Conducting Simple Searches of the Web

Authors & Contributors

You can search for information on the Web in much the same way that you can search a database or online library catalog. But searching is not the only way to locate information on the Web -- nor is it always the most appropriate. In some cases, the best way to locate information is to browse the Web.

Browsing the Web is, in principle, similar to browsing the shelves of a library. In a library, books and other materials are organized so that related sources are located in the same general area. Once you locate a book or magazine that is relevant to your research question, you can usually count on finding dozens, even hundreds, of other books or magazines on the same topic.

The distinguishing characteristic of the World Wide Web is the links among related Web pages. If you locate a Web site that is relevant to your research question, you can usually follow links from that site to related sites. That is, you can browse the Web.

Browsing can be a time consuming, but potentially rewarding experience. Just as browsing the shelves of your library can result in locating materials you might not have found in any other way, browsing the Web can lead you to information that you might not have found using standard search strategies.