Assignment 1, Section B

Assignment 1
Section B

Jennifer Tully
ITC125
Distance Education Student
94074905

Introduction to topic
The topic I have chosen for this part of Assignment 1 is "Geographic information, mapping etc". Defining a broad topic such as this is difficult. To refine the definition, the information I've endeavoured to locate in this exercise relates to resources for geographical use. I understand these resources to include mapping (cartography), information systems (GIS), land management and remote sensing.

Search tools used
The search tools I thought most appropriate were those that enabled advanced searches and to search by category. Search engines such as Webwombat, Looksmart and Webcrawler returned too many 'hits' and did not have the advanced features needed to refine the results. Tools such as Archie I considered to be unsuitable, as searches may only be made on file names - not content. To represent popular WWW search engines I chose:

Alta Vista
Yahoo
Excite

These all had the option of using categories and subcategories which, as demonstrated in the table below, returned results with a much higher quality.

Other tools used were:

WWW Virtual Library (VL)
OVID databases
CSU databases

The OVID and CSU databases typically covered searches of articles and journals. An advantage of using these databases is having the choice of database according to its topic. Their descriptors, keywords and abstracts makes searching a much more direct process.

Best Results
The tables below display the search terms used, limits and steps taken as well as the reasons behind those steps. The rows shaded in green indicate what I perceive to be the best results in each set.

Alta Vista Search Engine

I used Alta Vista as its database is large and it had advanced search features to help locate relevant hits.

SEARCH TERM REASON LIMITS or STEPS NO. HITS COMMENTS RESULTS AS VIEWED THROUGH BROWSER

geography to get a feel for the number of hits on this broad topic simple query, world, english 439859 Large number of hits. Not useful. result

"geographic information systems" Used quotation marks to search for phrase to test for a more specific topic simple query, world, english 53064 Large number of hits. Not useful. result

"geographic information" AND map* AND land Used quotation marks to search for phrase, used the asterisk as a wild card (e.g. map* will search on maps, mapping, mapped etc.) and boolean expression to ask for the three terms to be combined in the search. advanced query, world, english 1079420 The large number of hits are in no particular order. The information, at first, seems to be relevant. Upon investigating the first ten hits, it became evident that they were not really useful sites. result

Used the "Subject Search" facility Purpose -to narrow down the topic rather than have many useless hits. Stepped through:
World
Reference and Education
Science and Nature
Earth and Environment
Geology
Remote Sensing and GIS
links in list=34 The list of links were highly suitable and relevant to Geographical Information Systems (GIS) result

SEARCH TERM	REASON	LIMITS or STEPS	NO. HITS	COMMENTS	RESULTS AS VIEWED THROUGH BROWSER
geography	to get a feel for the number of hits on this broad topic	simple query, world, english	439859	Large number of hits. Not useful.	result
"geographic information systems"	Used quotation marks to search for phrase to test for a more specific topic	simple query, world, english	53064	Large number of hits. Not useful.	result
"geographic information" AND map* AND land	Used quotation marks to search for phrase, used the asterisk as a wild card (e.g. map* will search on maps, mapping, mapped etc.) and boolean expression to ask for the three terms to be combined in the search.	advanced query, world, english	1079420	The large number of hits are in no particular order. The information, at first, seems to be relevant. Upon investigating the first ten hits, it became evident that they were not really useful sites.	result
Used the "Subject Search" facility	Purpose -to narrow down the topic rather than have many useless hits.	Stepped through: World Reference and Education Science and Nature Earth and Environment Geology Remote Sensing and GIS	links in list=34	The list of links were highly suitable and relevant to Geographical Information Systems (GIS)	result

OVID

I chose ABI/INFORM 1993-98 as the database description included "management science" which I perceived as relevant to the topic.

SEARCH TERM REASON LIMITS or STEPS NO. HITS COMMENTS RESULTS AS VIEWED THROUGH BROWSER

geograph$ $ to act as wild card (unlimited truncation). Gather hits on topic for later combination no limits set yet 6284 Large number of hits. Not useful at this stage. result

information system$ $ to act as wild card (unlimited truncation). Gather hits on topic for later combination no limits set yet 16030 Large number of hits. Not useful at this stage. result

map$ $ to act as wild card (unlimited truncation). Gather hits on topic for later combination no limits set yet 5301 Large number of hits. Not useful at this stage. result

N/A The objective to this point was to gather sets in order to then combine for a more refined search. limits=english, fulltext, combine all three groups above 298 The fulltext documents available had some quite relevant material on the topic. result

N/A Many American topics in the above display. Set further limits. limits=english, fulltext, Asia and the Pacific 2 Pertinent to Australia and New Zealand, topics ="GIS" and "digital mapping". result

SEARCH TERM	REASON	LIMITS or STEPS	NO. HITS	COMMENTS	RESULTS AS VIEWED THROUGH BROWSER
geograph$	$ to act as wild card (unlimited truncation). Gather hits on topic for later combination	no limits set yet	6284	Large number of hits. Not useful at this stage.	result
information system$	$ to act as wild card (unlimited truncation). Gather hits on topic for later combination	no limits set yet	16030	Large number of hits. Not useful at this stage.	result
map$	$ to act as wild card (unlimited truncation). Gather hits on topic for later combination	no limits set yet	5301	Large number of hits. Not useful at this stage.	result
N/A	The objective to this point was to gather sets in order to then combine for a more refined search.	limits=english, fulltext, combine all three groups above	298	The fulltext documents available had some quite relevant material on the topic.	result
N/A	Many American topics in the above display. Set further limits.	limits=english, fulltext, Asia and the Pacific	2	Pertinent to Australia and New Zealand, topics ="GIS" and "digital mapping".	result

WWW Virtual Library

Because a Virtual Library (VL) lists links using categories and subcategories, it would seem more appropriate to use a VL than use the previous method of searching by key words as the chosen topic is so broad.

SEARCH TERM REASON LIMITS or STEPS NO. HITS COMMENTS RESULTS AS VIEWED THROUGH BROWSER

geo* VL keyword search. * to act as wild card. Purpose is to find a suitable VL which may have 'geography' or 'geographic' in its title. N/A 0 N/A N/A

information looking for VL on this topic N/A 5 VLs Only one VL looked suitable, entitled 'Information Sciences' but upon investigation was not containing data pertinent to geography N/A

tried "land" then "map" looking for VL on this topic N/A 1 VL The word 'map' was successful in finding a VL. Topic for this VL was Cartography and GIS. This VL seems highly relevant. Broken into Commercial, Federal, Educational, Relief, Geography, Map Libraries, DTM, GIS/RS. result

SEARCH TERM	REASON	LIMITS or STEPS	NO. HITS	COMMENTS	RESULTS AS VIEWED THROUGH BROWSER
geo*	VL keyword search. * to act as wild card. Purpose is to find a suitable VL which may have 'geography' or 'geographic' in its title.	N/A	0	N/A	N/A
information	looking for VL on this topic	N/A	5 VLs	Only one VL looked suitable, entitled 'Information Sciences' but upon investigation was not containing data pertinent to geography	N/A
tried "land" then "map"	looking for VL on this topic	N/A	1 VL	The word 'map' was successful in finding a VL. Topic for this VL was Cartography and GIS. This VL seems highly relevant. Broken into Commercial, Federal, Educational, Relief, Geography, Map Libraries, DTM, GIS/RS.	result

Excite Search Engine

Excite enables original searches to be refined and has both keyword and category searches.

SEARCH TERM REASON LIMITS or STEPS NO. HITS COMMENTS RESULTS AS VIEWED THROUGH BROWSER

geography to get a feel for the number of hits on this broad topic N/A 138986 Large number of hits - listed in order of relevance by percentage results

geographic AND information using a boolean expression N/A 176950 Large number of hits as above. results

"geographic information system" Used quotation marks to search for phrase to test for a more specific topic N/A 2960 Hits more relevant than previous, but not ideal. result

N/A Previously noted on first search attempt that excite suggested one of its directory listings. Stepped through:
Education
Universities & Colleges
Fields of Study
Science
Earth Sciences
Geography
links in list=72 The list of links were highly suitable and relevant. result

SEARCH TERM	REASON	LIMITS or STEPS	NO. HITS	COMMENTS	RESULTS AS VIEWED THROUGH BROWSER
geography	to get a feel for the number of hits on this broad topic	N/A	138986	Large number of hits - listed in order of relevance by percentage	results
geographic AND information	using a boolean expression	N/A	176950	Large number of hits as above.	results
"geographic information system"	Used quotation marks to search for phrase to test for a more specific topic	N/A	2960	Hits more relevant than previous, but not ideal.	result
N/A	Previously noted on first search attempt that excite suggested one of its directory listings.	Stepped through: Education Universities & Colleges Fields of Study Science Earth Sciences Geography	links in list=72	The list of links were highly suitable and relevant.	result

Yahoo Search Engine

Yahoo is styled very much like a Virtual Library, in the way it displays topics by index. I chose it for this reason.

SEARCH TERM REASON LIMITS or STEPS NO. HITS COMMENTS RESULTS AS VIEWED THROUGH BROWSER

N/A Went straight to categories Stepped through:
Science
Earth and/or Geography (same result)
N/A Cartography and GIS were both relevant subcategories results

SEARCH TERM	REASON	LIMITS or STEPS	NO. HITS	COMMENTS	RESULTS AS VIEWED THROUGH BROWSER
N/A	Went straight to categories	Stepped through: Science Earth and/or Geography (same result)	N/A	Cartography and GIS were both relevant subcategories	results

CSU Databases

From the main CSU database page, I went to Australian Databases, then selected Heritage and Environment 1992+. From the list under Heritage and Environment I ticked H&E:EPIC (Environment and planning).

SEARCH TERM REASON LIMITS or STEPS NO. HITS COMMENTS RESULTS AS VIEWED THROUGH BROWSER

(geographic AND information AND system) OR (geopgraphic AND mapping) Using a boolean search to gather items with all three words, or all two words words anywhere, any year 61 relevant results

geographic AND information AND system Using a boolean search to gather items with all three words words anywhere, any year 51 relevant results

SEARCH TERM	REASON	LIMITS or STEPS	NO. HITS	COMMENTS	RESULTS AS VIEWED THROUGH BROWSER
(geographic AND information AND system) OR (geopgraphic AND mapping)	Using a boolean search to gather items with all three words, or all two words	words anywhere, any year	61	relevant	results
geographic AND information AND system	Using a boolean search to gather items with all three words	words anywhere, any year	51	relevant	results