Delving into Deep Web Business Resources

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Anyone approaching business research today needs to understand the wealth of information available on the deep, invisible Web. To effectively and efficiently find data on companies, industries, markets, and management, you should consult specialized search engines as well as general search engines; utilize alternative formats such as directories, groups, portals, images, blogs, RSS feeds, and statistical files; and consider fee-based tools in addition to the free Web. This seminar, taught by an experienced business searcher, will concentrate on resources but will also include practical techniques for using these resources. Whether your business research is conducted in a corporate, academic, or government environment, you will benefit from the insights gained from this seminar.

Introduction to CSS

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Just as anyone involved in any way with Web site design and management profits by knowing the basics of HTML, the same is now true of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). Effective utilization of CSS can make the difference between an amateurish-looking site and a truly professional-looking site, gives far superior control of layout, makes it possible to change every page of your site in just seconds, and does things HTML just cannot do. This course will cover the basic structure of CSS styles and style sheets and how and where to apply them. A basic knowledge of HTML will be assumed.

The Challenges of Web Search Instruction

1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

With dozens of different search engines, constant change, various search strategies, and divergent terminology, the teacher of Web searching is faced with many choices and challenges. Your audience may be one on one, a large group, or at a remote location. Search strategies and resources that may seem obvious to you are quite likely not as clear to others. In this seminar, you will learn techniques for teaching Web searching, not just to beginners but also to those who think they already know everything about Web search. Join long-time Web search trainer and author of Teaching Web Search Skills, Greg Notess, in exploring the challenges of teaching Web search and methods and techniques for successful instruction. Anyone involved in teaching and training, whether in an academic environment or not, will gain important insights from this seminar.

Online Public Records Research

1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Public records contain important information, such as property ownership, professional licenses, bankruptcies, marriages/divorces, and court judgments. The adage, “change is the only constant,” has never been more applicable to this field of research. Courts and government agencies continue to grapple with the privacy consequences of making public records available online. Moreover, it has always been the case that what is public record in one jurisdiction may not be in another. This workshop, taught by Genie Tyburski, a law librarian and researcher, examines various sources, strategies, and finding tools for conducting public records research online. It briefly introduces basic concepts and then examines select newer databases and search tools as well as necessary established online resources. It covers select commercial research systems, but the emphasis is on government databases and other free or low-cost sources.

Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

The Past, Present, and Future of

9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Now that searching the Web has become almost commonplace, it’s up to information professionals to stay ahead of the crowd by having the most up-to-date knowledge of what the major search engines are up to. And who better to keep us informed by sharing his in-depth knowledge and assiduously gained insights into the search engine world than Chris Sherman? His contacts within search engine companies allow him a unique perspective into the past, present, and future of Web search. He’ll tell us about technical changes at the search engine companies, new product lines, and speculations on how this will affect information professionals.

The Practical World of Search

10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

In a perfect world, entering a few words into a search box would result in reliable, relevant results. Web search, unfortunately, is not that perfect world. From a practical perspective, what is required is flexibility. Expert researchers know when to use one source rather than another, switch tactics mid-search, and move on to another approach. Go behind the screen with Mary Ellen Bates, who will demonstrate the value of flexibility in search. She’ll share her tips and techniques for thinking through a research project, learning from what she finds, redirecting her efforts, and delivering a fully developed answer to client requests.

Multimedia Search

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Gone are the days when the text ruled the online world. Today’s researchers expect not just words but also voices, pictures, and videos. But what about the sources for these? Specialized search engines for multimedia, the incorporation of multimedia into general Web search engines, consumer-created multimedia sites, and mainstream media’s involvement are all issues that confront professional researchers. Multimedia search is one of the important new frontiers in Web search.

Search Engine Update

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

In his popular columns for ONLINE, Search Engine Update and On the Net, Greg details the latest developments in how the Web search engines are changing, particularly when it comes to advanced searching capabilities. This session is an extension of the information presented in the columns, giving the latest on advanced search techniques and explaining how best to optimize our use of Web search engines.

Searching Outside the Box

2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Sometimes you find the most useful information where you least expect it. While serendipity often plays a role, with a little creative thinking, searchers can stack the deck in their favor. This session will provide ideas for unusual search strategies and sources of information.

Information Trapping

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Information trapping involves real-time research on the Web. Tara shows the latest techniques for building automated information-gathering systems. As an alternative to the typical onetime search for information, she demonstrates how readers can use RSS feeds, page monitoring tools, and other software to set up information streams of many different data types—from text to multimedia to conversations—for capture and review.

Web 2.0

4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

In this user’s guide to Web 2.0, Ran focuses on the essential elements of Web 2.0—Web as platform, user participation, and transparency — rather than the hype. He provides many examples of Web 2.0 in action, including some that may be part of your daily workflow. He describes some of the Web 2.0 elements you should be planning to incorporate and looks at the future of both Web 2.0 and Library 2.0.

Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Competitive Intelligence

9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Competitive intelligence isn’t just about competing companies. You and your organization can equally well be faced with competitive threats from the economy, new technologies, other industries, and even your customers. While the practice of CI is not a new endeavor, the expansion of Web resources adds to its complexity and allows for insights not previously thought possible. Mary Ellen will share her latest experiences with CI research and talk about the newest and most useful sources.

Open Access: Not Just for Sci-Tech Anymore

10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

When the open access movement began, the information self-archived, stored in an institutional repository, or published in a designated open access journal was almost exclusively scientific and technical. This is changing to include more diverse types of information. This session will review recent developments in open access availability and use a case study approach to determine how best to search the open access literature.

Customizing Your Search Engine

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Most experienced searchers know how to use the “Preferences” in Web search engines to create a small degree of customization for their search experience. More recently, however, entire search engines, such as Rollyo, and products from major search engines, such as Yahoo! Search Builder, give searchers the opportunity to create a search engine tailored to their individual needs and to those of their clientele. Learn how to customize and personalize a search engine for topics and sites that best fit with your professional needs.

WebSearch Head to Head

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

In this “Head to Head” session, several WebSearch University faculty members will take some real-world topics and discuss their approaches to analyzing the question, choosing the source and/or engine with which to answer it, and constructing the search strategy.

Social Search

2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Social search is garnering quite a bit of attention these days, but despite all the hoopla it’s not likely to displace traditional algorithmic search any time soon. There isn’t even a good definition yet, because just about everyone who’s doing some form of social search is trying a different approach. Think of social search tools as Internet wayfinding services informed by human judgment. Wayfinding, because they’re not strictly search engines in the sense that most people know them. And human judgment means that at least one, but more likely dozens, hundreds, or more people have “consumed” the content and have decided it’s worthy enough to recommend to others. How does social search fit into an information professional’s tool kit and what are its drawbacks?

Read All About It: News Online

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The Web is a haven for news junkies and for those engaged in searching the news for important information in support of research projects. As more and more news sources enter the arena, they are supplemented by information from “citizen journalists.” Specialized news search engines such as Topix.net, the news portions of general Web search engines such as Google and Yahoo!, and the blogosphere combine to present a dual challenge to researchers: overlap of information and missing publications.

When What You See Isn’t What You Get

4:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Advanced searchers know what comprises high-quality information. This information will be accurate, objective, timely, authoritative, and verifiable. But time and again, false or erroneous information spreads, computers become infected, and people fall prey to hoaxes or scams. Even the most experienced researchers can sometimes be fooled. The fact is, as searchers become more sophisticated, so do the jokers and the criminals. It’s a situation requiring constant vigilance. Discover how to detect technical tricks devised to foul, fool, and defraud even expert searchers.