Prince George's Community College

301 Largo Road
Largo, Maryland 20774

 

Introduction

The World Wide Web (WWW) is one of the most used Internet applications and contains a variety of information resources. It is an information system based on hypertext and hypermedia with Uniform Resource Locators (URL), which are addresses that allow users to move from document to document within the computer network. This system allows users to view documents that often include formatted text, graphics, audio, video and DVD clips. To get an understanding of basic Internet terminology click on Basic Glossary of Internet Terms.

While the Web has a vast amount of information such as current news, government organizations, and links to libraries, it is important to understand that the WWW does not contain everything and all information is not factual. Additionally, it is important to note that some resources are proprietary or fee based.

To effectively do research using the WWW, you should understand the tools to search, the Web's content, its organization, and its strengths and weaknesses. In this module you will learn about navigating the Web, types of search tools, and searching strategies. This module will focus on:

• How the Internet works
• Researching using the Web
• Using search engines
• Using subject directories