Open Web vs. Deep (Invisible) Web
The Open Web is also referred to as the "Surface Web" or "Visible Web." Search
engines (such as Google or Yahoo) provide access to the Open Web, which
includes Web sites and pages that are freely available to the public. But, according to some estimates:
|
"Approximately 80% of the information on the Web belongs to the 'invisible Web'."
List-Handley, C. J. (2008) Information literacy and technology. |
Library databases are part of the "Invisible" or "Deep" Web. Like most libraries, ODU purchases subscriptions to these usually-costly resources for our primary users -- including you.
For academic research, it is always best if you begin with library resources, for several reasons:
| Open Web | Deep
Web (Library Resources) |
| Sources have not
been reviewed or evaluated; anything goes |
Sources
and search tools have been reviewed and recommended by experts |
| Identity and credentials of the author or creator are often unavailable | Sources are more likely to have been written or developed by experts, who are identified |
| Open to anyone, anywhere | Resources are intended for a specific academic community |
| Little organization and limited searching features; information may or may not be updated | Databases and other resources are better-organized, updated, and offer various advanced features |
| Web sites can come and go; not always stable and usually not archived | Most resources are a permanent part of our collection |
Think about it ...
You may know that Government Resources are
among the useful research sources to consult.
Which part of the Web do you think they would fall under -- Deep or
Open?
Copyright 2010-2012 Old Dominion University -- ODU Libraries, updated September 2012