Category: web research

Posted in 21st Century life, Internet statistics, online communication, online data collecting, web research

Twitter’s Got Bots: Lots of T​hem

Posted on by Marti Weston

Pew Twitter bots

Twitter is becoming a more influential part of everyday 21st Century life. However, we all need to understand that not all tweets are sent by people.

Recently Pew Internet researchers designed a Twitter study aiming to figure out what portion of tweet traffic comes from bots. Bots are automated programs that tweet or retweet information around the web, but they do so without the help of people.

Bots are not necessarily bad or nefarious. Tweets that announce weather, traffic, remind you of a concert starting time, or warn communities of nearby problems serve a constructive purpose, but they are often sent by bots.    Continue reading “Twitter’s Got Bots: Lots of T​hem” →

Posted in digital parenting, family conversations, media literacy, parent child conversations, parents and technology, web research

Before and After the Super Storm: Resources for Parents

Posted on by Marti Weston
Click to access the tips (in PDF form).

If ever there is a time to keep our media literacy skills front and center, it’s after a national disaster. Adults need to regulate and monitor what children see and, more importantly, adults need to remember that children see and hear a lot more than we sometimes think.

Check out the blog posting Protecting Children From the Media’s Storm Coverage. Written by K.J. Dell’Antonia, the New York Times Motherlode blogger, the November 2, 2012 article focuses on the need to limit children’s exposure to storm-related media coverage.
The Motherlode article directs readers to a two-page document that offers even more information about protecting children from prolonged traumatic event coverage — a free PDF available from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene website. The two-page article, Protecting Children from Disturbing Media Reports During Traumatic Events, offers tips for parents and caregivers, going into detail about what children understand at each age level.        Continue reading “Before and After the Super Storm: Resources for Parents” →

Posted in Bookmark It!, digital parenting, resources to read, social media, web research

Keeping Track During a Disaster — A Helpful Kind of Tracking: Bookmark It!

Posted on by Marti Weston
Nixle helps to aggregate data sources during a disaster.

If you haven’t had enough of hurricane Irene, PC Magazine just published 10 Mobile Apps for Tracking Hurricane Irene. Some are free and others are downloadable for a small charge.

Applications come from government agencies like NOAA, but there are also some that are more survival oriented. One helps users develop and share a disaster plan.

Nixle, the application on the left, allows a user to set up connections with data sources so the information comes to you. Every app is not available for every mobile platform.

Check out the PC Magazine presentation, featuring something for every type of disaster tracking personality.

Posted in digital parenting, great sites for students, Library of Congress, parents and technology, web research

Our Library of Congress: Knowledge Moves into the Digital World

Posted on by Marti Weston
The LOC Reading Room - Picture taken from the entrance.

If you ever visit Washington, DC, save an afternoon or even a day to visit the Library of Congress (LOC). Filled with resources — primary and secondary, hands-on and digital — the Library is a delight for anyone who loves to learn. In my post , The Library of Congress: Go Exploring for Digital Resources, I wrote about a few LOC digital learning opportunities, and library website features many more. The digital learning resources are available no matter where a person lives, however there is much to see at the library itself, and a LOC library visit is fun for adults and children.

Last Monday, on the February holiday that honors Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, the Library of Congress, which was started with the book collection of another president, Thomas Jefferson, opened its main reading room to the public.

Continue reading “Our Library of Congress: Knowledge Moves into the Digital World” →

Posted in digital parenting, online health resources, parent education, parents and technology, research on the web, web research

Immunizations: Digital Resources for Families

Posted on by Marti Weston

When we are sick or injured or when we are planning to travel, we often try to recall past immunizations as well as determine if boosters are required. Yearly flu shots are fairly easy to remember. However, the boosters that update past inoculations are more difficult to recall. Most adults do not keep good enough inoculation records and because we move from place to place, or at least doctor to doctor, our medical charts are not as complete as they should be.

The MedlinePlus immunization page provides lots of information for families. Moreover, if you family is traveling the CDC’s Travelers’ Health page also gives vaccination information to help everyone prepare for the trip.

Early this fall, because of my work, I went to my doctor to get a booster for pertussis, and sure enough, cases in my area right now. I am glad I got the booster. Check this pertussis information website at CDC for more information.

For a great immunization review, take this Adolescent and Adult Vaccine Quiz. When you finish click the My Results button.

Posted in Back-to-school digital reading, digital parenting, digital world reading habits, homework, parents and technology, research on the web, web research

Digital Reading: How Much Does Your Child Trust Search Links?

Posted on by Marti Weston
If you enjoy this post, check out my August 2010 post about using online databases, Staying Ahead With Online Resources, about online data.

The next time you watch your child begin a web search for a school project or other academic activity, take a few minutes to observe more closely how he or she selects web resources. In Trust Online: Young Adults’ Evaluation of Web Content (this abstract site leads to a free PDF of the article), professor Eszter Hargittai and colleagues form the Web Use Project at Northwestern University, describe how students tend to place huge amounts of trust in the initial hits retrieved by search engines such as Google and Yahoo.

With first year students in a required writing course at the University of Illinois Chicago (chosen because of its highly diverse student body) researchers conducted a written survey of 1060 students enrolled in the classes. Next researchers selected a stratified random sample of 192 students to observe in person as each student performed 12 specific web-based tasks. Learn more about a stratified random sample.

Interesting Observations

  • To complete a web-based task, students usually went to a search engine.
  • After search engines presented links, students tended to follow the first few links, apparently assuming that the first links in a search were reliable resources to pursue.
  • When they looked at a list of provided links, some had difficulty knowing the difference between regular links and sponsored links.
  • As they followed these links, students did not appear concerned about who authored the sites that they found (only 10 percent of the students commented about a site’s authors or the credentials presented).
  • To complete tasks students relied on brand names, and corporate brands dominated.
  • SparkNotes, an online version of Cliff Notes, dominated.
  • For credible sources many students favored .gov and .edu sites as more credible sites.
  • Many expressed trust in .org, because they are all not-for-profit sites, although these days just about anyone can get a .org web address.
  • To verify information, less than half of the observed students consulted a second website.
Posted in great sites for students, homework, parents and technology, web research

Museums: For Schoolwork, Fun, and Even Travel – Bookmark It!

Posted on by Marti Weston

Summer is over, but your family can still travel virtually to out-of-town museums by visiting one of the web-based museum portals described below. Each leads to a wide range of museums close by and around the world. Some of the sites feature travel information as well as museums.

While it is easy to search for the larger, most well-known museums, these search sites can help people find hidden museum gems. Becoming familiar with these museum portals gives parents and students an additional bonus — museums are great resources for students to use when they work on school reports and projects. Below are four sites that provide hours of fun, not to mention unlimited information. Continue reading “Museums: For Schoolwork, Fun, and Even Travel – Bookmark It!” →