The World Wide Web (“the Web”) has dramatically revolutionized information dissemination. In fields such as business, where there is a high premium on current information, the impact has been particularly powerful. In common parlance, the term “World Wide Web” is often used to indicate “online” or “electronic,” implying that it is also freely available.
There are also numerous fee-based sites and subscription databases, particularly in business, that use Web-based software; this content is not available to the general public without cost. Many of these online sources originated in other print or electronic formats (e.g., CD-ROM). Most now have at minimum an introductory Web page that is freely accessible to anyone with a network connection or an Internet Service Provider (“ISP”), such as AOL, and browser software such as Internet Explorer or Netscape.
The fact that the Web makes it so easy to find information about other content is no less innovative than the provision of free information (which is notorious for its lack of accountability and authority). Because the Web is such an outstanding promotional and communication tool, professional associations, government agencies, university research centers, and commercial publishers all but universally use it to publicize themselves and their services.
In addition to the “free” Web and the fee-based online resources available through it, information professionals are also aware of a third component, the “invisible Web” or “deep Web.” The invisible Web refers to materials that are not readily accessible–or findable at all–using standard searches in tools such as AltaVista, Yahoo, and Google.
It is not that the information is not there, but rather it is not available at the strata closest to the surface. Increasing amounts of Web information are embedded within interactive databases, which must be are queried by the searcher in real-time. Product catalogs, glossaries, currency conversion calculators, and directories commonly take this form and are therefore important to business researchers. It is only when a “search form” is filled in that the request is executed and the information is retrieved. (This is the explanation for those often lengthy, garbled-looking Web addresses containing initials, numerals, and question marks; anything you cannot re-type easily is probably a “dynamic” URL.)
These free, searchable databases may originate from government sources (e.g., a directory of contractor’s license numbers or historical census data) or from private or commercial sources (e.g., company product catalogs or vendor directories).Another type of deep Web information is lengthy textual material, such as that found in white papers, case studies, articles, reference books, and reports. These are often coded using software formats other than the usual Web software known as “HTML.” Unless one has an exact
title and Web address, these narrative documents can be difficult to locate except by scouring individual Web pages. The search engine Google (http://www.google.com) has made locating these documents easier by searching within the text of a variety of software formats, such as PDF, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Postscript, and others. When you do a regular search in Google, your results list will include a notation of the format of the document. One way to locate case studies, white papers and other narrative documents is to restrict your
search to one of the common textual file types.
There are also numerous fee-based sites and subscription databases, particularly in business, that use Web-based software; this content is not available to the general public without cost. Many of these online sources originated in other print or electronic formats (e.g., CD-ROM). Most now have at minimum an introductory Web page that is freely accessible to anyone with a network connection or an Internet Service Provider (“ISP”), such as AOL, and browser software such as Internet Explorer or Netscape.
The fact that the Web makes it so easy to find information about other content is no less innovative than the provision of free information (which is notorious for its lack of accountability and authority). Because the Web is such an outstanding promotional and communication tool, professional associations, government agencies, university research centers, and commercial publishers all but universally use it to publicize themselves and their services.
In addition to the “free” Web and the fee-based online resources available through it, information professionals are also aware of a third component, the “invisible Web” or “deep Web.” The invisible Web refers to materials that are not readily accessible–or findable at all–using standard searches in tools such as AltaVista, Yahoo, and Google.
It is not that the information is not there, but rather it is not available at the strata closest to the surface. Increasing amounts of Web information are embedded within interactive databases, which must be are queried by the searcher in real-time. Product catalogs, glossaries, currency conversion calculators, and directories commonly take this form and are therefore important to business researchers. It is only when a “search form” is filled in that the request is executed and the information is retrieved. (This is the explanation for those often lengthy, garbled-looking Web addresses containing initials, numerals, and question marks; anything you cannot re-type easily is probably a “dynamic” URL.)
These free, searchable databases may originate from government sources (e.g., a directory of contractor’s license numbers or historical census data) or from private or commercial sources (e.g., company product catalogs or vendor directories).Another type of deep Web information is lengthy textual material, such as that found in white papers, case studies, articles, reference books, and reports. These are often coded using software formats other than the usual Web software known as “HTML.” Unless one has an exact
title and Web address, these narrative documents can be difficult to locate except by scouring individual Web pages. The search engine Google (http://www.google.com) has made locating these documents easier by searching within the text of a variety of software formats, such as PDF, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Postscript, and others. When you do a regular search in Google, your results list will include a notation of the format of the document. One way to locate case studies, white papers and other narrative documents is to restrict your
search to one of the common textual file types.
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