Internet Search Strategies Employed by Library and Information Science Students of University of Nigeria, for Research

IntroductionThe convergence of computer and telecommunication has revolutionized information management in the present day information environment. One of the products of this myriad of convergence is the birth of the Internet. In the process of trying to make information available to information seekers and users in the past few years, Internet search strategies have become the state of the art. This is so considering the strategic importance of Internet in information retrieval. The world over have been availed the opportunity of Internet in the enhancement of knowledge and research. The invention of the Internet, CD-Rom technology, and on-line information search engines, among others have made this possible.The information superhighway as it is usually called is simply the interconnectivity of computers that provide a wide range of information in all facets of human endeavors to end-users (Anyokoha, 2005). The Internet can be used for research by browsing the World Wide Web (www) using the Uniform resource locator (URL) to access databases provided electronically by information providers. E-mails can be sent and received; chats and discussion can be conducted in addition to the transaction of e-commerce (Afolabi, 2001).Therefore, among its chief uses are research, entertainment and business (Wajasurriya, 1998). Students need Internet because of its flexibility and dynamism in information retrieval, storage and processing. Internet is very important to students because they need to have access to timely, accurate and relevant academic information (Adomi, Omodeko and Otolo, 2004). Internet sources like the search engines have greatly increased the speed of searching out information. They have brought considerable relief to students in universities, as students can conveniently walk into any library that has its holdings on Internet and have access to unlimited information.According to Axelrod and Cooper as cited in Ejizu (2010), the Internet is a global network made up of many smaller networks that enable computer users to share information and resources quickly and easily. The above definition implies that the Internet is a connection of millions of computers around the globe such that one of the connected computers could have access to any information stored in these computers within the global village. One may also describe the Internet as a tool that connects various types of computers to one another in a way that a computer on the Internet can communicate and share information with other computers in the network of networks, even though there may be no direct physical connection between them.According to Encyclopedia Britannica (2003), the Internet is a system architecture that has revolutionized communications and method of commerce by allowing various computer networks around the world to interconnect Internets, sometimes referred to as network of networks. Many online sources offer varying definitions, but mostly everyone agrees that the Internet is a World Wide Web, publicly accessible network of interconnected networks that allow sharing or networking of files and information at remote sites from other academic institutions, research institutions, private companies, government agencies and individual using Transmission Control Protocol or Internet Protocol, and that communicate through phones and satellite (Mac Bride, 1998).Ojo-Iginoba (1997) maintains that the Internet has become the market place for learning and online education. Contributing to this, Ojedokun (2001) points out that the Internet has broken down barriers of communication and information access from any part of the World and that it allows users to have access to information and offers them opportunity to access up-to-date research. The Internet is very useful to university student's especially in Nigeria because it enables them to have access to timely, accurate and relevant information that cannot be obtained from library shelves. …