Information Sources and Searching on the World Wide Web

Citation

Meaden, K. (2002), "Information Sources and Searching on the World Wide Web", New Library World, Vol. 103 No. 4/5, pp. 184-184. https://doi.org/10.1108/nlw.2002.103.4_5.184.1

To be honest, my immediate reaction to seeing this text was “Oh, no! Not another guide to finding information on the Web!” There seem to have been so many published on this topic in the past couple of years that I doubted how unique this particular tome could be. I am pleased to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

First, the book attempts a broad coverage of the information services available, ranging from the traditional search engines, directories and gateways through to reference services and access to electronic journals. This instantly enhances its appeal to a wide range of audiences within the library and information community and, indeed, who is better placed to understand the needs of lecturers, students and information professionals than two university lecturers in information and library science?

Second, for each type of service, the authors provide a list of the main features of specific information sources, thereby enabling the reader to devise effective search strategies and techniques when using them. These lists also create an awareness of what is both available and possible. However, their comprehensiveness and length prevents them from acting as quick reference tools. In relation to building search strategies, it would have been of practical benefit if the features of the selected sources had been provided in a cross‐referential table to facilitate comparative analysis, but this is lacking.

The coverage is not intended to be comprehensive, focusing instead on selected information sources and services, and the inclusion of electronic journal and reference services is refreshing.

The second chapter is particularly useful for those new to search techniques, as it clearly explains features such as Boolean, truncation and proximity searches. In fact, the whole text is excellent at explaining what the services are, how they differ and how they are working so that the reader can appreciate how to use them effectively.

One of the main problems of writing a text on a dynamic field such as the Internet is that the information has altered by the time of publication. In the case of this particular book, many of the sources have already altered – Northern Light is now only available on subscription and the Argus Clearinghouse is no longer being maintained or updated. Furthermore, the EEVL gateway has experienced a radical redesign so the screen shots presented are no longer relevant.

This provides an excellent overview of selected information sources and services available on the Web – when to use them, their strengths and weaknesses, when they will be of most use and the techniques required to maximise their effectiveness. However, due to the format of the contents and the levels of explanation that are involved, I would consider this to be an academic text rather than a light read or a quick reference tool.