The Internet Handbook for Writers, Researchers, and Journalists. 2nd ed.

John D. Blackwell is Academic Funding & Research Officer at St. Francis
Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and the co-author of
Canadian Studies: A Guide to the Sources (which can be found at
http://www.iccs-ciec.ca/blackwell.html).

Bookstore shelves are groaning these days with volumes about the
Internet. Written by three Canadians and one American with expertise in
journalism, education, technology, online publishing and editing, this
handbook provides invaluable guidance for both the novice and veteran
Internet user. The authors observe that “the Internet gives writers,
researchers, and reporters access to a much wider range of information
and expert sources much more quickly than any other medium.” However,
they quickly add that the Internet is a highly disorganized virtual
world. Navigating it skilfully and sorting out the good sources from the
garbage can be daunting tasks. There are now approximately 2.2 million
Web sites in the world!

The Internet Handbook begins with a quick overview of what one can do
online. It then moves on to Web basics. There is an especially helpful
chapter on developing online search strategies and using search engines;
the authors provide an excellent overview of the strengths and
weaknesses of various search engines. The discussion of high-quality
library resources on the Web is good so far as it goes, but would have
benefited from the input of a professional librarian.

This handbook also covers e-mail, listservs, the fine points of
netiquette, and managing information overload. A brief section offers
important advice on evaluating online information sources. A substantial
portion of the handbook deals with writing for the Web, and even
includes a crash course in HTML (hypertext markup language). The final
chapter discusses additional technological matters such as modems and
viruses.

The appendixes include a 60-page listing of outstanding online
resources in a wide variety of subject areas, as well as advice on
copyright issues and citing online sources. A glossary and an index
greatly enhance the book’s utility. All Internet handbooks date
quickly because the virtual world is constantly changing. However, The
Internet Handbook for Writers, Researchers, and Journalists is concise,
informative, lively, practical, reliable, and written from a Canadian
perspective. One hopes that it will be revised regularly.