Ten Suggestions For Using The Internet



  1. Don't Focus on a Single Information Source

  2. Don't be Lazy - do your homework before you ask for information via e-mail. Very often the bibliographies gathered via the lists are no better than works found in a catalogue.

  3. Use the Right Tool for the Job - www, gopher, telnet etc. access different parts of the internet and quality goes down with each source omitted.

  4. Keep Your Own Database - keep your own records of where good material can be found.

  5. Change Your Perspective as You Search - approach the question from several directions.

  6. If You Need to Ask for Help, Ask the Right Person - use the right list or consider asking a query privately to a specialist.

  7. Give it Some Time - often people with limited knowledge answer queries and the most knowledgeable may not log on daily. If you are in a hurry, try the library.

  8. Be Critical - garbage and misinformation abounds.

  9. Be Grateful - not only thank those who provide information, also cite them.

  10. Give Up, if Necessary - the internet does not have all the answers, so learn when to give up a search.

Joan Gundersen, a senior partner in a firm specializing in telecommunications and information technology, has posted the above 10 rules for finding information on the Internet: Gundersen suggests that the internet be treated as a tool and not a new toy we play with because it is there.