Researching on the Internet

• Know it's there: word of mouth, printed bibliographies as starting points
• Search: Web, ftp, and gopher resources
• Ask an expert: librarians, email, newsgroups, mailing lists
• Discuss it: Interactive services, newsgroups, mailing lists

• Contribute: share your findings, post summaries to groups, publish a webpage

• Know your topic before going online
• Know where and who to ask (internationally!)

• Email etiquette:
  • Know the syntax: RTFM ;-)
  • Use a short .sig
  • Don't spoof
  • Email is *private*
  • Know when to stop
  • Don't assume people have to answer your email... but try to answer relevant messages!
  • Don't reuse postings without permission
• Read the FAQs and the Dear Emily Postnews
• Double check the "To:" line!!
• "Give back" and share freely, help the "newbies"
• Be willing to forgive spelling errors, clarify misunderstandings, and ignore what you don't like
• Stay calm
• Always quote your sources

Evaluation

• Difficult to confirm findings
• Don't believe everything you read
• Know when to stop