58th%20Annual%20Southeastern%20Turfgrass%20Conference%20May%204,%202004

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58th Annual Southeastern Turfgrass ConferenceMay
4, 2004
Getting Answers Using the Web Effectively

• Pete Cookingham
• Turfgrass Information Center
• Michigan State University Libraries
• tic.msu.edu

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Finding Aids to the Web2 classes of finding
aids

• Guide pages
• Most useful for browsing

• Search engines
• Most useful for searching

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Guide Pages

• Often called Links pages
• Contain lists of connections to other sites on
  web
• Most turf sites include a links page
• Lots of these out there!

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3 examples of guide sites for turfgrass interests

• These approaches are based on a
  national/international approach
• The Ultimate Turfgrass Links Page -- Doug
  Karcher, University of Arkansas
• http//www.uark.edu/campus-resources/turf/Turflink
  s/

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3 examples of guide sites for turfgrass interests

• These approaches are based on a
  national/international approach
• The Ultimate Turfgrass Links Page -- Doug
  Karcher, University of Arkansas
• http//www.uark.edu/campus-resources/turf/Turflink
  s/
• Turfgrass Links -- Guelph Turfgrass Institute
  http//www.uoguelph.ca/GTI.linkfram.htm

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3 examples of guide sites for turfgrass interests

• These approaches are based on a
  national/international approach
• The Ultimate Turfgrass Links Page -- Doug
  Karcher, University of Arkansas
• http//www.uark.edu/campus-resources/turf/Turflink
  s/
• Turfgrass Links -- Guelph Turfgrass Institute
  http//www.uoguelph.ca/GTI.linkfram.htm
• Turfgrass AgNIC -- Penn State University
  Libraries http//www.libraries.psu.edu/turfgrass/

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Search Engines

• Use a fill-in-the-blank approach
• Like a very sophisticated index they point to
  content elsewhere
• Many web-wide engines, new ones will continue to
  be introduced -- Lycos, HotBot, MSN Search, etc.
• Most popular (market share about 43) now is
  Google http//www.google.com

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Turfgrass Information File

• First records entered into the database in August
  of 1984
• Now approaching 100,000 records in size.
• Each record represents a separate item --
  article, thesis, book chapter, webpage, video
  clip, blueprint, etc.
• In 1988, direct dial-up access using direct
  computer-to-computer connection via phone lines
  became available, although tricky, slow
  frustrating
• Through the mid-1990s, though TGIF continued to
  grow and connections got faster better, online
  use was still problematic

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then along came the Web, and that changed
everything!What can the Web, do for you, and
when is it better, perhaps, to use TGIF ???
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When is the Web stronger than TGIF?

• For commercial product content
• prices, descriptive features, tech specs., from
  the producers
• For contact information of any kind
• While Author affiliation information is included
  in most TGIF records, it is linked to the date of
  publication of the material
• For finding places, people, etc, stick to the big
  engines or local/specialized aids
• For non-turf information
• For interactive or volatile content of any kind
• Weather information, job listings, equipment
  sales, news, interactive chat or bulletin
  board-like activity

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When is TGIF stronger than the Web?
The more turfish the issue, the more agronomic,
the more content TGIF will identify.
Why?
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Because

• Content -- Electronic only?
• On the internet, you never know what youre
  missing (James ODonnell, in Avatars of the
  Word From Papyrus to Cyberspace, 1998)

• Depth

• Currency

• Indexing vocabulary

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So why should and how can you use TGIF?
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For

• Validation and documentation

• Seeing the big picture

• Getting up to speed quickly

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Tricks, Tips Some New Stuff
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Optimize Your Searching

• Get precise 2-6 words

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Sample precise searches

• Ultradwarf bermudagrass

• Zero turn radius mowers

• Fungicides dollar spot

• Soil pore structure greens

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Optimize Your Searching

• Get precise 2-6 words

• Try different words

• Change the order of the words

• Truncate (wildcards)

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Learn to really use an engine they can be quirky

• Advanced search in Google

• Power Search in TGIF

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Amazons new Full-text book search
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Full-text browsing

• USGA Green Section Record

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Full-text browsing

• USGA Green Section Record

• USGA TERO

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Full-text browsing

• USGA Green Section Record

• USGA TERO

• ASGCA Architects Gallery

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Caveats.

• The Web is young and growing!

• Neither the Web nor TGIF are
• Expert systems

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Its still all about

• The Credibility of the source

• The Currency of the information

• The Applicability to your situation

Always has been always will be!
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Special Thanks to

• Please Visit us at
  http//www.tic.msu.edu/

The USGA Turfgrass Research Program Other supporters of the TIC Endowment Campaign, and Subscribers to the Center and Database.