I turn to the Web to find answers on almost any topic these days, and typically advise others some tips along the same lines–except in one area…

You know when you are aware of something for awhile, but then a news story appears that confirms what you already know. Today that happened as I read today’s Times‘ article on “Medical Web Searches and Escalating Fears”: Microsoft Finds Top Results Lead to Anxiety.

I always brace myself when a family member or friend has some unexplained ailment and says they are going to try to figure out what’s wrong by checking online. If that person has the least bit of hypochondria or general prone to worry, they are bound to zero in on the worst possible potential causes, no matter how remote, as to why they are suffering from that sore throat, rash, tiredness etc.

Of course we all know that the Web is an unbelievably fantastic resource for all sorts of do it yourself kind of research and figuring out whatever you’re grappling with, including health and medical related information in general. And there are countless stories of discoveries made online that have empowered all of us with invaluable medical information. But when we are not feeling well, and add our fears, ignorance of probabilities, and a tendency to zero in on the most dramatic and sensational, then the Web is then not the best place to calmly assess the reasons why you are suffering from that ailment.

So remember–if you’re feeling out of sorts after your Thanksgiving meal, the most likely reasons are from eating too much, being tired from travel, family stresses, and so on– beware of self diagnosis by keying  your symptoms into a search engine!

Happy Thanksgiving….

I just came across this very interesting study that analyzes how GenY/the Millennials “Google” approach information gathering and research particularly in relation to access of scholarly information, as well as the use of Libraries. It’s a free 32 page document, released a couple of weeks ago by the British Library and the (Joint Information Systems Committee)  JISC. Here’s a blurb from the conclusion:

The picture that emerges from internet research is that most visitors to scholarly sites view only a few pages, many of which do not even contain real content, and in any case do not stop long enough to do any real reading.This is either a symptom of a really worrying malaise – failure at the library terminal – or maybe a sign that awhole new form of online reading behaviour is beginning to emerge, one based on skimming titles, contents pagesand abstracts: we call this `power browsing’. We urgently need to understand the root causes of this phenomenon…

Anything that comes out of one of the Pew Research Center always merits my attention.  So if you are interested in the changing role of libraries as our collective source for doing research and locating information, I highly recommend taking a look at its new survey, (done in partnership with Leigh Estabrook, Professor Emerita, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign,) entitled, In Search of Solutions: How People Use the Internet, Libraries and Government to Find Help.

Of particular relevance and importance is looking at how the younger generation, including GenY approach finding information. As this group moves into the workplace, this will clearly have implications for the way information and knowledge is located, evaluated, and distributed throughout the enterprise.