CCIT4085

Database Search vs. Open Web

Information ▪ Accessing Information

Technology ▪ Library-subscribed databases vs. Search engines

Fundamentals
▪ 4 Principles for effective searches

▪ Open Web

▪ Evaluation of web contents

▪ Search engine evaluators and optimization

2.1 Database Search vs. Open Web

Library-Subscribed Databases
Accessing Information vs. Search Engines
❑ Information Access - the freedom or ability to identify, obtain and  Search Engines search the entire world wide web:
make use of data or information effectively. • A sea of entertainment, news, social networking and information of all kinds.
• E.g. Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.
❑ The objective is to simplify and make it more effective for human
users to access and further process large and unwieldy amounts
of data and information.
 The Library Databases are made especially for college-level
❑ Being able to search and obtain useful and relevant information research
is a competitive edge for organizations as well as individuals ▪ Search collections of journals, magazines, newspapers, e-books,
etc. -- often focused on a particular subject.
▪ Quick full-text access to hundreds of thousands of subscription-only
journals and e-books.

1. Choose effective search

Searching Library- terms (keywords)
Subscribed Databases  Be clear about your topic and think carefully about what
information you are trying to find.
A few basic principles will help you find the information you want  Consider:
from the many online resources, e-journals and databases to which
▪ All the possible words or phrases which describe your topic. For example:
the Library provides access. 'teenagers', 'young people', 'adolescents', 'youth'.
1. Choose effective search terms (keywords) ▪ Alternative spellings. For example: search for 'color' as well as 'colour’.
▪ Alternative terminology: search for 'sidewalk' as well as 'pavement’, ‘PC
2. Use Boolean operators (e.g. OR, AND, NOT) as well as ‘Computer’, etc.
▪ Variations in word endings. For example: 'nurse', 'nurses', 'nursing’.
3. Use truncation (e.g. *)
▪ Acronyms: search for 'television' as well as 'TV’.
4. Use the thesaurus 同義詞 (e.g. quick -> fast, impolite -> rude) ▪ Do not use long descriptive phrases which would only find references
with that exact phrase.
▪ Try searching on the author’s name for other related work and follow up
on bibliographic references.

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2. Use Boolean operators Exercise
 Using basic Boolean operators such as AND, OR and NOT, can ▪ What is the Boolean operation that gives the following result?
help link concepts and search terms.

 Which of the following represent results of

➢ X AND Y,
➢ X OR Y,
➢ X AND NOT Y? X Y

X Y X Y X Y

???
??? ??? ???
??? Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symmetric_difference

3. Use truncation 4. Use the thesaurus

 Search terms may have variant endings, for example: nurse,  Many databases use a thesaurus (a controlled vocabulary of
nurses, nursing. terms or subject headings), to ensure that all items on a
particular topic have standard search terms (or keywords)
assigned to them.
 If all search terms are relevant, use a truncation symbol to find
results containing all variations of a word.
 E.g. The thesaurus of ‘computer’ include:
• Searching for 'nurs*' will find nurse, nurses, nursed, nursing, nursery.
• Most relevant: CPU, PC, abacus, analog, brain, calculator, clone, laptop,
mac, mainframe, microcomputer, mini, minicomputer
 Common truncation symbols are: $ * ? # • Less relevant: adding machine, artificial intelligence, data processor,
digital, electronic brain, micro, number cruncher, personal computer,
thinking machine

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 Use Google Scholar to find e-journal articles, material from institutional 1. The Library Databases are made for all internet users.
repositories and book chapters from many different sources. The
benefit of using Google Scholar is that you can search for scholarly
literature, across disciplines and formats, from a single screen.
• In addition to Library resources, Google Scholar can be a good starting
point for your research as it will give you an overview of what published
material exists on your topic.

 Google Books provides access to millions of scanned books. You can

read selected chapters of some titles and the full text of others.
▪ Google Books can give you the opportunity to find out if a book is useful to
you before going to the Library, or purchasing the title. If you’re lucky, you
may find that the chapter you need is available to read online for free.

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2. Which of the following can help searching

3. Which of the following is a common
for all variations of a keyword?
Boolean operator used for searching?
A. $
A. *
B. ?
B. NOT
C. *
C. ?
D. #
D. None of the above

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are public and viewable by everyone and others that are
li de private. See surface Web and deep Web.
(2) The countries that do not restrict their citizens from viewing
content on the Web.

4. ____ can be used to find e-journal articles?  Encompasses:

• Technical concepts like open-source code and open standards;
and also
• Democratic concepts like free expression and digital inclusion.
A. Google Books
 An open web is a web by and for all its users, not select
B. Google Scholar gatekeepers or governments.

C. Google Chrome  The ability to openly do three kinds of things:

1. publish content and applications on the web in open standards
D. Google Maps 2. code and implement the web standards that content/apps
depend on
3. access and use content / code / web-apps / implementations

1. Publishing content and 2. Coding and implementing

applications web standards

This ability to openly publish depends on a few things: Web standards that are:

 Open formats for freely publishing what you write, photograph,

video and otherwise create, author, or code (e.g. HTML, CSS,  Openly documented, in this day and age, on the web itself.
Javascript, JPEG, PNG, Ogg, WebM etc.).
 Freely accessible. there should be no charge to view a web
 Domain name registrars and web hosting services that, like standards specification.
phone companies, don't judge your content.
 Unencumbered ( 不 受 妨 礙 的 ) by patents, either patent-free, or
 Cheap internet access that doesn't discriminate based on available under unconditional royalty free licenses.
domains

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 Evaluation of Web Contents
3. Access to content and
applications on the web 6 Criteria for evaluating web contents, other than graphics and site design:

1. Authority - reveals that the person, institution or agency responsible for

a site has the qualifications and knowledge to do so.
 Be able to serve and access any kind of content across any
▪ Authorship: It should be clear who developed the site.
domain name on any web device.
▪ Contact information should be clearly provided: e-mail address, snail
• Ability to browse and use any web page or application (i.e. URL)
mail address, phone number, and fax number.
on your web browsing device and internet service
▪ Credentials: the author should state qualifications, credentials, or
personal background that gives them authority to present information.
 Must be without censorship per domain, URL, content-type, or
nature of the content. ▪ Check to see if the site supported by an organization or a commercial
body

Evaluating Internet Sources(time: 3:19) Evaluating Information (time: 3:28) Evaluating Websites (time: 1:57)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbgT1irPJ_w&list=PLkUJtc3cdF Source https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc7PZUlSnBI Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5l-5YbI1Wk&t=15s
mx3heLOoz6hlQjdwApHZ4s0&index=9

Evaluation of Web Contents Evaluation of Web Contents

2. Purpose - the purpose of the information presented in the site
should be clear. Some sites are meant to inform, persuade, state 3. Coverage - it is difficult to assess the extent of coverage since
an opinion, entertain, or parody something or someone. depth in a site, through the use of links, can be infinite. One
author may claim comprehensive coverage of a topic while
▪ Does the content support the purpose of the site? another may cover just one aspect of a topic.
▪ Is the information geared to a specific audience (students, scholars, ▪ Does the site claim to be selective or comprehensive?
general reader)?
▪ Are the topics explored in depth?
▪ Is the site organized and focused?
▪ Compare the value of the site’s information compared to other
▪ Are the outside links appropriate for the site? similar sites. Do the links go to outside sites rather than its own?
▪ Does the site evaluate the links? ▪ Does the site provide information with no relevant outside links?
▪ Check the domain of the site. The URL may indicate its purpose.

Evaluation of Web Contents Evaluation of Web Contents

4. Currency - it is important to know how current the information
presented is, and how often the site is updated or maintained.
5. Objectivity - objectivity of the site should be clear. Beware of
Information to know include:
sites that contain bias or do not admit its bias freely. Objective
▪ when the content was first created, sites present information with a minimum of bias.
▪ when it was placed on the website, and
▪ Is the information presented with a particular bias?
▪ when it was last revised.
 Also check if: ▪ Does the information try to sway the audience?

• Links are up-to-date ▪ Does site advertising conflict with the content?
• Links provided should be reliable. Dead links or references to sites
▪ Is the site trying to explain, inform, persuade, or sell something?
that have moved are not useful.
• Information provided is trend-related that its usefulness is limited to
a certain time period?
• The site has been under construction for some time?

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Evaluation of Web Contents Search Engine Evaluators
6. Accuracy - there are few standards to verify the accuracy of information on  Search engine evaluators give feedback to ensure
the web. It is the responsibility of the reader to assess the information that internet search results are comprehensive, accurate, timely
presented. and that they are spam-free and relevant to the searcher's intent.
▪ Reliability: Is the author affiliated with a known, respectable institution?  They are the human check on the complicated algorithms that
▪ References: do statistics and other factual information receive proper references search engines run.
as to their origin?
 For example, if you type ‘HKUSPACE’ into a search engine, you
▪ Does the reading you have already done on the subject make the information
seem accurate?
expect the official website would appear at or near the top of the
results list.
▪ Is the information comparable to other sites on the same topic? • It is the search evaluator job to determine the relevancy of these
▪ Does the text follow basic rules of grammar, spelling and composition? pages based on specific search terms.

▪ Is a bibliography or reference list included??  Google, Microsoft, etc. employ Search Engine Evaluators to help
evaluate the effectiveness of their search engines, such as
Google, Bing and Yahoo etc.

A Short Video About Evaluating Websites (TIME: 3:51) Learn to be evaluator web
Source: https://youtu.be/dSnm8u7UOwE Source: https://youtu.be/ILS4YaVnK64

Search Engine Question :

Optimization (SEO) Browser = Search Engine
 A browser is a software program installed on your computer locally.
 SEO is a type of techniques for optimizing web pages in order to • E.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Opera, etc.
make them search engine friendly for getting higher position in • A browser is used to access various websites and web pages.
search engine result pages (SERP).
 A search engine is also a software program that searches for some particular
 Helps in increasing visitors to a website, in order to achieve high document when specific keywords are entered.
quality organic, free and natural traffic as well as improve • The search engine matches the exact keywords entered against the
ranking and increasing the visibility in the search engine results. documents available on the Internet and returns a list of documents in
which the keywords were found.
• Google and Yahoo are the most popular search engines.

 Use a browser to get a search engine

• Open Internet Explorer, Chrome, or Firefox and then type the web address
of a search engine such as Google.com, Yahoo.com.

SEO For Beginners: A Basic Search Engine Optimization

Tutorial for Higher Google Rankings
Source: https://youtu.be/DvwS7cV9GmQ

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6. Search engine optimization gives feedback to ensure
5. An open web is a web by and for ALL its that internet search results are comprehensive, accurate,
users, NOT select gatekeepers or timely and that they are spam-free and relevant to the
searcher's intent.
governments.

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7. Which of the following is NOT the criteria 8. Which of the following is/are search
for evaluating web contents? engine(s)?
A. Accuracy A. Bing → search engine
B. Currency B. Chrome → browser
C. Privacy C. Edge → browser
D. Purpose D. All of the above

EXCEL SESSION 3

1
2 - IF function
3 - Building Decision-Making Formulae
4 - Correlation Function

5 - Lab 5 Submission (2 files)

EXCEL SESSION 3 EXCEL SESSION 3

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 EXCEL SESSION 3 EXCEL SESSION 3

EXCEL SESSION 3
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LAB 5 – Excel Session 3 (P.13)

Upload Excel_Sess3_Lab1.xlsx and Excel_Sess3_Lab2.xlsx to SOUL

Hints: LAB 5 – Excel Session 3

To Do List

1. Complete Lab 5, upload TWO Excel files, Excel_Sess3_Lab1.xlsx =IF(F4=0,”F”,(IF(G4=0,?,HLOOKUP(?,?,?)))  Fill in the ??? in the formula

and Excel_Sess3_Lab2.xlsx to “Submission – Lab 5” on SOUL

2. Do the Tutorial Ex 2.1 on SOUL

3. Submit the topic of mini-project by 16 October

ZERO marks will be given to LATE submission or PLAGIARISM

Update the formula in the cell I4, then you can copy it to I5:I25

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Answer: Excel_Sess3_Lab1.xlsx Answer: Excel_Sess3_Lab2.xlsx

=IF(F4=0,”F”,(IF(G4=0,”F”,HLOOKUP(H4,$K$4:$P$5,2)

Copy the formula in the cell I4 to I5:I25 Complete and upload TWO files to “Submission - Lab 5” on SOUL