Advanced Internet Research Skills Everyone Should Know

Geri Spieler

How do you start your research process? What words do you use to find information? Do you know how to gauge when a website is genuine? In this presentation, we will introduce the methods that combine the main topics of "Online Research Methods," which include several methodologies to equip you with the skills and tools to prepare you to find accurate information and discern whether it is reliable.

In this session, you will learn the following:

• Why you should search using more than one search engine

• How to create effective keywords, word phrases, and search strings

• What is “Disambiguation,” why do we care, and how can we accomplish it?

• What are the Surface, Deep, and Dark Webs, and how can each help the research process?

• A listing of Deep Web search engines and databases

• How to safely use Artificial Intelligence sites

• Searching anonymously – why and how

• What are the differences among search engines, metasearch engines, directories, and portals, and how can each help my research?

• What are invisible Web sites, and why can’t we use them?

• How can we ethically use people searches for our purposes?

This very well-received program has been presented at the San Francisco Writers Conference, the California Writers Club, Kiwanis, Rotary, and at regional and national Mensa meetings.

~~~~~~

Geri Spieler is a journalist and investigative reporter. She has written for the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Forbes, and as a Research Director for Gartner, a global technology advising company. She regularly contributed to Huffington Post and Truthdig.com, an award-winning investigative reporting website. She teaches Internet Research skills at conferences and organizations.

Geri is past president of the California Writers Club San Francisco Peninsula branch and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Authors Guild, the Women’s National Book Association, the Internet Society, and the Book Critics Circle.

~~~~~~

Attend these free events at the Palo Alto Rinconada Library. All presenters are local authors from the California Writers Club, San Francisco Peninsula branch.

Upcoming presenters:

• April 17 - Sarah Sherwood

• May 15 - Tim Flood

Presentations are the third Thursday of the month.

Geri Spieler