CORC 1312
HW #5: Finding Information Online

Part I: About Searching the Web

1. Read the description onsubject directories to answer the following questions. In the discussion, two subject directories are compared, Yahoo! and Infomine.


1. How do Yahoo! and Infomine differ as subject directories?
2. Search for "search engines" in both directories.  Describe the differences in the results.  Which do you find more helpful?     
3. Now search for "Justin Timberlake" in both directories.  Describe the differences in the results.  How do you explain them?


2. Now read the description about search engines to assist in answering the following questions:
   1. List three search engines other than Google.
   2. Describe two types of information that is not easily found using a search engine, i.e. information in the"deep web".
   3. How do Google and Hakia differ in how they rank pages?
   4. Why should you be wary about high ranked search results? Further information on this topic is available here
   5. List two meta search engines.
   6. Use on of the meta search engines you listed above to search for the topic "children and violence on television". Also search the same topic in a general search engine like google. How do the listings differ?


3. The questions below investigate Boolean logic and search stragies.
   1. Using the Google search engine, search for "student AND plagiarism". How many links did Google find?
   2. Now search for "student OR plagiarism". How many links did Google find with OR?
   3. On the Google website search page, click "Advanced Search" (to the right of the textbox.) A keyword can be excluded by inserting it into the "any of these unwanted words" textbox. Type "plagiarism" into the first textbox and "student" into the excluded keyword textbox. Click the "Advanced Search" button. How many links were returned? Were any of them concerned with student plagiarism?
   4. On the same advanced search page at the Google website, click the menu "Date,usage rights, numeric range and more" at the bottom of the page. In the scroll down box, "Where your keywords show up", choose "in the title of the page." Search for "plagiarism -student" again. (The - sign can be used for NOT.) How many links are found now? Is the keyword plagiarism in every website URL, too?
   
   
4. Evaluating Search Results

   Look at the sites below, and evaluate whether or not you should believe the information presented. Some of these sites are reliable, but some are not. Explain your reasoning for believing the information or for being skeptical. If you are not sure, check Phil Bradley's fake websites.

   1. George Washington: A National Treasure: Washington's Life
   2. Martin Luther King Jr. - A True Historical Examination
      Compare the above site with this site. Which would you believe more?
   3. Secondhand Smoke: The Big Lie
   4. Walk to Fight Diabetes
   5. Cure for cancer
   6. Save the Northwest Tree Octopus

Part II: Plagiarism

1. What is plagiarism? Look here for a definition (Don't just cut and paste the answer! - Why not?!)
2. Why is it wrong to plagiarize?
3. How can a professor detect plagiarism?
4. What happens if a professor accuses a student at Brooklyn College of plagiarism?
   See the Brooklyn College procedures regarding academic integrity
5. Complete this online module and print out the certification of completion to submit to your instructor.

   For the next questions, look up the definitions of "copyright", "common knowledge", "public domain" and "fair use". You can find these terms explained in this site from Stanford University.

6. If a fact is considered "common knowledge" does a source have to be cited?
7. For each of the following, explain whether or not it is considered "common knowledge".
   1. There are fifty states in the US.
   2. Vegetables are a good source of vitamins.
   3. Eating blueberries can reduce memory loss.
   4. Left-handedness is more common in males than in females.
8. If some information is in the "public domain" does the source have to be cited?
9. Which of the following are in the public domain? Explain.
   1. the Bible
   2. the Bill of Rights
   3. the Encyclopedia Brittanica
   4. an article posted on the Web
10. Suppose you find a picture online and would like to copy it to put on your website. Explain which of the following is correct:
    1. If you found the picture on the Web, it is free and you may use it any way you like.
    2. If you found the picture on the Web, it is free, but you must acknowledge the source.
    3. If you found the picture on the Web, you may use it as long as you don't pretend that you created it yourself.
    4. If you found the picture on the Web, you must have permission from the source to use it.