The matter of discussion was "systematic search of data by use of data search process model" and the venue of panel discussion was the pavilion of House of Authors in the 23^rd edition of Tehran International Book Fair in a marquee assigned to showcase Iran's Publication Records.

 

Hamid Qazizade said data search was applicable in different domains of science, adding that an ability to retrieve intended data has increasingly become a vital component of life, adding that any individual nowadays was expected to pick necessary skills and instruments for getting access to intended sources across the virtual space.

 

The expert said regular data searcher usually face several shortfalls in their web searches including imprecise choice of key word, poor choice of Boolean functions, and failure to apply specified procedures in time of search

 

The expert then turned to sources of data and information in search tools and defined a reference as a print or electronic location where data or knowledge exists, adding that print sources include bibliographies, dictionaries, encyclopedias and numerical references. He defined bibliographies as all books published on a specific subject or about a certain individual. Dictionary in his definition was a book which facilitates access to a specific word or term, its etymology, as well as its possible synonyms or antonyms.

 

The expert designated encyclopedias and numerical references (reports, statistics, annual diaries and surveys) as other print resources which provide a concise and precise definition about a specific subject or causes of a specific incident.

 

So much for print data sources, the expert picked up the case of electronic sources and defined them as of the same goal as print sources though cast in a different format, adding that the change of format has been meant to facilitate and accelerate user access to an intended piece of information or data.

 

Qazizade identified electronic sources as non-continuous data banks, the Internet, search engines, data bases, invisible web, and organizational websites. Non-continuous data banks, according to him, were all compact discs of specialized and general information regarding a specific subject. The expert singled out a compact disc released by Iran's Census Center as a typical CD.

 

The expert also identified different components of a typical search engine as spider, crawler, indexer, and data base, adding that longest operating search engine, or the Google, has also been carrying most promotional items.

 

Qazizada observed that a typical data base might include such features as search (simple, advanced and sophisticated), arrangement, results, time and space constraints, authorial constraint and subject index, adding that content-wise, articles, dissertations, patents, inventions, newspapers, journals, photos and maps are placed in data bases.

 

Invisible web, according to the expert, stands for part of the web space which is not accessible to or identifiable by search robots. Invisible web is in part occupied by a dark or blurred web as well as a deep web which stand for a series of continuous electronic information, he said, adding that a third variation of invisible web is private web which is considered a personal or organizational property.

 

The expert noted that at present there are web-based tools which identify sources of invisible web and guide users through to desired websites by assistance of information avenues or virtual libraries.

 

Another web tools for search of data is models, according to the expert who noted that many MA or doctoral students have yet to acquire how's to operate such models. The expert elaborated that research models are classified into researching models and browsing models with the former sub-divided into "classics, set theory, analytic, and probability theory" whereas the latter is sub-divided into "asset; surface browse; structured browse; based on non-overlapped checklist; based on adjacent nods; and meta-text."

 

In web, data appears in different format suffixes including PDF, Word, Powerpoint, or image, according to the expert.