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Title:
Find it Online - The Complete Guide to Online Research
Review:
The 4th edition of Alan Schlein's award-winning reference book is a
comprehensive guide to all aspects of internet searching for both
internet novices and expert searchers. The book provides readers with
the basics of internet concepts, guides to web sources by subject
area, as well as case studies containing search strategies using free
and fee-based services.
This latest edition includes advice on how to combat spam, even
explaining the origin of the name and how to control pop-up ads. It
also deals with how best to verify information found on the Internet.
Each of the 14 chapters ends with a useful list of relevant websites,
providing URLs and a brief description of the sites' content. Chapters are interspersed with valuable hot tips for searchers and contain excerpts of articles from well-known information professionals, providing further insight and perspective into search topics.
The book starts off by explaining internet terminology, providing
guidance on how to develop a search strategy and explaining the
strengths and weaknesses of search engines. Schlein has inserted a
useful search engine comparison chart drawn up by Greg Notess for his
Search Engine Showdown website which compares primary search features
for all the major search engines.
I found chapters 4 and 5 particularly useful. In these, Schlein
focuses on the 'invisible web' and how to access data that the search
engines cannot find. The author uses further professional expertise in this chapter by reprinting an article by Chris Sherman containing
references to invisible web pathfinders and tips to overcome this
problem. Schlein's resources on search tools are particularly helpful
to the professional web searcher.
Further chapters provide guidance on news and business resources, US
and international government resources, as well as advice on how to
manage and filter information and, importantly, how to evaluate a
website and establish the author's credibility.
Throughout the book, the author stresses the importance of the 'human
element', often forgotten when searching the internet. From a
journalistic background, Schlein realises the value of an old-
fashioned telephone call to an expert for quick, reliable information.
The author claims that international sources are highlighted, and
while there is a chapter on international research, the guide on the
whole is very much biased towards the US searcher and US-based
sources. A different weakness, from my point of view, is the lack of a clear index. It would have been helpful for it to be divided into
subject areas. The editing, too, seems to have been done in a hurry.
These points do not, however, detract from the usefulness of this book to anybody engaged in web searching, be they journalists, information professionals, lawyers, academics, business executives or students. Even the most experienced web searcher will find new sources and sound guidance in this book. It remains an essential tool that all internet searchers should keep within arm's reach of their computer.
Free Pint Reviewer:
Penny Crossland is a business researcher and information professional
with more than 20 years' experience of the search world. In 2000, she
started her own business research company, CH Business Research,
providing market and company research, as well as translation services to businesses. Prior to that she worked for a strategy consultancy as the manager of its information centre. She can be contacted at penny.crossland@chbusinessresearch.co.uk.
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