Searching the Internet Searching the internet allows you to access a vast and ever changing source of information, which some can
find confusing. The world wide web (the web) comprises a huge variety of corporations, government agencies, educational facilities, groups and individuals. Anyone with access to the Internet and an internet BROWSERS. The most commonly used software – browsers – to search the Internet are Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Netscape’s Navigator, Linux, Mozilla Forefox and Opera These browsers work in the similar ways by providing all the resources needed to access and navigate – surf – pages on the web. SEARCH ENGINES. The Internet is a place where you can find virtually any piece of information with a little In order to make sense of this vast information network, many organisations have developed tools to GETTING STARTED. You can go to directly to a specific organisation or search engine by typing the web address or URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in the address bar of the browser. Most web addresses begin with http://www so the only part you have to type is what comes after the www. The address usually appears in small case letters. To search for information, you must click on the search icon or button usually found on the main menu bar along the top of the screen. The main search will then be loaded up onto the computer and be displayed. All It is important that you be as specific as possible when searching for information. Many search engines use a system called Boolean Logic (i.e. AND, OR, NOT, WITH etc, in some browsers the AND & OR may return false results.) to help narrow down the scope of the search. For example, typing HIV into the search window will return a result of many thousands of pages, which may have no relevance to the particular aspect of HIV you are researching. If however, you type HIV and CMV or HIV+CMV, this will reduce the search and increase the chances of finding the pages you require. Typing “HIV Cardiff” will define the search exactly as within the quote marks. Remember: the more specifically you outline your search, the better your chance you finding what you want. As for sites about HIV-related information, some reputable sights are listed below. A note of caution. Since there is little policing of the web, be aware that not everything that is published is true. Be careful what kind of personal information you provide, because not everyone is looking out for your best interest. Selected HIV-related websites
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