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Bates' information search tactics have been influential in the practice and teaching of online searching since they were published in 1979. This paper is about using information search tactics to search the internet, and aims to present a set of tactics useful in the practice and teaching of internet searching.

Tactics used on the internet were gathered from the literature, web sites, and the author's experience of internet searching. These were compared with the information search tactics, and refined into a set of internet search tactics.

The article presents 34 internet search tactics: 18 of the original Bates tactics, interpreted in the context of the internet, and 16 new tactics. While many of the information search tactics are relevant, effective internet searching requires recognition of the role of relevancy ranking and full text searching in search engines. The uncontrolled nature of the internet means that evaluation of information resources is an integral part of internet searching, so a group of evaluation tactics have been proposed.

The tactics provide a framework for teaching effective internet searching.

Bates' information search tactics do not appear to have been applied as a whole to searching the internet. The proposed tactics will be useful for librarians and researchers who need to carry out effective searching on the internet, and for information literacy education. Research into information seeking and search interfaces will be informed by the tactics.

Sources of information and other opportunities available via the Internet are increasing exponentially. This comes with the steady increase in Internet use for education, marketing and commercial trading, and in government for communication of information to citizens. Using the action research cycle of planning, acting, recording and reflecting, this article introduces a model for an approach to Internet searching and use. The model is a conceptual framework for Internet searching that will help people to overcome the challenges of working within an environment that is subject to continuous change, both in the forms of technology used and in the content that is available through the Internet. Our model encourages the searcher to use action research principles to enlighten their searching, reflecting and learning about new techniques as the tools that they use change around them. Our model should prove valuable to educators, researchers and consultants to inform their own practice as well as for use in the educational environment.

The purpose of this paper is to consider the effect of demographic differences on the motivations and abilities of individuals with diabetes in their search for health information online. Using data gathered from a qualitative study of 30 individuals, the paper examined instances of user-based health motivation and abilities using the lens of demographic differences to identify the influence on health information searching and potential health outcomes.

The paper utilized an interpretive, mixed methodology research design. The paper was composed of a user “experience” that served as a critical incident to the paper, where each participant was prompted to do online searching for health and nutrition information. This was followed by open-ended interviews to gain a deeper understanding of each participants’ online searching experience.

The theoretical model used was the Integrated Model of E-Health Use by Dutta-Bergman (2006) which frames the influence of group and individual-level differences on health information search and e-health use and subsequently health outcomes. The paper found that experiences among diabetic patients who have an assumed intrinsic motivation to search have differential searching behaviors due to a number of factors including access to health care provider or resources, searching success, and significant people in the individuals’ lives. Assumptions about race and socio-economic status are challenged because of the geographic location in which people live and work.

This research on intersectionality and the health information consumer contributes to a better understanding of health information searching behavior. Implications from this research for practice are that search technology in the domain of health should be made customizable, that a variety of user perspectives should be incorporated in the e-health systems development process, and that a comprehensive view of the user in system development should be utilized. In addition, those with diabetes or other chronic illnesses should seek out a variety of resources to enhance their health outcomes.

The examination constitutes one of the few investigations into health information consumer characteristics that might influence the person-technology-information interaction in the context of health care provision. This type of examination into health care consumer characteristics and information behavior is necessary because it has bearing on the success of health care information systems implementation and impact.

Since 2000, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of individuals using the Internet, including for health purposes. Internet usage has increased from 46% of adults in 2000 to 79% in 2010. The purpose of this chapter is to examine changes in one type of Internet usage: online health searching. We examine the impact of traditional digital inequality factors on online health searching, and whether these patterns have changed over time.

Using data from five surveys ranging from 2002 to 2010 (n = 5,967 for all five surveys combined), we examine changing patterns of online health searching over the past decade.

Effects vary by inequality factor and time period examined. Despite the diffusion of the Internet, most of these gaps persist, and even strengthen, over time. Gender, age, and education gaps persist over time and appear to be increasing. An exception to this is the importance of broadband connection.

Since these data were collected, the use of mobile devices to access the Internet has increased. Research is needed on types of access and devices used for online health activities.

Larger scale inequalities play important roles in online health searching. Providing access and skills in evaluating online health information is needed for older and less educated groups. The results of this study have implications for the de-professionalization of medical knowledge.

This is the first study to examine digital inequality factors in online health information seeking over the breadth of this time period.

The history of the public library is long and rich, and continues to reflect this institution's initial mission: to respond to the needs of an evolving democratic society. From its early days as a subscription service for the middle-class, through its evolution to become an educational site for the lower-classes and new immigrants, the public library has served as a touch-stone for urban industrial society in North America (Lerner, 1998, p. 138; Shera, 1974). Over the past century, public libraries have evolved to respond to the growing needs of the communities they serve and continue to do so with recent advances in technologies (such as DVDs, electronic books, the Internet, etc.), and with a more global outlook on the ways that people seek and share information. Indeed, the public library's constituents today are exceedingly diverse, including children and adults from a broad range of socio-economic, cultural, and educational backgrounds, all of whom seek information for a variety of personal and work-related purposes. The fact that public libraries have been fulfilling patrons' information needs for well over a century is a testament to their enduring success and versatility as information providers, and also points to the overall effectiveness of public librarians as intermediaries in the provision process.

The World Wide Web's search engines are the main tools for indexing and retrieval of Internet resources today. Comparison and evaluation of their performance is of great importance for system developers and information professionals, as well as end‐users, for the improvement and development of better tools. The paper describes categories and special features of Web‐based databases and compares them with traditional databases. It then presents a review of the literature on the testing and evaluation of Web‐based search engines. Different methodologies and measures used in previous studies are described and their findings are summarised. The paper presents some evaluative comments on previous studies and suggests areas for future investigation, particularly evaluation of Web‐based search engines from the end‐user's perspective.

The paper seeks to examine the use of Internet among the research scholars of the Central Science Library (CSL), University of Delhi, India. The prime objective is to find out the current trends in information search through Internet by the research scholars and type of problems faced by them in their research work.

Tools used for the study are questionnaire, observation and informal interview using stratified method. Content analysis is used to analyse open‐ended questions. Data were collected from the 51 research scholars in the CSL, University of Delhi. The questionnaire consists of 15 main questions with many of the main questions having a number of subsidiaries. The questions are designed for the research scholars to elicit their experience with the Internet use for their research work.

The study finds that Boolean logic, truncation and wildcards are the most often used search techniques, web directories, while subject gateways are least used navigational tools, and the researches are beset with the problems of inadequate computers with Internet facilities, slow Internet connection and lack of skills and training. The survey also reveals that 57 per cent of the respondents are facing retrieval problems. Some research scholars lack research techniques and training.

This is the first comprehensive study of the use of the Internet by the University of Delhi science research scholars. Its findings should help CSL, University of Delhi in its plans and programmes related to effective and efficient use of Internet to fulfill information requirements of the research scholars and also proposes proper Internet searching training to research scholars to keep up‐to‐date on harnessing the immense potential of the Internet as a source of information for their research work.

The increasing number of people who search for and purchase gifts online underscores the need to better understand the process of searching for gifts online. This study explores online gift-searching with regard to the psychological characteristics of gift seekers and the benefits of searching. This study examines how gift-giving orientations (agape and reciprocity) influence the perceived benefits of searching (utilitarian and hedonic) in online gift-searching behaviour.

The conceptual framework was tested using a survey. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling.

The results show that agape positively influences both utilitarian and hedonic benefits, which in turn increase online gift-searching. Reciprocity does not affect utilitarian benefits but decreases hedonic benefits and thus causes a reduction in online gift-searching. The perceived benefit of searching fully mediates the relationship between gift-giving orientations and online gift-searching. Utilitarian benefits are the primary benefits that are sought by consumers who search for gifts online.

Previous research regarding online information searching has focused on searching for items for self-use. This study extends that research by focusing on gift giving. By analysing the mediating effects of both the utilitarian and hedonic benefits of searching, this study provides new insights into whether and how gift-giving orientations affect online gift-searching. Additionally this study offers guidelines for effectively managing online retail environments.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.

Introduces and annotates periodical articles, monographs, and audiovisual material examining library instruction and information literacy.

Provides information about each source, discusses the characteristics of current scholarship, and describes sources that contain unique scholarly contributions and quality reproductions.

The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

The Internet and related information services attract increasing interest from information retrieval researchers. A survey of recent publications show that frequent topics are the effectiveness of search engines, information validation and quality, user studies, design of user interfaces, data structures and metadata, classification and vocabulary based aids, and indexing and search agents. Current research in these areas is briefly discussed. The changing balance between CD‐ROM sources and traditional online searching is quite important and is noted.