sports turf managers association 17 th annual conference january 21, 2006 pete cookingham turfgrass...
TRANSCRIPT
Sports Turf Managers Association 17th Annual Conference
January 21, 2006
Pete CookinghamTurfgrass Information Center
Michigan State University Librariestic.msu.edu
Using Turf Online Resources: TGIF and More
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Outcomes for the session today…..
Greater awareness of the scope & nature of the web
Greater efficiency in using the web as a professional tool
How to harness TGIF for your use Evaluating sources systematically Identify improvements for TGIF to help
meet your needs
So what is ‘the web’ anyway?
Public & private!
Finding Aids to the Web
2 classes of “finding aids”
–Guide pagesMost useful for browsing
–Search enginesMost useful for searching
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Guide Pages
Often called “Links” pages
Lots of these out there!
Most turf sites include a links page
Contain lists of connections to other sites on web
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3 examples of guide sites for turfgrass interests
These approaches are based on a national/international approach; and are sector-independent – The Ultimate Turfgrass Links Page -- Doug Karcher, University of
Arkansas – http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/turf/Turflinks/
– Turfgrass Links -- Guelph Turfgrass Institute http://www.uoguelph.ca/GTI.linkfram.htm
– Turfgrass AgNIC -- Penn State University Libraries http://www.libraries.psu.edu/turfgrass/
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Search Engines Use a ‘fill-in-the-blank’ approach Like a very sophisticated index they point to content elsewhere Many web-wide engines, new ones will continue to be introduced -- Lycos, HotBot, MSN Search, etc. Most popular (market share about 43%) now is Google http://www.google.com
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Turfgrass Information File (TGIF) First records entered into the database in August of
1984 Now over 100,000 records in size Each record represents a separate “item” -- article,
thesis, book chapter, webpage, video clip, blueprint, etc.
In 1988, direct dial-up access using direct computer-to-computer connection via phone lines became available, although tricky, slow & frustrating
Through the mid-1990s, though TGIF continued to grow and connections got faster & better, online use was still problematic…
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…then along came the Web, and that changed everything!
What can the Web, do for you, and when is it better, perhaps, to
use TGIF ???…
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When is the Web stronger than TGIF? For commercial & product content
– Prices, descriptive features, tech specs., from the producers– For contact information of any kind– While Author affiliation information is included in most TGIF
records, it is linked to the date of ‘publication’ of the material– For finding places, people, etc, stick to the big engines or
local/specialized aids For non-turf information For interactive or volatile content of any kind
– Weather information, job listings, equipment sales, news, interactive chat or bulletin board-like activity
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When is TGIF stronger than the Web?…
The more ‘turfish’ the issue, the more agronomic, the more content TGIF will identify.
Why?
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Because… Content -- Electronic only?
– “On the internet, you never know what you’re missing” (James O’Donnell, in Avatars of the Word: From Papyrus to Cyberspace, 1998)
Indexing vocabulary
Currency
Depth
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So how does the Turfgrass Information Center (TIC) fit into
this puzzle?…
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Functions of the Turfgrass Information Center
Collect and preserve materials relating to turfgrass science, culture, and the management of turfgrass-based facilities, such as golf courses, parks, sports fields, residential lawns, sod farms, roadsides, institutional grounds, and other managed landscapes.
Provide workspace and electronic infrastructure in support of turfgrass scholarship.
Provide online access to the collection, as well as structured, precise access to the electronic resources on the World Wide
Web and in other non-print media. Assist users of the collection, by helping them identify, locate,
and acquire materials.
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So how do I get to TGIF?
You go to STMA’s website!!!
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For…
Getting up to speed quickly
Validation and documentation
Seeing the big picture
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Tricks, Tips & Some New
Stuff…
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Optimize Your SearchingGet precise: 2-6 words
Sample precise searches:- Ultradwarf bermudagrass
- Zero turn radius mower
- Fungicide dollar spot
- Croquet construction
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Optimize Your SearchingGet precise: 2-6 wordsTry different words
Change the order of the words
•Aeration
•Core cultivation
•Coring
•Spiking
•Aerification
•Etc.
Truncate (wildcards)23
Truncation (Wildcards) Fert* Fertilizer Fertilization Fertility Fertilizers Fertigation Fertiliser etc
Learn to really use an engine – they can be
quirky
“Advanced search” in Google
“Power Search” in TGIF
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Amazon’s “Full-text”book search
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Full-text browsing(TIC-hosted)
USGA Green Section Record
USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online
Journal of Turfgrass and SportsSurface Science (STRI)
International Turfgrass Bulletin (STRI)
Turf News (Turfgrass Producers International)
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Caveats……….
The Web is young and growing!
Neither the Web nor TGIF are
“Expert systems”
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It’s still all about:
The Credibility of the source
Always has been; always will be!
The Currency of the information
The Applicability to your situation
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