Internet Research Project

REDZ Search Engine Review

REDZ is a search engine that uses their own database to search for sites and displays both a verbal synopsis and visual capture of its results. Rather than focusing on just text to display results one of its strengths is that it allows you to scan through you search results faster and with a broader scope. Most people only look at the first or second page before stopping, but REDZ gives you your results on a continues flow allowing you to sort your results faster. Going to a search engine like Google you would need to scroll through pages of results and having to link in to every site for a visual display of the site. Weaknesses of this site for me include not having an advanced search function and having limited operators that are usable. Your operators are limited to AND, OR, and other simple connection words. However, I do find REDZ’s simple displays and functions easy to use. Searching, sorting, and finding websites is fast and easy for any kind of user. I don’t know if there is an advance version that you subscribe to that would allow more search results and advance options.

RJA #7b: Internet Research Tool Test

• REDZ

• Key words used:
  Bisphenol-a
  Recalls
  BPA plastics
  Nalgene
  Sigg
  Health controversy

• Search strategies used:
  “Bisphenol-a” health controversy
  BPA plastics recalls and Nalgene or Sigg
  BPA plastics health controversy
  Bisphenol-a or BPA or Bisphenol a

• October 6, 2009

• 25-30 results per search

• Relevance of hits 4 <>

RJA #7a: Internet Research Tools

Yahoo, Google, and ASK are the search tools I regularly use when doing research or browsing the internet. I like that they are simple to search on, have a larger databases, and are organized/ categorized nicely. I am so used to Yahoo and Google being “The” search engines you used growing up, so I’m very comfortable using them. What I don’t like is how many pages of results you have to scroll through and the fact they have so many sponsored results. You can end up with a lot of junk, paid for listings when doing a search.

RJA #7c: Field Research Plan

For field research I want to interview someone at Nalgene and Sigg. I could also survey a small sample group to find out how many people replaced their bottles, the reason why, and what they know about Bisphenol-a. Some questions I would ask for the interview would be;

1. Why did they decide to discontinue the use of BPA?
2. Where and what information did they receive about BPA that fueled their decisions?
3. How did it affect their costs discontinuing BPA, and how did the recall and sales of BPA free products boost numbers/revenue?

I need to get started quickly on developing interview and survey questions to allow time for people to respond. I need to also reflect the data of the field research in my paper in time to submit by the dead line considering people at the companies I want to interview have other pressing priorities.