DOCID: 4046925
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
You've thought through your research question and decided to use the Internet to find information either because you've already tried traditional sources without success or you believe the Internet is your best option. You're sitting in front of your terminal, you've logged onto the Internet and you're staring at a blank screen. Now what? Let's start with a (relatively) easy type of search. You need to find general information about a fairly broad topic.
Let's say you need to research a broad topic unfamiliar to you, for example, Java. The best approach may not be to type java into a search engine. Why? Because you'll probably get millions of hits, and the first ones may be to commercial sites trying to sell you something relating to Java and will undoubtedly also include other meanings of Java, such as Indonesia and coffee. If you are looking for general information on a topic, wikis, specialized (vertical) search engines, and virtual libraries are often better starting points for researching general or broad topics than big search engines.
The single biggest mistake searchers make is using the wrong search tool. For example, search engines are generally not the best tools for finding current news (use a news search engine), for researching broad topics (use a specialty directory or virtual library), or for performing specialized searches such as scientific research (use a specialty search engine). That's why the number one rule for web research is:
Rule One
Use the right tool for the job.
