UNIT 4

SEARCH AND EVALUATE INFORMATION OVER THE INTERNET

Unit Overview
In the previous unit, you used the browser and surfed the web by configuring different
settings as
per your needs. Now it is time to use search engines and search for and evaluate
information. This
comprehensive unit aims to empower students with the skills needed to navigate the
vast landscape of online information, ensuring they can search effectively, critically
evaluate sources, and navigate legal and ethical considerations in the digital realm.
Key Terms: Search Engines, Search Strategies, advanced search features,
CRAAP, Copyright

4.1. Search Information

Discussion
"Search for Information" refers to the process of actively seeking and retrieving
specific data, facts,or knowledge from various sources, often utilizing search engines
or databases. This can be donefor a variety of purposes, such as academic research,
professional projects, or personal curiosity. The key steps in a search for information
typically include formularyting a clear query or question, using appropriate search
tools, evaluating search results, and extracting relevant information to meet the
intended purpose.
Navigating the sea of information requires more than just typing keywords. In the
context of web
browsing, "Search for Information" often involves using search engines like Google,
Bing, or
Yahoo to locate relevant web pages, articles, or resources related to a particular topic.
Users input keywords or phrases into the search bar, and the search engine returns a
list of results ranked by relevance. Effective searching requires refining queries,
understanding search operators, and critically evaluating the credibility and reliability
of the information obtained. It is a fundamental skill in the digital age for accessing
and utilizing the vast amount of information available on the internet. In this section,
you will delve into the fundamentals of accessing information on the internet.
4.1.1 Search Engines and Their Functions
A search engine is a software system embedded in a website that is used to search
for information on the World Wide Web. They are powerful tools that enable users to
find information on the Internet quickly and efficiently. They index millions of web
pages and provide results based on the relevance to the user's query. Understanding
how search engines work and their functions is essential for navigating the vast
amount of information available online. The search results are generally presented in
a line of results, often referred to as search engine results pages (SERPs).
The information may be a mix of web pages, images, videos, info graphics, articles,
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research
papers, and other types of files. The information may be a mix of web pages, images,
videos,
info graphics, articles, research papers, and other types of files.
Popular Search Engines
Several search engines are widely used around the world, each with unique features:
Google: The most widely used search engine, known for its speed, relevance, and
comprehensive index.
Google also offers various tools like Google Images, Google Maps,and Google Scholar.
• Bing: Microsoft's search engine, which integrates well with Windows and Microsoft
services. Bing offers unique features like image search, video search, and integration
with
Microsoft Office.
• Yahoo: Provides a variety of services including search, news, email, and more.
Yahoo
search is powered by Bing.
• DuckDuckGo: Focuses on user privacy and does not track search activity, making it
a
popular choice for those concerned with privacy.
Key Functions of Search Engines
• Keyword Search: Users type in words or phrases (keywords) to find relevant web
pages.
• Advanced Search: Offers options to refine search queries with filters for date,
language, region, and more.
• Image and Video Search: Allows users to find images and videos related to their
queries.
• Voice Search: Enables users to perform searches using voice commands, which is
especially useful on mobile devices.
• Local Search: Helps users find businesses, services, and points of interest in their
local area.
The Role of Search Engines in Web Development
For web developers, understanding how search engines work is crucial for optimizing
websites to
achieve higher rankings in search results. This process, known as Search Engine
Optimization
(SEO), involves:
• Keyword Research: Identifying the keywords that potential visitors use to find
related
content.
• On-Page SEO: Optimizing the content and structure of the website to be search-
engine
friendly. This includes using proper HTML tags, meta descriptions, and alt text for
images.
• Off-Page SEO: Building backlinks from other reputable sites to improve the

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website’s
authority and ranking.
• Technical SEO: Ensuring that the website is accessible to crawlers, loads quickly,
and is
mobile-friendly.
By leveraging these techniques, web developers can enhance their site’s visibility,
attract more
visitors, and achieve their online goals.

Search strategy is the action plan which is drawn to conduct a search. It encompasses
several steps
and levels of work in information retrieval. There are many issues that need to be
considered while
formulating an appropriate search statement. These are:

i. the concepts or facets to be searched and their order;

ii. the term(s) that appropriately represent(s) the search concept;
iii. the feature(s) of the retrieval system concerned; and
iv. the measures to be taken in revising a search statement.

Developing a good search strategy requires knowledge about the nature and
organization of target
database(s) and also the exact needs of the user. Knowledge of the user's exact
requirement can
greatly affect the actual search and retrieval process. In some cases, the user may
want only a few
relevant items on a given topic, in which case the task of searching will obviously be
limited.
Conversely, the user may wish to obtain all the relevant items (obviously with as
small a number
of non-relevant items as possible), in which case the search must be exhaustive. The
search results
that a given search will generate is largely dependent on the search word or phrase
used. Different
techniques are available to conduct searches effectively so that maximum relevant
information are
retrieved according to users need. The more exact you can be in your choice of
word(s) the more

accurate the search results. Google, as the world's leading search engine, offers a
range of
searching strategies and techniques to help users find relevant information. For web
developers
and students, mastering these techniques can significantly enhance research
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capabilities and
productivity. Here are some common strategies and techniques:
1. Basic Search: A search can be conducted by entering a single search term or a
phrase
comprising more than one term. Keyword search is the simplest form of search,
facility offered
by a search system. Basic searches involve entering a few keywords or phrases
related to the
topic you're interested in. Google then returns results that include web pages
containing those
keywords. For example, you can search for "Cheese cake recipe" to find recipes for
makingcheese cake.

2. Exact Match Search: An exact match search is a technique used to find results
that contain
the exact phrase or terms specified in the search query. By using quotation marks
around a
phrase or set of words, Google will return only those results that contain the precise
sequence
of words in the same order as typed. This method is particularly useful when looking
for
specific phrases, names, quotes, or any exact string of text. For example, if you are
searching
for information on "responsive web design," you would type:

Then, Google will return results that contain the exact phrase "responsive web
design" in that
order, ensuring more relevant and precise matches.

This technique is particularly useful for locating specific phrases, quotes, names, and product
information,
making your search process more efficient and effective.
3. Boolean Search: This is a very common search technique that combines search
terms
according to the Boolean logic. Three types of Boolean search are possible: AND
search, OR
search and NOT search.
A. Boolean AND search: allows users to combine two or more search terms using
the Boolean
AND operator. A Boolean AND search will retrieve all those items where all the
constituent
terms occur. For example, the following search expression "Internet and WWW" will
retrieve
all those records where both the terms occur. Boolean AND search adds more
restrictions to a

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search expression by adding more search terms. Therefore, the more search terms
are ANDed,.
the more restricted, or specific, will be the search, and as a result the less will be the
search
output. Sometime, a search may not produce any result if too many search terms are
ANDed.
For example, "HTML AND CSS" will show results containing both HTML and CSS.

B. Boolean OR search: allows users to combine two or more search terms such that
the system
retrieves all those items that contain either one or all of the constituent terms. Thus,
the
following search expression "Colleges or Universities" will retrieve all those records
(1) where
the term Colleges occurs, (2) where the term Universities occurs, and (3) where both
the terms
occur. Note that this is contrary to the use of the term 'or' in normal English. Boolean
OR
search; though adds more terms to a search expression, adds less restrictions to a
given search
expression, because the search is conducted for occurrence of each single ORed term
irrespective of whether the other term(s) occurs or not. Consequently, the output of
ORsearches will be more. When too many search terms are ORed, the search output
may be too
big to handle.
For example, "JavaScript OR Python OR C++" will show results containing either
JavaScript or
Python or C++.

C. Boolean NOT: Excludes results containing the specified term. search allows users
to specify
those terms that they do not want to occur in the retrieved records. For example, the
following
search expression "Search engines NOT Hotbot" will retrieve all the records on search
engines
except those where the term 'Hotbot' occurs. Boolean NOT searches add restrictions
to a search
by forcing the search system to discard those items were the NOT term(s) occur.
Hence the
search output will decrease with increase in the NOT terms.
For example, "JavaScript NOT Java" will show results about JavaScript but exclude
those about
Java.

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4. Site Search: To search within a specific website, use the "site:" operator.
Example: Searching for "CSS Grid site:w3schools.com" will return results about
CSSGrid specifically from w3schools.com

5. Wildcards (*) search: Using an asterisk (*) as a placeholder for any word or part
of a word.
Google allows the use of asterisks (*) as placeholders for missing words.
For example, searching for "web * design" will return results for web development
design,
web graphic design, web responsive design, etc.

6. File Type Search: Using the filetype: operator to search for specific types of files.
Example: Searching for "HTML5 cheat sheet filetype:pdf" will return PDF files related
to
HTML5 cheat sheets.

9. Definitions: To get a definition of a word or term, simply type "define:" followed

by the word.
For Example, "define:onomatopoeia" will provide the definition of that word.

4.1.1.1. Refine a search using advanced search features

Google's Advanced Search Options provide a powerful way to refine and customize
your searches,
enabling you to find more specific and relevant information. These options allow you
to narrow
down your search results based on various criteria. When you have carried out a
search using the
Google search engine, it is possible to refine your results using advanced search
features like: Date,
Media types, Language, Usage rights. Here's a description of the key Advanced
Search Options:
• Exact Words: Find results that include an exact phrase enclosed in quotation
marks. This
ensures that search results match the phrase precisely.
• Exclude Words: Exclude specific terms from your search to filter out irrelevant
results.
• Site or Domain: Search for content within a specific website or domain by using
the "Site
or domain" field. This is useful when you want to find information from a particular
source.
• File Type: Specify a file type, such as PDF, to search for documents in that format.
This
is helpful when looking for specific types of files.
• Usage Rights: Filter results based on usage rights, which helps you find content
that can
be reused, modified, or shared commercially. This is useful for content creators or
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educators.
• Region: Narrow your search results to a specific region or country to find
information relevant to a particular location.
• Last Update: Choose a time frame (e.g., past day, past week, past month) to find
content
that has been updated recently.
• SafeSearch: Activate SafeSearch to filter out explicit or adult content from search
results,
making your search experience more family-friendly.
• Language: Specify the language in which you want your search results to appear

These features can help pinpoint a closer match to what you are searching for. For
example:
• you may only want to find information from the last month, so you may refine your
search by date.
• Or you may only want to find videos or images that have a creative commons
license.
In this case you may refine your search by media type and usage rights.
• Or you may want to find results only in a specific language. In this case you may
refine
your search by language. By default, results are returned in the default language set
for Google Chrome.

4.1.1.2. Reverse Image Search

Google Reverse Image Search is a feature provided by Google that allows users to
search for
information, related images, and sources using an image as the search query instead
of text. This
tool is valuable for discovering more about a particular image, identifying its source,
finding
visually similar images, and exploring web pages where the image appears. Google's
Reverse

Image Search uses advanced algorithms to analyze the content of the uploaded
image and retrieve
relevant information.
Key Use Cases for Google Reverse Image Search:
• Verifying Image Authenticity: Check if an image has been edited or manipulated
by
comparing it with the original or other versions online.
• Identifying Sources and Attribution: Find the original source of an image to
provide
proper attribution or credit, especially for creative works.
• Researching Products or Objects: Use reverse image search to identify objects,
products,

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landmarks, or artworks within an image.
• Detecting Fake Profiles or Scams: Verify the authenticity of profile pictures on
social
media or dating platforms to identify potential scams or fake accounts.
• Locating Higher-Resolution Versions: Find higher-resolution versions of images
for
various purposes, such as printing or design projects.
Google Reverse Image Search is a versatile tool that empowers users to delve deeper
into the
content and context of images found online. It is particularly useful for fact-checking,
image
verification, and obtaining more information about visual content.

4.2. Critical Evaluation

Discussion
In the digital age, it's essential to critically evaluate online information to ensure its
accuracy,
reliability, and credibility. When you start searching for suitable resources, you will
want to select
resources that improve your knowledge and your learning experiences. And you will
want to select
accurate and reliable content.
However, selecting appropriate resources can sometimes seem overwhelming. There
are so manyoptions to
choose from and so many decisions to make about their suitability. And knowing
whencontent is accurate
and from a reliable source, especially when searching online, isn’t always
straightforward.
There are many sites, blogs and social media posts that aim to share inaccurate
information to
mislead people, either to further a political or religious agenda or for financial gain.
There are hoax
sites and “Fake news” sites and posts that are written as though they are factual and
true but they
are actually fabricated. There are also sites and posts that use misinformation and
inaccuracies to
promote radical ideologies or to support a particular point of view. It is important for
students to
always critically evaluate online content to make sure that it is from a reliable source
and can be
trusted. In order to select suitable, effective and trustworthy resources, you should
always critically
evaluate resources using A well-defined set of evaluation criteria.
4.2.1. Source Credibility Assessment
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Users must critically evaluate the credibility of online sources. Understand the criteria
for
assessing reliability, bias, and expertise. Evaluating is about determining and
assessing the quality
and credibility of the information you find. It encourages you to think critically about
the
reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, point of view or bias of information
sources.
There are certain frameworks that information professionals have put together to help
people think
critically about the information provided. One of them and a highly used framework is
the CRAAP
framework.
The CRAAP framework is a set of criteria designed to help individuals evaluate
information
sources for their credibility, reliability, and relevance. The acronym "CRAAP" stands
for
Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose. Let's delve into each
component in detail: Currency:
Definition: Refers to the timeliness of the information, i.e., how recent it is.
Questions to Ask:
• When was the information published or last updated?

•
Relevance Is the information still current and applicable to the topic?
:
Definition: Focuses on the importance of the information in relation to your research
or
information needs.
Questions to Ask:
• Does the information relate to your topic or research question?
•Authority
Is it suitable for your academic or informational purposes?
:
Definition: Examines the source's credibility and the qualifications of the author or
organization providing the information.
Questions to Ask:
• Who is the author, and what are their credentials or qualifications?
• Is the author affiliated with a reputable institution or organization?
Accuracy:
Definition: Assesses the reliability and truthfulness of the information.
Questions to Ask:
• Are the facts and claims supported by evidence or citations?
• Can the information be verified through other reputable sources?
Purpose:

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Definition: Explores the intent behind the information, whether it is to inform,
persuade,
entertain, or sell a product.
Questions to Ask:
• What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, entertain, or persuade?
• Is there potential bias or a conflict of interest?
Applying the CRAAP framework involves considering each of these criteria when
evaluating a
source. It helps individuals develop a comprehensive understanding of the
information's qualityand reliability. Keep in mind that the importance of each criterion
may vary depending on the
context of your research or information needs. This framework is commonly used in
academic
settings to guide students and researchers in critically evaluating sources before
incorporating them
into their work.

4.3. Copyright and Data Protection

There are a vast number of digital resources online that you can use. However, there
are rules and
responsibilities when using online resources. These rules apply to anyone using online
resources
including students, teachers, researchers, leaders, and managers so ensure that they
know their
responsibilities as well. In the digital age, understanding copyright and data
protection is crucial,
especially for web developers. These concepts not only protect creators and their
work but also
safeguard personal data and privacy. As web developers, it’s essential to be aware of
these laws
and regulations to create ethical and secure websites.
4.3.1. Copyright Laws in the Digital World
Copyright laws are designed to protect the rights of creators by giving them control
over how their
work is used. In the digital world, these laws apply to various forms of media,
including text,
images, music, and videos. For web developers, respecting copyright is vital to avoid
legal issues
and to maintain the integrity of their work.
Copyright grants the creator of original work exclusive rights to its use and
distribution. This
applies to literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, as well as sound recordings,
films, and

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broad casts. In the context of web development, this means that any content you use
on a website,
from images and music to code snippets and text, must either be original, properly
licensed, or
used with permission.
The digital world makes it easy to share and copy content, which can lead to
unintentional
copyright infringement. For example, using a photo found on the internet without
permission or
proper attribution can lead to legal consequences. Web developers must ensure that
all assets used
in a website are either created by them, licensed for their use, or available under a
Creative
Commons license. Additionally, understanding the duration of copyright, typically the
creator’s
lifetime plus 70 years, helps in knowing when works enter the public domain and can
be used
freely.
Infringement of copyright can result in significant penalties, including fines and legal
actions. To
avoid these issues, always obtain the necessary permissions or licenses for the
content you use.
For instance, if you’re using a piece of music on your website, ensure it is either
royalty-free or
you have the appropriate license. Using tools like Google’s "Usage Rights" search
filter or
websites that offer free-to-use or licensed content can help in finding legally usable
materials.
4.3.2. Data Protection rights and obligations
Data protection laws are designed to safeguard individuals' personal information from
misuse and
unauthorized access. These laws outline the rights of individuals regarding their data
and the
obligations of organizations that collect and process this data. For web developers,
understanding
and implementing these laws is crucial to build trust with users and ensure
compliance with legal
standards.
Personal data includes any information that can identify an individual, such as names,
addresses,
email addresses, and social security numbers. Data protection laws like the General
Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer
Privacy Act
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(CCPA) in the United States give individuals control over their personal data. These
laws grant
rights such as access to personal data, the right to rectify incorrect data, the right to
have data
erased, and the right to data portability.
For web developers, this means implementing features that allow users to exercise
these rights.
For instance, providing a user-friendly interface where users can update their
personal informationor request the deletion of their account is essential. Moreover,
developers need to implement robust security measures to protect personal data
from breaches. This includes using encryption, secure protocols like HTTPS, and
regularly updating software to fix vulnerabilities.
Data controllers, typically the organizations that own the websites, have specific
obligations under data protection laws. They must ensure that personal data is
collected for legitimate purposes, kept secure, and not retained longer than
necessary. For example, a web developer working on an ecommerce site must ensure
that customers' payment details are securely processed and stored, complying with
PCI DSS standards.
Regular data protection audits and impact assessments can help in identifying
potential risks and
ensuring compliance. Training for all team members on data protection principles and
best
practices is also crucial. Informing users about how their data is collected, used, and
protected
through clear privacy policies helps build trust and transparency.
In summary, understanding and adhering to copyright and data protection laws is
essential for web developers. These principles not only protect creators and
individuals but also promote ethical practices and trust in the digital world. By
respecting copyright and safeguarding personal data, web developers can create
secure, compliant, and trustworthy websites.

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