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ILR 260 - Information Literacy Resources

Deep Web or Invisible Web

Less than 10% of the Web is indexed by search engines such as Google and Bing.  The remaining 90% is what we call the Deep Web or the Invisible Web.  Because of licensing and fee structures, most of the content in the Library databases is part of the Invisible Web.
 

Image of the Deep Web

Using Web Resources Effectively

Internet Sites

Don't be afraid to use the great resources available to you on the Internet!

  • Government Agencies provide a wealth of free information including reports and statistics. .Look for URLs that end in .gov
  • Professional Associations and Organizations provide resources for members.  Some resources may be free for non-members. Look for URLs that end in .org
  • Educational Institutions provide resources to help students with their assignments. Look for URLs that end in .edu

Reliability

The Internet is an important tool, but you need to remember:

  • Anyone can develop a website on any topic they choose; creativity does not equal authority 
  • Internet does not have standards for publishing, a review process to check for accuracy, or prompts for removing outdated information.

Internet Domains

When evaluating a website, consider the site's URL (Uniform Resource Locator), a protocol for specifying addresses on the Internet.  The URL can tell you several things about the website:  creator, audience, purpose, and sometimes country of origin.

Common Domains in the United States:

.com      Commercial
.net      Network
.k12.[state].us      K-12 Education
.edu      Higher Education
.mil         Military
.gov      Government
.org         Nonprofit

 

Source: URL & What It Can Tell You, Upstate University of South Carolina Library

Wikipedia, created in 2001, is an excellent place to begin brainstorming on topics.

Wikipedia LogoIt is an online collaborative encyclopedia in which anyone may create or edit content.  Users need to be aware that articles may be temporarily compromised.  New articles may not be as comprehensive or thorough as older articles, and they may contain misinformation or be subject to vandalism.  Studies show that overall reliability of entries is as good or better than other general encyclopedias such as Britannica. 

Remember that in academic writing, it is important to cite primary or secondary sources from scholarly literature, not tertiary sources such as general encyclopedias.  It is your responsibility to locate, verify, and use the original sources when available.

Source: Wikipedia: 5 Pillars
Image Credit: Wikipedia