Starting the Search
When you type a phrase into the search box on Google,
you are conducting a keyword search. This means that if you type the phrase global warming into Google, Google will tell the index to find websites that
contain the exact words global and warming
(if you type golbal warming on accident,
you will not get very many results). The ranking algorithm tells
Google which sites are more relevant to your search and puts
those sites at the top of the results.
Just by looking at the website addresses listed in the
results list, you can learn some valuable information about the
sites. The last part of the web address: .com, .edu, .org, tells
you what kind of site you are looking at.
| .com | Commercial site |
| .net | Network site |
| .org | Non-profit organization |
| .edu | Educational institution |
| .gov | U.S. government site |
| .mil | U.S. military site |
The first three domains, shaded in light brown,
are public domains. Anyone can register for
this type of website. Organizational websites
(.org) are supposed to be used solely by
non-profit organizations, but there are no
regulations in place on this domain. The
last three websites are regulated, and you must
get permission from the appropriate organization
to use the domain. The regulated sites usually
offer more trusted information because the
integrity of the sponsoring institution depends on
the quality of information posted on their sites.
When you get information from a site with a .com, .net, or .org domain, it is important to get background information about who is responsible for the information on the site since the information published to these sites may not be regulated.