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Section: Introduction

Introduction

Welcome to the Web Research Tutorial.  This online tutorial is designed to help you learn more about using the publicly-accessible web for research, and thereby help you excel in your courses. This tutorial guides you through:

  • an overview of the world wide web and web browsers, what they do and how they work
  • the types of information available on the world wide web, particularly stuff that is freely available
  • different types of search tools and the best ones to use for particular information needs
  • efficient and advanced search techniques
  • the critical evaluation and documentation of results for incorporation into your course essays and projects.

The tutorial includes a self-test at the end allowing you to gauge how well you understand issues related to using the publicly-accessible web for research purposes.


Please note: This tutorial discusses briefly, but does not focus on, the Invisible Web which includes a) databases mounted on the publicly-accessible web and b) the subscription-based web. To help gain all the research skills you need, including the use of printed sources and the Invisible Web, this tutorial is best used in conjunction with the other York online tutorials available at http://www.yorku.ca/tutorial/index.html, and at http://www.library.yorku.ca/ (under "HELP with RESEARCH" click on "Tutorials and guides").

Getting Started

Please check first the technical requirements for your computer.

Read carefully each web page, and follow the "Ready to move on?" links sequentially through the pages. Sometimes you will be directed to a new page in a new window. Once you have studied the page, close the window to return to the tutorial.

arrow Ready to move one? Go to Introduction to the Browser and the Web

 

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada License.  York University Libraries & Foundations Computer Assistance Program, York University, Toronto, ON Canada M3J 1P3.

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