The Information Specialist*s Guide to Searching and Researching on the Internet and the World Wide Web

The Internet and the World Wide Web have profound effects on the way we find information and do research - due to the increase in the amount of information provided by these facilities and the diversity of tools we have at our disposal for finding that information.

Ackermann (computer science, Mary Washington College, and author of numerous books pertaining to programming and the Internet) and Hartman (Simpson Library, Mary Washington College) refreshingly steer clear of the particulars of Internet technology in this straightforward treatise on searching and research. There is no mention of Java, CGI, or TCP/IP. Instead, the focus is on search engines, Boolean operators, web site evaluation, and Internet resource identification. Roughly half of each chapter consists of step-by-step exercises in defining and resolving a research problem. The authors stress techniques and principles but also indicate some of the best sites for seeking various kinds of information. The instruction occasionally flags, e.g., when it fails to explain the extremely exclusive nature of the Boolean NOT operator. More often, though, the text is thorough and reliable. The illustrations, Netscape Navigator 4 screen reproductions, are clear but often too tiny for comfortable reading. (Throughout the text, Navigator 4 is the assumed browser, with variations for version 3 and Internet Explorer 4 given when appropriate.) Useful appendixes, a glossary, and a chapter on citation styles round out an accessible and informative work. (Updates and previews are available at .) This guide is essentially a textbook that would be optimally used in a hands-on classroom setting by computer and Internet novices, but experienced Internet librarians will appreciate its detailed, methodical approach. Motivated students and public library patrons may also find it useful.ADean C. Rowan, Whittier P.L., CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.