I have been a long time updating my blog due to the term break. Now I have come back and I want to share my experience of searching the invisible web, which is what I have learnt in my EIR class Practical 6.
Invisible Web (Databases)
Invisible Web (Databases) is actually one kind of Internet search facility, which includes search engines, Meta search engines and subject directories. It is authoritative information available via the World Wide Web of a high quality. Invisible Web is often an organizational website and it has the information stored in the form of data, as the name “Databases” suggests.
When I did my research topic, I used the Internet search facilities, as I learnt in EIR class, search engine and Meta search engines. The Meta search engine actually can search information among general-purpose search engines, meaning that Meta search engine filters the information for me. I found it very useful for my research topic. During this Practical class, I learnt another fantastic Internet search facility-- the Invisible Web, which I found more useful than the other two search facilities sometimes. This Invisible Web cannot be searched by search engines, not even Meta search engines according to information on Ms. Faridah’s brief and later I found it to be true.
1st DatabaseàEBSCOhost Databases
I followed the instruction on the Practical 6 and I went to TP’s Digital Library first. Then I found Specialist Resources as expected. I chose EBSCOhost Databases under Journal & Magazine Articles. Since I needed to enter user’s name and password, this Database is not open to anyone else but certain group of people. In this case, TP’s Digital Library is open for Temasek Polytechnic’s students and stuff. I clicked on “Find journal articles” and the portal appears.
EBSCOhost Databases allows me to type the search topic in Boolean operators, which is what I have learnt in Practical 3. (You see, I remembered when and what I have learnt for EIR.JJJ) Other Internet search facilities also have this Boolean operator function, but Invisible Web is slightly different in this function. The fraction of Boolean operator can be limited in particular fields.
This limitation makes the search results accurate, narrowing down my search results. When the results come out, I can see that the results are numbered. The relevancy is marked at the bottom of each result. Some of the key words which I typed in the search bar are highlighted in the text extraction.
When I clicked on the title of the result, I get all the detailed information about the resource. The TP’s Digital Library offers the “subject terms” and “author-supplied keywords”, which tells me which category this article belongs to. Also, the same key words as I typed in the searching box are highlighted to show me the relevance. The images are contained in the results and I can easily access them via clicking the images. Then the enlarged image is shown and all the details are listed below the image.
Some results allow me to see the PDF of the full text. On the left side of the PDF result, the source where the result comes from and the date are provided, making the results reliable. We can download the PDF if we want. Besides that, we can go back to the previous search results by just clicking on “Results List”.
The PDF is really a full version because I can get the information in other chapters in this journal or article. All these features show that EBSCOhost Databases can provide me credible information and if I am going to collect reliable information which matches my research topic very well, I can try this third Internet Search Facilities—Invisible Web.
However, every coin has two sides. This EBSCOhost Databases is not that perfect in all aspects. One case is that, it cannot provide all PDF full text for all results. I cannot find the “PDF full text” icon beside the results. The results only show the text extraction. Maybe we need to purchase for a full version.
2nd DatabaseàScienceDirect
Then I go to choose ScienceDirect as my second Databases.
ScienceDirect allows me to browse by titles or subjects.
The coverage is divided into details, enabling the users to search information step by step.
I just typed my research topic in the research box and the list of results comes out. However, at first glance, most of the articles found need me to purchase the full version; otherwise, I can only see the extraction, which is not enough for my research. But for the free resource, the quality is quite good. Data and images are included and the organization is logical. The first three parts are introduction followed by data and then findings. This arrangement is what I have learnt in Writing & Oral Presentation class during my first semester of year 1. That is why I approve of this arrangement of the resource. I can access the PDF format as well by clicking on the PDF icon at the top of the website.
This row of navigation shown above always remains at top of the website even if I scroll down. If I am going to use the navigation icon, I do not need to scrool up all the way to go back to the top of the article.
E-Book
Following the instructions, I went to use the e-book in Temasek Polytechnic’s Digital Library. I entered in my research topic in the searching box.
The image above is shown after I have entered my research topic. The website actually analyzed all the results and told me the number of hits of each word. Since my research topic is “Impact of smoking on Youths”, my focus was more on “smoking” compared to the other four words listed in the results shown on the screen shot above. As a result, I chose “smoking”. After that, all the results come out. The presentation of the results pleased me. You can see the image below and see whether this kind of presentation makes you feel comfortable.
81 results have been found for me and this is a large quantity of information. But e-book can sort the results in different ways, namely by title, author, year, format and call number. This makes the results very clear. All the results given are books on the topic and I am free to read any one.
Then I found one result which matched my research topic. I clicked on the title and all the details about the book are displayed in the next second. The most interesting thing is that, an “Additional Details” is given for our references. The additional details are the summary of the whole book. This feature really saves me time because I do not need to read out the whole book and figure out whether this book is suitable or not.
Just by clicking on the link I highlighted in the image above, I am able to get the electrical version of this book. Easy enough!! Exactly!! When the whole content of the book is displayed on the screen, I felt that e-book was amazing. I do not need to go to book shop and purchase it. By just entering key words and picking out the result I like, I get everything.
Conlusion
I prefer invisible web to search engines, meta-search engines and subject directories. As I described previously, the invisible web can give me more accurate information, which is what I need exactly. Even though meta-search engine can also filter information from all the results obtained from the search engines, it cannot search information from invisible web. In other words, meta-search engine cannot obtain information from invisible web.
For my research topic, I may like to use EBSCOhost Databases because I can find the material I like and support my research. The image below is a screen shot of the material I think is good for my research topic.
After I have learnt of invisible web, I think databases are what I am going to use in my future study because invisible web can give me the reliable and detailed information. In this way, my report can be persuasive if I take information from invisible web.
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