Basic Internet Skills

Trust Library services

Contents
The Internet and Intranet P. 1

Section 1: Navigating the Internet

Browsers Home Page Toolbars What is a web address? How do I type in a web address? Changing your default home page Loading web pages without graphics Printing Changing page setup Saving web pages Virus checking Saving favorites Creating folders in favorites Storing web pages in folders P. 2 P. 2 P. 3 P. 3 P. 4 P. 4 P. 5 P. 6 P. 7 P. 7 P. 8 P. 9 P. 9 P.10

Section 2: Searching
Search engines Web directories Health search engines Library web pages P.11 P.13 P.13 P.13

Section 3: Quality
Quality issues Glossary Contact information P.14 P.16 P.16

The Internet and Intranet

What are they? v The Internet is a worldwide network of computers. v The Intranet is a smaller network of computers with limited private access.

Hospitals will often have a set of web pages, which only their staff can see. This information is stored on an Intranet and is only accessible within their computer network. Staff at work will also be able to move from the Intranet to the Internet to search for information. They have full access to all information. From home staff can only browse the Internet.

Internet
(Full access from home & work)

Intranet (Access from work only)

The Internet provides lots of services. These include: v World Wide Web (Lots of documents that are linked to each other. These documents are called web pages ) v E-mail (electronic mail) v Newsgroups (Discussion groups which you can join online) v FTP (a method for transferring files from computer to computer)

Section 1: Navigating the Internet

1.1 Browsers To access information on the Internet you need a browser. A web browser is a piece of software that allows you to view, navigate and interact with the World Wide Web (WWW). The two most commonly used browsers are Netscape and Internet Explorer. To access the Internet at work at Torbay & the South Devon community hospitals: v Log onto the computer using your user name and password v Double click on the Internet Explore Icon To access the Internet at Derriford you will need to: v Log onto the computer using your user name and password and changing your domain name v Double click on the Internet Explore Icon v (You may be prompted for your password again) 1.2 Home page The first page you will see on your screen once you have logged onto the Internet is your home page. A home page is a web page that your computer will always go to when you logon to the Internet. At Plymouth and South Devon, this is typically the Trusts homepage. Homepages can be changed (see section 1.6)
Toolbar Address bar

The South Devon Healthcare NHS Trust Homepage

Links 2

Web page information

A home page and a web page have four main features: 1. 2. 3. 4. The toolbar for navigating around the Internet/Intranet (see section 1.3) The address bar. This allows you to type in web addresses (see section 1.4) The web page content Links to further information. (To access a link move the cursor over the link, when it changes to a hand click once. The new web page will then appear)

1.3 Toolbars The toolbar at the top of a web page allows you to navigate around the Internet easily. The main functions are described below.

Forward

Refresh

Web address

Back Back: Forward: Stop: Refresh: Home: Search: Favorites: History: Print:

Stop

Home

click here to view the page you viewed before the current page click here to view the page you were viewing before you clicked the Back button click on this button if the page you are trying to view is taking too long click on this to load the most up to date version or if the page doesnt seem to be loading loads your home page allows you to search the world wide web displays a list of sites you have stored & allows more to be added lists sites you have recently visited allows you to print the information on the screen

1.4 What is a web address? Every web site on the Internet has a web address. This is known as an URL (Uniform Resource Locator). It usually begins with http://www. (http stands for hypertext transfer protocol and tells the web browser it is looking for a web page). With most computers http:// is already stored. This means that you simply start typing www. The text after the www shows the domain name. This is the organisations name. For example, www.sdhl. tells you that the domain name of the organisation is South Devon Health Libraries. Finally, the domain type follows the domain name. This tells you a little bit more about the organisation. The domain type identifies the site as commercial or non-profit making or academic etc. The example below identifies the site as National Health Service. The .UK at the end of the address indicates the site is British in origin.

Domain name

Domain type

Further examples of domain names and types are listed below.

Domain type

.com .co.uk .gov .org .net .ac .nhs

Type of site Commercial UK company Government site Non profit making organisation Internet Resources Academic/university National Health Service

Example www.bmj.com www.bbc.co.uk www.doh.gov.uk www.cafamily.org.uk www.freeserve.net www.exeter.ac.uk www.sdhct.nhs.uk

1.5 How do I type in a web address? The address bar at the top of the computer screen shows you the current web address.

e.g. To type in a new address v Click once in the address box v The writing turns blue v Use the delete or backspace button on the keyboard to erase the address that is currently showing v Type a new address in full e.g. www.multimap.com v Press the return button on the keyboard and the your new site will start to appear Sometimes a web site will fail to appear and an error message will show on the screen instead. Errors occur for three reasons 1. A typing mistake 2. The web site has moved 3. The web site has been deleted To rectify the problem, check the address is correct and then click on the Refresh button. Try it several times. If the site still fails to appear, try it again later.

1.6 Changing your default home page If you wish to change the home page on your computer you need to v v v v Type in the web address you wish to save as your new default home page Click on Tools on the tool bar at the top of the computer screen Select Internet Options from the menu Click on Use current
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v Click on Apply v Click on OK Your chosen web site is now your new default home page. This is the first page you will see when you log onto the Internet. Example
At Internet options

Step 1 - Click on use current to save your default home page

Step 3 - Click on OK to finish

Step 2 - Click on Apply to save the change

1.7 Loading web pages without graphics If you are using a very slow PC, e.g. at home, you can turn the graphics off to make the web pages load faster. To do this: v v v v v v v Click on Tools on the tool bar at the top of the screen Select Internet Options from the menu Click on the Advanced tab Scroll down the screen until you see Multimedia on the left side of the box The Show pictures box has a tick in it, remove this by clicking on the tick Click on Apply Click on OK to finish

Example At Internet Options.

Step 1 - Click on the Advanced tab

Step 2 - Click on the tick box to turn off the pictures

Step 3 - Click on Apply to save the changes. Followed by OK to finish

1.8 Printing At some point you may decide to print your web page. You may either: 1. Print the whole web page 2. Print a part of web page

To start printing the complete web page: v Click on File on the tool bar at the top of the computer screen v Select Print from the menu v A print dialogue box opens

Print dialogue box

Step 1- The computer will automatically print all the web page. This may in fact be several pages long.

Step 2- check how many copies you require

Step 3 - Click on OK to finish

To start printing part of a page, you will need to highlight the area of text required first: v v v v v v v v Place the cursor at the beginning of the section you require Left click with the mouse Hold down the button and drag the mouse to the end of the section Let go of the button The selection will now be highlighted Go to the print dialogue box Click on the Selection button (in the print range section) Click on OK and only the part of the text you have highlighted will be printed

1.9 Changing Page Setup You may wish to print out the web page in landscape format, or change the margins. This can be done by v Click on File on the tool bar at the top of the screen v Select Page Setup from the menu v Change the options in the Page setup dialogue box

1.10 Saving web pages - Downloading information Periodically you may want to save (download) your web page as an electronic copy. Saving web pages allows you to look at the information at a later date without connecting to the Internet again.
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To save a web page: v v v v v Go to the web page you wish to save Click on File on the tool bar at the top of the screen Select Save As from the menu Decide where you want to save the information e.g. A drive, C drive or desktop etc. Click on save

Example
Step 1 - Click on the arrow to see the drop down menu of places to store your web page. Click on the drive you want to store your web page in

Step 3 - Click on the Save button

Step 2 - The web page is automatically given a name. If you wish to change it, highlight the text by clicking in the box once. Erase the text by using delete or backspace on the keyboard and then type your new name

1.11 Virus Checking As viruses can wipe out all the information held on your computer, it is important you virus check information you save from the Internet. At work you will normally have either: Sophos F-prot Dr Solomons Virus scan

These are located in the bottom right hand corner of your computer screen. When you need to virus check: Right click on F-prot or Left click on Sophos/Dr Solomons Follow the instructions All web pages and all email attachments that are saved onto your PC should be virus checked before they are viewed.

1.12 Saving your most favorite websites As you explore the Internet, youll often come across sites which you may wish to visit again. To save remembering and re-typing addresses, you can store them in the Favorites menu. To save your favorite website: v v v v v v v Go to the website you want to save as a favorite Click on the Favorites button on the tool bar A window will open on the left hand side of the screen Click on Add A new window will appear and the web page name can be seen in the main box Click on OK to save the page in your favorites To view your favorite website again: Click on the favorites button on the toolbar, the favorites menu will appear again on the left. Click on the web address.

Step 1 - Click on Add to save an address

Step 2 Check you are happy with the name of the web page and then Click on OK.

1.13 Creating Folders in Favorites Once you have stored several favorites you can start organising them into folders. v Click on the Favorites button on the tool bar v A window will open to the left of the screen v Click on Organise. A new window will open (see below). Click on Create folder. 9

Step 1 Click on create folder

Step 2 - A new folder appears. Rename your folder (see over leaf)

v A New Folder will appear on the right side of the window and the words New Folder will be highlighted in blue v To change the folder name, click on top of the text and delete the text v Type in your folder name v Press return to save your folder name v Click on Close

Storing web pages in folders To move stored favorites into folders: v v v v v v v v Click on the Favorites button A window will open to the left of the screen Click on Organise. A further window will open Highlight the site you wish to move into a folder by pointing at the name and clicking once Click on Move to Folder A new window will open listing all the folders Click on the folder you want to put the web page into Click OK

Example

Step 2 click on Move to Folder Step 1 highlight the site you wish to move into a folder

Step 3 click on the folder you want to put the web page into

Step 4 click OK

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Section 2: Searching
2.1 Search Engines If you are looking for a specific subject but do not know of any suitable websites you can search the Internet using a search engine. Search engines enable you to search a vast database, which indexes the text on millions of web pages. The result of a search will be a list of all the sites where those words appear. In most cases you will also get some additional brief information which will give you some idea of what the site is about. Search engines rank information according what they think is most relevant to you. This is not an indicator of quality. You can only judge the content by looking at the site itself. Using a search engine v In the address bar type in a search engine web address e.g.www.google.com Press Return v Googles home page will appear v To start a search, first click in the search box to indicate you wish to type in your search terms v Type in keywords and then hit return on your computer v The search will be undertaken and the results displayed on the screen

Step 1 Type in keywords in the search box

When searching you must be as specific as possible. v Type in keyword(s) e.g. Department of Health e.g. mortality statistics cancer uk not mortality statistics in the UK for people with cancer v Use + between words to limit your search e.g. Torbay + Hospital (in most cases search engines automatically add this + term in for you)
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v Use quote marks to indicate a phrase e.g. accident and emergency v Add UK to eliminate foreign sites e.g. department of health uk Interpreting Your Results The results of your search will appear in a new screen after using a search engine. Search engines will give you links to a website, some basic information about the site and usually the web address of the site itself. A good search engine will also tell you the number of results it has found. Example Search results
Web address

Link to UK Dept of Health site

Brief description of web site contents

The first ten results from the total of 3,610,000 are listed on this page

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2.2 Web Directories Web directories, unlike search engines, list sites by topic and subtopic, enabling you to focus in on the area of interest gradually. Web directories work well when you are researching a broad area or are a novice searcher. Most search engines include a web directory feature. Search engines which include web directories are: www.yahoo.com www.google.com www.excite.com

Using a Web Directory v In the address bar type in the address of a search engine with a web directory feature e.g. www.yahoo.com v Press enter v Browse through the various categories v Click once on any category you wish to explore v Subsequent screens will offer you more topics or links to individual websites

2.3 Health Search Engines When looking for health information, you need to be very careful as to its quality. Anybody can publish anything. Omni is a health search engine which you can use to look for information which does come from bone fide organisations. To use Omni: v v v v In the address bar type in www.omni.ac.uk Press return Enter your search terms in the Query box Click on Search or press return

2.4 Library Web Pages The Trust Library website provides links to health related information for both professionals and patients at home and work. Information includes: v Access to clinical databases e.g. medline, cinahl, cochrane etc. v Journal holdings and library catalogues v Information for patients e.g. leaflets, support groups, organisations etc. v Local & national health & social care organisations At work the Library pages can be accessed via the Trust Intranet. At home the pages may be accessed via www.sdhl.nhs.uk.

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Section 3: Quality
The Internet is one of the newest and easiest ways of accessing a whole wealth of health information from the desktop. A simple search on asthma alone will bring up over 65,000 web sites. However remember that: v Anyone can publish on the Internet. Unlike traditional paper based resources, information on the Internet may not have been through quality 'filters' such as publishers, editors or peer-reviewers. v Resources may not be what they appear to be or what they say they are. There is no guarantee of honesty or accuracy on the Internet. There may be inherent bias built into the web site. v Whilst the Internet is seen as a new resource some of the information located on the Internet may not have been kept up to date. v It is important that you assess the quality of the information source yourself! Core Checklist
Aims and objectives Coverage Authority and reputation Accuracy Currency Accessibility Quiz!

What is the purpose of the web site? v Are the aims and objectives of the web site clear? Is there a statement of these on the site itself? v What is the intended coverage and are there any limitations to it? v Who is the intended audience? v Does the site achieve its aims?

What is the level of coverage? v Are all aspects of the subject covered? v Is there retrospective coverage? v Are there any pointers to links to further sources of information? Are the pointers useful?

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Who has written the information? v Is it an individual or organisation? Is the individual a subject expert or are they an organisation well known in that field of activity? v What is the address of the web site? Does the address indicate an authoritative organisation? v Are there any reviews discussing the web site and the information on it? Has the information been peer reviewed?
v

Can you contact the author for information or is a biography available on them?

Is the information accurate and valid? v Are you able to check and cross check the accuracy and validity of the information? v Does the page cite a bibliography, provide references, contact details or e-mail addresses to confirm the accuracy and validity of the information? v Are the grammar and spelling accurate? Are there a large number of typographical errors? v Does the information give a balanced view or is it biased in any way? How current is the information? v Is the information contained in the web site up to date or just the web site itself? Can you check the currency of both? v Does the web site include an archive? v How frequently is the site updated? Does the site have a maintenance policy? Is the web site easy to use? v Is it easy to navigate round the site? Are the links to information logical? v Is the site clearly presented and does it have a search facility? v Is the site and the information fast to access? There are a number of websites which you can use to practice how good you are at evaluating the quality of a website Quality information checklist - http://www.quick.org.uk/ Although aimed at children this HEA quiz is a really fun, informative way of assessing the quality of information found on web sites. Internet Detective - http://sosig.ac.uk/desire/internet-detective.html Online tutorial.. Although taking up to two hours to complete it can be finished a section at a time.

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Some Basic Internet Terms

Internet Intranet NHSnet Trust Intranet A worldwide network of computers A smaller network with limited, private access A private network for people working in the NHS only The Trust has an Intranet. You can connect TO the Internet from the Trust Intranet. However from home you cannot connect FROM the Internet to the Trusts Intranet A part of the Internet which shares information using web pages A page of information that is on a computer linked to the Internet or to an Intranet A collection of web pages linked together. An example of a website is www.sdhl.nhs.uk The first page you generally see. It has links to other pages and often to other sites A feature that lets you use the Internet. The Trust uses Explorer. (Netscape Navigator is another example) Internet

World Wide Web Web page Web site Home page Browser Domain name

Identifies the name of the organisation within a web address e.g. www.nelh.nhs.uk. (National electronic library for Health) Identifies the type of organisation, e.g. government, commercial within a web address e.g. www.multimap.com (commercial web site) www.quick.org (non profit making web site) Enables you to move between web pages. Links can be identified wherever the cursor changes to a hand Enables you to search for sites using keywords. Examples include www.google.com, www.omni.ac.uk Sets out information in subject categories, useful for broad searches. Examples include www.yahoo.com & www.altavista.com

Domain type

Links

Search engine

Web directory

Contact Points
Plymouth Staff Library 01752 792265 South Devon 01803 654709

Produced by Claire Chilcott, Trust Library Services, South Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, 2003

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