Web Search, GRG 859A

Make your contribution to the Geographer's Craft Project and the Geography Virtual Department

Search the Web for five items that can be added to the resources of the Geographer's Craft Project or the Geography Virtual Department. You receive one point for each newly discovered source, up to a maximum of five points. No points will be given for items already listed in Geography Departments Worldwide , On-line Geography Course Materials , or Internet Resources for Geographers .

You will be looking for 1) Geography Departments; 2) On-line Geography Course Materials (but NOT course descriptions); and 3) Web Sources of Direct Interest to Geographers. Please ask Professor Foote if you have any questions about what materials qualify.

In searching for geography departments, multidisciplinary programs count as long as they have geography in their title. This would include departments of: Geography and Geology, Geography and Environmental Studies, Geography and Anthropology, Geography and Planning, and so forth. Again, ask Professor Foote if you have questions.

1. For every department, course, or resource you find, write an annotation describing the contents of the pages. This would include:

University or Agency Name, Department Name, Course or Resource
URL to department, course, or resource
Description of Materials Found. For departments this would include keywords like: Faculty List, Student List, Undergraduate Program, Graduate Program, Course Descriptions, Class Materials, Research Projects, Other (describe). For examples of other types of annotations, see items already listed in Geography Departments Worldwide , On-line Geography Course Materials , or Internet Resources for Geographers . The point here is that "blind" links aren't as useful as are links that tell Web users what they will find when they go the source. Therefore, describe the materials in ways that will be helpful to other users.

2. Combine your finds with those in your lab team. Alphabetize the listings within each of the three categories: departments, courses, and sources.

3. Cross-check all the URLs to make sure they work. No credit will be given for mistyped and mistaken URLs.

4. Markup the combined list with HTML and put it on-line in your Web development area. It should be placed in its own directory and linked from your home page. All the links, including the one from your home page, must work for you to get credit for the assignment.

A TIP ON SEARCHING: Not all universities have geography departments, so it will be slow going if you work down the ordinary lists of US and foreign universities available in the Web. It is better to target your search more carefully. Use the Association of American Geographer's Guide to Programs of Geography in the United States and Canada (a copy will be left in the lab) and Orbis Geographicus (a copy is available at PCL) for listings of departments worldwide.

Last Revised 11 July 1997. LNC.