Heart-Healthy and Stroke-Free: A Social Environment Handbook

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Chapter Nine: Practical Methods—Searching the Internet

Chapters Introduction Chapter 1: Getting Started Chapter 2: Preventive and Medical Services Chapter 3: Heart-Healthy Living Chapter 4: Quality of Life Chapter 5: Direct Observations and Windshield Surveys Chapter 6: Photography and Videography Chapter 7: Key Informant Interviews Chapter 8: Library Resources and Newspapers Chapter 9: Searching the Internet Chapter 10: Worksheets Chapter 11: Heart Disease and Stroke Resources

Internet searches and downloads are inexpensive ways to collect qualitative and quantitative data from carefully selected sources. Most libraries can provide access to a computer, and librarians will be able to help you conduct searches and download information from the Internet. See Library Resources and Newspapers in Chapter 8 for more information.

What You Need to Know About Internet Domains

Every Web site on the Internet belongs to a specific “domain.” Internet domains were established to let users know what type of institution or organization is behind a Web site. The table (facing page) provides a brief list of the most popular current domain names and their extensions; however, remember that domain names and purposes may change. The first three domains listed are most typical sources of information and are accessible by anyone. The .gov domain is reserved specifically for government entities. Certain areas of Web sites on all domains may be restricted.

Getting Started on Your Search

Once you select specific questions, you can choose a “search engine” to conduct the search.

Conducting an Internet search is not always easy and you may have to do many different kinds of searches. These searches may also need to be conducted in multiple search engines to obtain the information you are seeking. See the sample search information at the end of this chapter.

Selecting a Search Engine

Several types of search engines are available (see box); each conducts its search differently. A search engine is a virtual database from which the information you are requesting is retrieved. Some search engines search multiple databases. We recommend that you determine how each search engine conducts a search for the requested information. This information is available for each search engine and is typically listed under the “about us” or “help” section of the search engine you are using.

Once the search engine has finished the search, a list of hyperlinks will be displayed on the screen for the sites found. A hyperlink is the method by which the Internet connects you to the Web page you have found using the search engine.

Internet Search Engines

• Google.com

• Altavista.com

• Dogpile.com

• Excite.com

• Yahoo.com

• Lycos.com

 
*Links to non–Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at this link.
 

Search Techniques

There is no one best way to begin or conduct an Internet search, so it is important to know specifically what you are looking for. Most search engines allow you to search by keyword or phrase, or conduct a Boolean search.

Searching by keyword is probably the most common. To search by a specific phrase, place the entire phrase in closed quotation marks. For example, if you would like to search for community health program, type in “community health program” in the search engine and press enter. The search engine will then narrow its search to that specific phrase, rather than all documents containing the words “community,” “health,” and “program.” Boolean searches allow you to use terms such as AND, OR, and NOT with your keywords to conduct more targeted searches.

See the table below for results obtained using these three methods in a search engine. The differences in results between search methods may be vast; however, it is important to remember that if you were to conduct the same search days, weeks, or months from an initial search, you would probably obtain very different results, regardless of which search engine you use. Therefore, even if one search engine does not find the information you were looking for, return to the search engine later because you may eventually find what you need.

Sample Search

First, select a phrase such as heart disease and a search engine such as Google. Next, if the search results are too broad, you may need to adjust search criteria. For example, if you want information on heart disease, but want more specific information on women you may want to conduct a Boolean search by entering the words women and heart disease. This type of search will give you a whole new set of Web sites to examine. In addition, you may conduct an advanced search as shown in which you can use the drop–down menus to limit the search. For example, you can select only Web sites that have been updated within the last 3 months, or those that have the terms you are searching for anywhere on the page, or even in a specified file format. Using the advanced search can help narrow the results, but don’t narrow your search so much that you potentially exclude useful information.

Web Site Evaluation

Document quality varies widely on the Internet. It is important to thoroughly evaluate the content as well as the source of information obtained from your searches. The table below lists several valuable points to keep in mind when evaluating Web information. This list can help you determine if the information you have found is reliable.

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Date last reviewed: 07/09/2007
Content source: Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion