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Researching on the Internet
因特網上的調查
The Internet is the fastest growing source of information in the world today.
現今，因特網是發展最迅速的信息來源。
There are, however, some things to keep in mind when you use it to do research.
然而，在你做調查的時候，還是要牢牢記住一些事情。
Before you sit down at a computer terminal, read this brief guide to make sure that you use the Internet in the best way possible.
在你做到電腦終端前，應該讀一下這個簡要指導，以確保你把因特網的使用發揮到最佳。
Step one: choosing a search service
第一步：選擇搜索服務
Let's start by looking at the two services you can choose between to assist you in your search: search engines and subject directories.
首先讓我們看一看可供你選擇的兩種幫你搜索的服務功能：搜索引擎和主題目錄檢索。
Both give you direct links, but the information is chosen and organized in different ways.
他們都會給你直接的鏈接，但是信息是經過不同方式的篩選和組織的。
Search engines
搜索引擎
Search engines are a type of computer program.
搜索引擎是一種電腦程序。
The links that you get are not classified by subject.
給你的這些鏈接并非以題目分類。
These engines search the Internet for you based on the key words you type in, and choose web pages for you which contain the words you ask for.
這些搜索引擎基于你輸入的關鍵字（詞）進行查找，并幫你選擇包含你尋找的詞的網面。
The contents they search have not been evaluated.
他們查找的內容還未被評估過。
This means that the information has never been checked --
這意味著這信息還沒有檢查過——
it could be reliable, true information or false information written by a person without qualifications or someone who does not have the solid facts.
它可能是可靠的、真實的信息，也可能是錯誤虛假的信息，這些虛假信息往往是不具專業資格的人或沒有可靠事實背景的人寫的。
The links you obtain from the search engine go to the full articles or pages.
你得到的這些鏈接直到引入整篇文章或頁面。
This requires you to be patient as you have to read the information to decide whether it is linked to what you are researching.
這就要求你非常耐心的閱讀這些信息，因為你要判斷它是否與你要查找的內容有關。
Examples of famous search engines are Google, Yahoo and Baidu.
著名的搜索引擎有：Google，Yahoo和百度。
You can also go to the www.thesearchenginelist.com website and check their list of search engines.
你也可以到www.thesearchenginelist.com這個網站去核對他們的搜索引擎列表。
Subject directories
主題目錄
Subject directories are built by humans.
主題目錄是人類建立的。
Someone has combed through pages and links and selected all those that are in the directory.
有人已經從頭到尾梳理了頁面和鏈接，并篩選了所有這些在主題目錄里。
The results of your search are divided into specific subject categories.
你搜尋的結果按具體的主題進行了分類。
You do not get the full pages to read.
你不用去讀所有頁面。
Instead, you get a bunch of titles of articles or pages and, sometimes, a short summary of the information they contain.
而你得到的是一束文章或頁面的題目，并且，有時候，是他們所包含信息的一個簡短的摘要。
You need to decide whether the information is useful to you on that basis.
在此基礎上，你需要判斷這些信息對你來說是否有用處。
Most often, the information in subject directories has been evaluated, and someone has decided that the information is relevant and correct.
通常情況下，主題目錄里的信息是已經被評估過的，而且有人已經判定了信息是相關和正確的。
Being relevant and correct, though, does not equal being up to date.
當然了，相關的和正確的，不等于是最新最近的。
