. Click. Click. Click… So do the next 30 links. A hard knot begins to form in the pit of your stomach.

Time to try another search engine. Don't panic yet.

Oh no! It comes up with the same or similar web sites. A glance at the clock on the wall only increases your heart rate. You mutter something about "never again waiting until the last minute."

Does this story sound familiar? Using the Internet to do research for a class assignment can be a good experience. It can also turn into a nightmare.

Carpenters must learn how to use their hammer and chisels. Plumbers learn how to use their wrenches. The Internet is also a tool. You must learn how to best use it to find information quickly and efficiently.

A new article at ASU's Ask a Biologist web site can help get you started. Following are just a few of the many tips listed in the article.

Pick your search engine with care. A search engine is a place on the Internet that collects the addresses of web sites and their content. By simply typing a few key words or a question, you can use search engines to locate web sites that might contain the information you need. Each search engine has its strengths and weaknesses. Try lots of them. Google, HotBot, and Dogpile are examples.
Always check your spelling. The old computer programmer saying "garbage in, garbage out" is especially true when searching the Internet. For example, entering "emperor state building" instead of "Empire State Building" will give you some strange results.
Become an Internet detective. If you don't find what you need with one search engine or set of words, try others. Don't give up after a few tries. This is especially true for science related topics.
Become a good reporter. Always evaluate the information that you find. Just because a web site looks good does not mean the information is correct. Check the source of the information. Is it reliable? Can you confirm that the information is correct by visiting other web sites?
Translators needed. Remember, the Internet is international. Many web sites appear in foreign languages. Some have good information. If you cannot read foreign languages, try a search engine like AltaVista, which includes a language translator.
Don't forget the library! It is still a wonderful place to find information.

Want to learn more about searching the Internet? Get the full story at Ask a Biologist. Go to: http://askabiologist.asu.edu/research/searching/