Using the Internet for Fast Facts

Nicholson, Scott (1997) Using the Internet for Fast Facts. Internet Trend Watch for Libraries 2(8).

Abstract

The Internet is the largest full-text database ever created, and many librarians have inexpensive access to this resource. A plethora of facts can be quickly mined using a few techniques with full-text search tools, such as Alta Vista or Infoseek (Infoseek no longer exists. Current tools to use would be Alta Vista, Google, or Alltheweb). A full-text search tool is a tool where the web database is created by indexing every word from every included page. This article will teach you Internet search techniques to apply when researching a question requiring a short, factual answer. It also offers a few precautions when using the Internet to accomplish this.