Reducing the Information Overload: A Method on Helping Students Research Engineering Topics Using the Internet

Students are using the Internet as a primary source of information when researching topics for reports, presentations, or research. Because of the vast amount of data currently available, students need assistance developing an approach to gather this information. Without a proper plan on how to obtain information, they will waste countless hours, and become very frustrated at the process. This paper will describe several methods for searching for technical information on the Internet, as related to both electrical engineering and electrical and computer engineering technology (ECET). These methods were presented to students in several ECET classes at New Jersey Institute of Technology. The students were then required to develop presentations on technical topics within their discipline, using several of the sites described in this paper. This paper will also suggest a hierarchy in using these various methods, depending on the type of search required. While the initial concept in developing these techniques was to present a method for student information gathering on the Internet, the author has used many of these techniques for class lectures, as well as research topics. Therefore, the techniques presented in this paper are also pertinent to faculty research and teaching. Index Terms--Internet, metasearch engines, research, undergraduate.