By: Maite A. Parsi
The World Wide Web is a valuable research tool. The point of this page is to provide a starting point for conducting FREE research on the Internet. For general research, there are sites that focus on searches: There are portals, search engines, directories, metasearch engines and more. The basic differences are explained below. As to legal research, the available pages range from those with primary legal materials such as state and federal cases, statutes, bills and regulations, through those of law journals to those for finding people, experts, writings tips and law schools. I created a page that categorizes and lists sites that I have tried and found useful. It provides links to Internet sites that provide free access to information that will assist any general or legal research.
Click here to access a list of links to research tools and specific sites:
http://geocities.datacellar.net/~maiteparsi/legal/one.html The links include Internet research resources such as portals, search engines, and directories, people finders, and legal search engines. These resources are the starting point if you don't know the URL (Uniform Resource Locator, or the address for a particular page). There are Web sites that bring you directly to your specific needs, such as a particular case, a person's address, a map, or airport information, or the Code of Federal Regulations. If you go to my page, you will be able to find direct links to all those resources. You will also find links to newspapers from around the world, other media sites, dictionaries and other reference materials, and lots more. Click on the link and see for yourself!
Unless you know exactly where you are going on the Internet, the best place to start your research is by using a portal, a search engine, a directory, and/or a meta-search engine. I have listed and provided links to the ones that I know about. There are many more. My usual approach is to use a search engine, then a meta search engine if necessary. What follows is a barebones explanation of the basic differences between these resources. With all the advances in technology, often with the use of one or two good search engines, you should be able to find what you need.
Search Engines - A.K.A. robots, worms, crawlers, spiders, harvesters, or wanderers. Regardless of their nickname, they go around the Web visiting sites and organizing the information for easy access. The user need only enter the query to reach the information catalogued by the search engine. They are often more useful than directories because they tend to obtain more information than directories. But because they don't discriminate in their gathering, you may end up with a lot of unnecessary junk, unless you use some of the better ones (see next paragraph). The main thing you need to know is that there are many search engines and that the best tactic is to use the bigger, better known ones for your search. Many search engines have evolved into portals that carry the same name and have the same address. However, as the search engine component is in most cases the most useful feature of portals, my list of search engines includes those that are now within portals. The trend has been to turn search engines into portals by adding features such as free email, horoscopes and headlines. However, some sites are true search sites. If you don't like the fluff, and merely want to research something, your best choices are what I call the uncluttered search pages. Some of these search engines are excellent and a great place to start. Often, they are my last stop. The best ones are Google and RagingSearch. Other sites that stay away from the portal fluff are GoTo, and NorthernLight.Caveat: Not all search engines use crawlers. Over time, different approaches have been implemented to enhance research capabilities. Likewise, some search engines enlist people to elicit results. This also applies to directories, meta search engines, portals and vortals. Be aware that the Web is in constant flux and that companies often find new and improved ways for your searches. The categories are likely to change and some may disappear altogether.
To access my list of links to search engines, click here:
http://geocities.datacellar.net/~maiteparsi/legal/one.html#search
There are also specialized search engines, and my page has a link to legal search engines and directories (directories are described below):
http://geocities.datacellar.net/~maiteparsi/legal/one.html#legal
Directories - Each Web site is assigned to an appropriate category or categories. Directories at times provide better results than search engines. Yahoo is an example of a directory. Yet for a more thorough search, you should also use search engines.
To access my list of links to directories, click here:
http://geocities.datacellar.net/~maiteparsi/legal/one.html#directories
Portals - A portal is a beginning or first page, a gateway to the Internet. Many have been created during the last year or so. It is an all-in-one, everything is included approach to using the Web. The purpose is to offer the user one site that fulfills so many choices that you don't have to go to any other site to satisfy your needs. It is akin to a shopping mall in cyberspace. A shopping mall allows you to make one stop to buy clothes, computer software, gadgets, stereos, books, chocolates and school supplies. You can even eat (usually lousy food) catch a movie, and buy diapers and cough medicine. Similarly, a portal provides a one-stop opportunity to obtain a wide-range of services with one click. Some of the features are helpful, and some are useless. Most portals usually offer free e-mail, shopping guides, a phone directory and a search engine or directory. Many portals began as a directory or search engine, and continue to provide those services. When using a portal for research, remember that portals are, for the most part, for-profit businesses. So don't rely on only one portal as you search the Internet, as they don't always point you to the best site to meet your needs.
To access my list of links to portals, click here:
http://geocities.datacellar.net/~maiteparsi/legal/one.html#portals To Top of the Page
Vertical Portals - Also known as a "vortal", a vertical portal is a type of portal Web site. As described above, portals are starting points to other sites on the web, and commonly provide all or some of the following services: E-mail, search engines, in-depth content, personalization, chat, stock quotes, travel services and online games. Vortals are portals that cater to a specific subject area or interest. There are many examples: Cnet caters to computer enthusiasts, and Barclays to those interested in finance.
To access my list of links to vertical portals, click here:
http://geocities.datacellar.net/~maiteparsi/legal/one.html#verticals
Meta-Search or MultiSearch Engines - You need only enter one query, and these will simultaneously search two or more search engines and/or directories. Some integrate the results for various engines and eliminate duplicates, yet most don't do so. Please note that the results may vary as the search gets more complex, because not every resource uses the same search parameters, and for other reasons. If you use a simple query, such as a one-word search (java, html, denim), one of these sources is the place to go. But if you wish to perform an exhaustive search, your best bet is to search the individual resources one by one.
To access my list of links to these engines, click here:
http://geocities.datacellar.net/~maiteparsi/legal/one.html#meta
Remember that the lines are not clearly drawn and that sites are in constant flux. Some resources include both a directory and a search engine. Some sites are a directory one day and hybrid tomorrow, or a search engine company adding a directory, or any kind of combination. Many are search engines but are affiliated with or grown into portals. The trend for some time has been to convert into a portal or to create one. Many are now switching to vertical portals. Then many others recently began to turn away from portals and returned to providing narrower yet less convoluted resources. As to many sites, those of you with Web surfing experience know that some sites disappear, never to be surfed again. It just makes life so much more interesting ...
Keep in Mind
Before you embark on your research journey, keep in mind that the Internet is not an organized system. It is basically a lot of computers linked together with millions of pages of information. There is no centralized system for setting up information for easy retrieval. Think of it as you think about the content of computers owned by everyone you know: The information on each hard drive is exclusive to that computer. When it was saved on the hard drive, the user did not have your computer index or setup in mind. It has been compared to many different libraries lumped together, with books strewn all over the floor. So the best place to start is the use of search engines, portals, metasearch engines, or guides or a site like mine, with links to the basic sources of information.
Remember that the Internet is in constant flux. Millions of sites are added every day. Also, as companies buy each other, the nature and content of sites change. Often the changes are good. Some times, as with portals, they offer too much for some users who just want a basic research site. You be the judge, as they say.
The Internet is an excellent source for information such as:
- judicial decisions (state, federal, and some foreign courts)
- People: addresses, e-mail, facts
- Directions
- Legislation
- Government documents
- Dictionary definitions, writing aids, currency exchanges, addresses, zip codes and phone numbers
- Latest local, national and international news
- Company Information
- Financial Updates
- Maps
- Shopping (Online and in-store)
- You-Name-It
There are some setbacks:
- information is not organized
- Sites and information are constantly coming up and disappearing
- Many sites are either never udpated or not udpated often enough to be current
- The Internet is not yet the exclusive source for complete information on a subject
- If the file is large, loaded with graphics, or there is heavy internet traffic, the response time is slow
Remember that, no matter how often you visit a site, it doesn't hurt to hit the refresh button (or equivalent, if you don't use the Internet Explorer browser). Your computer saves the sites that you visit in temporary folders. When you click on an URL (address), your computer may think that you are all set with the version in your hard drive. However, many sites update daily, and some with less frequency. Some don't update at all and become either obsolete or useful. Often, you will get the most recent version But for those sites that are updated often enough, hit the "refresh" button to ensure that you got the most recent version. Just in case.
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