Web+Research+12



=**Web Research 12: Searching for Multimedia**=


 * Aim:**

How can we find audio, video, podcasts, images, etc. on the Internet?

What is metadata?


 * Common Core State Standards:**


 * CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.7** Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.


 * CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.8** Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.


 * Objectives:**

Students will learn how to find audio, video, podcasts, images, etc. on the Internet. Students will learn what metadata is and how it helps us find the files we are looking for on the Internet.


 * Vocabulary:**


 * fair use
 * metadata
 * podcast
 * streaming media


 * Introduction:**

There is an amazing amount of multimedia on the Web.

If something can be digitized (put into some digital format) then it is likely to be available on the Web.

We can access photos, still images, audio recordings, and video.

This is available in a variety of organizational formats: individual items, specialized collections or databases, or as parts of a store.

Almost all of the music we listen to and almost all of the pictures and videos we take are in a digital format.

We are familiar working with media in digital formats.

The tools (mostly software) to copy from one format to another or one device to another are relatively common and not too hard to use.

Combine all this media in digital format with the fact that anyone may put anything they'd like on the Web (technically speaking all parts of the Internet have equal access), and it is no surprise that we can final all sorts of information in a variety of media formats.

Being available and accessible on the Web doesn't guarantee that the information is reliable or that it is legal to use.

Still, there is a good deal of very useful and significant multimedia information on the Web.

The media is on a digital network so we can access it, save it, and distribute an exact copy of it to others.

This makes some people nervous and raises some important questions for all of us to consider regarding the nature of copyright and its effects on our culture and society.

Sticking with the theme we've established, we will look at ways to find information that ca be useful to use and consider the implications of the ways we use it.


 * Discussion:**


 * Metadata and Copyright**

Before exploring how to search for multimedia, there are two issues to consider: metadata and copyright.


 * Metadata - the Difference in Searching**

There is a fundamental difference in searching for non-text items compared to searching for text items.

It is not in the techniques we use since we usually use text for our searches.

When we search for non-text items we base our search on secondary information, often descriptive in nature.

This secondary information that describes an item is called **metadata**.

Almost all of our search tools use text to match items in a database.

This is entirely natural, especially since finding text-based items is what people have traditionally searched for when researching a topic.

When we use text to search for an item in text format we are doing a direct or primary search in the same medium as we are looking for.

Imagine what it would be like if we could search for images using images.

We could submit one image to the search engine and have it find a collection of images that are similar on in way or the other to the one we submit.

Thinking through what it means for one image to be similar to another helps us understand what people have to do to successfully use text to search for images.

Would we consider one image similar to another if it only had the same colors?

The same number of primary objects?

In many cases, we'd like to have the search engine return items that had similar content, and being able to express that notion of similar content is the issue.

If we have an image of red and black butterflies, is there software available that can determine that and find other images with red and black butterflies?

What is is turned up images of red and black kites of boats with red and black sails?

What makes two audio files similar?

The same audio frequencies, the same rhythm, or if one file is a comedy sketch should a similar audio file be a collection of jokes by the same person?

How can software determine whether the contents of an audio file are humorous?

Attempting to derive characteristics or descriptive information directly from non-text files brings forth a number of interesting issues.

Many of these are very difficult to deal with.

Advances in pattern recognition software for images, visual analysis for video files, and speech recognition software for audio files will continue to make searching for this content much easier.

Because we have not developed the software that can quickly analyze and classify non-text items we rely on secondary, descriptive text associated with the item.

You likely have heard about or thought about this issue before.

For a file containing text, the name of the file, the date it was created, the date it was last modified, the size of the file, and the name of the site that hosts or publishes the file are all considered **metadata**. A list of key terms or words about the content is also metadata.

Some metadata is technical.

For example, the bit sampling rate associated with an audio file; and the exposure information, the encoding process, and so on for pictures taken with digital cameras.

The extension on a file name, such as **.jpg, .mp3,. wav** or **.mov** is metadata too because it tells use the type of file in which the information is stored and that tells about the type of encoding or compression used.

Still, we use the same techniques for searching for text and non-text files, but in the case of non-text files we rely on text metadata in the form of titles, descriptions, and tags associated with non-text files.

The issue here is that we are relying on information that someone provides us about the file's contents, not the contents of the file itself to help us locate it.

Since these descriptions, titles, and tags do not follow strict rules, the coverage can be spotty or inaccurate.

That is to be expected.

What you think is funny may not give me much of a chuckle.

On the other hand, it is reasonable to expect that you and I will use the tag "butterfly" in pretty much the same way.

The collection of tools and techniques we've developed for finding text items such as including phrases in quotes and specifying appropriate key words will work for us then in finding non-text items.

Sometimes we have to be more persistent and flexible because we are really searching through the metadata associated with the information.

For example, when searching for images using Google Image Search we can specify the size of the image to show, its type such as news, face, clip art, line drawing or photo, and the dominant color in the photo.


 * Copyright - the Law and Practice**

If you have come across some media on the Web that you like, what can you legally do with it?

The term //legally// is important here, because for any item on the Web (a network) we know we //can// make an exact copy and save it on our computer or a memory card/stick attached to our computer.

All the media is on one platform - the Web.

That has implications for how the media is distributed, how it is used, and how it is valued.

Copies have little value because they are easily made.

Consider Pandora.com, where we can legally listen to music anywhere on the Web.

Another example is Lala.com.

There we can upload our music and listen to it through any Web connection.

Because the media is available through one platform it is essentially in one format, in this case digital, and so it can be easily modified and different items can be combined.

The way the law in the U.S. is written, much of what we're likely to find on the Web is copyrighted material.

Copyright does not have to be claimed or asserted on a Web site.

Whenever a work such as text, audio, images, or cideo is given a form by being encoded as a file and then put on the Web, the person or entity that created it automatically holds the copyright.

To be sure, there are exceptions such as items put into the public domain or items produced by employees of the U.S. Government. The holder of the copyright on an item has the exclusive right to


 * make, sell, or distribute copies
 * create new items based on the copyrighted item

These rights are arguably meant to provide some protection for the person who creates an item so that it is not misused or that any profits derived from the use, sale, or distribution go to the creator.

These rights continue for many decades after the death of the original copyright holder.

Some say that copyright laws that give exclusive rights for a long period of time is too restrictive and limits ways we share our culture.

You need to determine what the copyright restrictions are on an item before you make a copy or modify any media that you've found on the Web.

This is true regardless of whether the site where you found the material contains any statements claiming copyright or how the material is used.

If guidelines for using the material are present, follow them.

Most copyright statutes or conventions include a provision that makes it possible for individuals to copy portions of a document for short-term use.

This is known as **fair use**, and it is what makes it possible for people to legally write reviews about copyrighted work, and for people to include some copyrighted work in materials that they produce for academic or scholarly purposes.

Some people use Creative Commons at http://creativecommons.org, to set permissions for the ways their works may be used.

This had advantages for both the producer and the consumer.

A producer can set permissions - either very strict, very lax, or somewhere in between - for reuse of her items.

This is done online, once, and easily.

A consumer readily finds the permissions associated with an item.

For example, all of Wikipedia is under a Creative Commons license that allows for use if the use includes proper attribution and any item derived from the Wikipedia source is likewise sharable by others.

This is an example of using copyright to put information into the hands of others for sharing, remixing, and reusing.


 * Searching for Audio and Video Files**

The number of audio and video offerings on the Web has skyrocketed in the past few years.

The widespread availability of broadband connections has made it much easier to view video and listen to audio files.

In some cases you can download an audio or video file to save the files on your computer of other digital device such as an iPod or other MP3 player.

Many audio and video files are available using **streaming media** technology.

That means you listen to or view files without downloading the files to your computer.


 * Software Requirements**

All modern computers have the necessary hardware - audio and graphics cards - to deal with the audio and video you'll find on the Web.

You may need to download some software, plug-ins or a player, but most modern computers and browsers have the software already installed.

If your computer has a player installed, accessing a file that requires it will activate it.

If the required software is not on your computer, a dialog box may pop up with an option to download it.

If you find a file not supported by your computer, there may be a link on the Web page to a free download of the required player.

Some plug-ins are free of charge, and other require purchase.

The following are some of the more popular plug-ins that you'll need in order to use multimedia files.

They all have a version you can download and use at no charge.


 * Quicktime at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download
 * RealPlayer at http://www.real.com/realplayer.html
 * Windows Media Player at http://windowsmedia.com/download
 * Adobe Shockwave at http://get.adobe.com/shcokwave
 * iTunes at http://www.apple.comitunes/download


 * Searching for Audio**

Audio files, including music, radio shows, speeches, sound effects, podcasts, and others, are sometimes not found easily by using general search engines.

The files may be embedded in Web pages.

A good idea is to find them using specialized databases dedicated to audio.


 * Radio**


 * Radio-Locator at http://www.radio-locator.com


 * Music**


 * iTunes at http://www.apple.com/itunes
 * Pandora at http://www.pandora.com
 * Yahoo! Music at http://new.music.yahoo.com


 * Sounds - All Sorts of Audio**


 * FindSounds at http://www.findsounds.com


 * Searching for Podcasts**

Formed from the name of Apple's portable digital player, the iPod, and the word "broadcast," the term **podcast** refers to a digital recording that can be downloaded to a computer or some other digital device.

Podcasts can be audio or video files, and all sorts of events can be made into podcasts.

This includes audio language classes, university lectures, radio programs, interviews and speeches, audio books, and entertainment.

Most of them are free.

A wide variety of items are available as podcasts, in part because it is not too hard to learn how to produce a podcast and make it available on the Internet.

Podcasts are distributed using RSS technology, so you can subscribe to them if they are part of a series.

To listen to a podcast all you need is an MP3 player on your computer or digital device.

If it is a video podcast then you'll need to have some sort of media player installed to view it.

These are all common on modern computers/devices, so it is no hassle.

That way you can track the podcasts, select the ones to listen to, and usually see a brief summary of what a particular show of podcast is about.

To subscribe to a podcast you need to download the necessary software.

The software is called an aggregator or podcatcher.

The two most popular of these are


 * Juice at http://huicereceiver.sourceforge.net/index.php
 * Podcatcher Matrix at http://www.podcatchermatrix.org/compare/itunes+juice

When you "catch" a podcast you are subscribing to an RSS feed.

That means you'll be giving a URL to the podcatcher or aggregator to represent the podcast.

Then the aggregator contacts the sites that hosts the feed, you get a list of episodes or podcasts to listen to and review, and the aggregator software keeps the list of podcasts up to date.


 * Finding Podcasts**

You'll find podcasts on most sites that deal in broadcasts.

For example. NPR, BBC, and CNN each have a portion of their site dedicated to podcasts.

If you already know ho produced the podcast you want, just go to that site.

If you like National Public Radio programs, for example, and want to see if there are any that are available as podcasts, go to http://www.npr.org.

The NPR site lists podcasts by subject.

You choose the one you want to subscribe to and add it to your podcatcher.

If you want to download it to your MP3 player just follow the instructions for the podcatcher you are using.


 * Searching for Video**

Just like audio, video files are on the Web in streaming and downloadable formats.

User-generated videos and commercially produced videos, such as television shows and films (either free of for a cost), are available through a variety of sites.

Here is a list of a few of those sites:


 * Blinkx at http://www.blinkx.com
 * Google Video at http://video.google.com
 * Hulu at http://www.hulu.com
 * Internet Archive Moving Images at http://www.archive.org/details/movies
 * iTunes at http://www.apple.com/itunes/download
 * YouTube at http://www.youtube.com


 * Searching for Images**

Images, like information in other media, are available in general and specialized collections.

It may be that there are many types of image collections and databases on the Web because people have been collecting images on specific topics long before the creation of the Internet.

Furthermore, many of these image collections exist at academic or research institutions.

For example, if you're looking for botanical images, simply do a search in a major search engine using the words **botany image database** and you'll find several collections including the CSU Stanislaus Botanical Image datagase at http://arnica.csustan,edu/bortany, and the Plant Image Collection at the Smithsonian at http://botany.si.edu/PlantImages.

Most of the major search engines have image databases, the largest collections provided by Yahoo!, Google, and Bing.

These search tools provide a way to search for images quite easily, but the search is usually on the metadata associated with each image.

Don't stick with just one image database as each are different.


 * Yahoo! Images Search Filters**

The major search engines provide options when searching for images - the size of the image, some colors represented, and so on.

Google also includes filters related to Creative Commons licenses and the source of the images.

In addition to the special collections and major search engines, here are a few other image databases that you might want to check out:


 * Corbis at http://pro.corbis.com
 * Exalead at http://www.esalead.com/search/inage
 * Getty Images at http://www.gettyimages.com
 * Imagery at http://elzr.com/imagery
 * PicSearch at http://www.picsearch.com
 * Pixsy at http://www.pixsy.com


 * Searching Shared Image Databases**

Flickr is the most popular user-generated image database.

After a simple registration process you may upload photos in files on your computer into what Flickr calls your photostream.

The images can be shared with others or kept private.

You can reserve all rights on your images, as in traditional copyright, or you can reserve some or no rights using a Creative Commons license.

Flickr encourages a community built on images in several ways:


 * facilitating Flickr groups based on certain types of images or topics
 * permitting comments on all public photos
 * by encouraging users to tag their images with information about subject, location, keywords, and so on

The members of Flickr provide some of the metadata for each image.

You can search for photos by descriptive information or by tags.

Registration for a simple account is free.

Several substantial public collections of photographs and images have put their items in a section of the Flickr site titled The Commons at http://www.flickr.com/commons.

Collections available include those of the Smithsonian Institution, the State Library of New South Wales, Bibliotheque de Toulouse, and many others.

The Commons is searchable by description or by tags.

Registered Flickr members are encouraged to tag the photos in The Commons.

Encouraging Creative Commons licenses, Flickr lets you search for images based on the type of reuse permitted by the Creative Commons license.


 * In-Class Activity:**


 * Activity 1:**

To make some of the ideas mentioned above more definite we'll take a look at a Web page available through Flickr, the photo and video sharing service. Someone took the photo we'll look at. It is available for anyone to view on Flickr, it has a Creative Commons license for copyright, and the Web page includes several tags and other items that serve as metadata.

1. Go to @http://www.flickr.com/photos/eca/2755690098

2. Take note of the metadata attached to the photo.

a. The title b. The tags c. The information about the camera used, date the image was taken, and the number of views. These all appear below the copyright information.

In Flickr you can search on any of these types of metadata. For example, you can search for all publicly viewable images that have the tag "Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory."

Flickr makes it easy to apply a Creative Commons license to photos posted through their service. The three icons to the left of the link **Some rights reserved** indicate what rights are reserved or what can be done with the photo without asking further permission.

3. Read the Creative Commons license for the photo. Click on the link **Some rights reserved** to see the details of the license for this photo.

Looking at the license we see that the photographer has given permission to anyone to copy or distribute the photo, provided that its use carries proper attribution, that the photo is not used for commercial purposes, and the image is not altered.

Not also in the With the understanding that: section that the photographer may waive any of the conditions and your fair use rights are not taken away by this license.

If under this license you wanted to use this photo for commercial purposes, it may still be possible, but first contact the person who holds the copyright.


 * Activity 2:**

In this activity, we'll take a look at two of the types of tools you can use to search for podcasts. In each case, we'll search for podcasts that deal with the topic small business.

First we'll use Podcast Pickle to find and listen to a podcast through our browser. Then we'll start iTunes and search for podcasts. We're assuming iTunes has been installed on the computer you're using.

1. Go to Podcast Pickle at http://www.podcastpickle.com.

2. Enter **small business** in the search field.

3. Find a podcast that deals with small business.

4. Click on the podcast titled **Small Business Trends Radio**.

5. Listen to it.


 * Activity 3:**

1. Go to http://images.google.com

2. Click on the link for **Options**

3. Click on **Advanced Search**

4. rwanda mountain gorilla in the search field

5. Scroll down to **usage rights** and select "free to use or share"

6. Click search. The images you get here can be used for any purpose according to Google.

7. Check on that by clicking on the image and reading the license information before you use an image.

8. Try checking or unchecking some of the filter options to gain familiarity with their use and to see how they can be helpful to you.


 * Activity 4:**

1. Go to http://images.google.com

2. Type in the keywords **garden pond** and click on search.

3. Click on **search tools**

4. Practice filtering your search using the Google Images search tool. Experiment with some of the features to see what is helpful to you.


 * Homework:**

1. Images are a popular item to search for on the Web. Let's compare a search at Google's and Yahoo!'s image search sites.

a. Using Google Images at http://images.google.com, search for images of the Washington Monument. How many do you find? Now do a search limiting the file to **.jpg** files. How many images do you find now? b. Using Yahoo!'s image search, at http://search.yahoo.com/images, perform the same search for the Washington Monument. How many images do you find if you search all the available sources? How many do you find if you limit the search to the Corbis.com collection?

2. iTunes is a great resource for podcasts and other audio files. Let's practice using iTunes.

a. Open iTunes and click on **Podcasts**. At the bottom of the window, click on **Podcasts** in the iTunes Store. Browse the directory for podcasts that interest you. You can subscribe to the podcasts for free by clicking **SUBSCRIBE**. b. Next, click on **iTunes Store** and browse for audiobooks. In the left hand menu, you will see a list of types of media available for download. Click on **Audiobooks**. You can browse by most popular and genre.

3. Filckr is an exciting and popular image resource for photo sharing. Create a profile at Flickr. Upload a picture of your choice, such as a landscape or family photo. Then, join a group that relates to the photo. If it's a landscape, such as Yellowstone or Rocky Mountains, join a related group, and upload the photo to the group's database.

4. Google Earth is a fascinating tool. Download the application, and use it to find you house, your high school, a capital of a foreign nation, and a remote island. Explore posted items from other users.

5. Use Google Maps to find your way around. Plan a walking trip around Washington DC. Go to Google Maps and find the White House. Click on **Directions From Here** and enter the U.S. Capitol as your destination. Be sure to use the "Walking" option instead of "Driving".

6. YouTube can be very helpful in research. Let's say you are interested in the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Go to YouTube and search for "Rebuilding New Orleans." Sort the search results by play count to see the most popular videos first.

7. Nine people were inaugurated as President of the United States during the time period from 1953 to 1993.

a. Find the name and an image of each of these people. Include a URL for each image. b. Find and image, and the corresponding URL, of each of these people where the image may be legally reused without asking for permission. c. Find a video or film of the inauguration of each. Be sure to include the URL of the video.


 * Summary:**

There is a large amount of information on the Web in the form of all sorts of multimedia - photos, images, audio, video, animations, charts - anything that can be put into digital format.

When we search for this information, because methods of searching text have been dealt with successfully, we often search through information that describes the items - metadata.

When we access any of this media on the Web we are in a position of making an exact digital copy.

Before using these items in other situations, we need to be aware of the copyright information associated with the items.

With no copyright information available or if the message "All Rights Reserved" is present then all rights for distributions, use, or modification belong to the copyright holder.

Some people use Creative Commons licenses for their works so that it is easier for their work to be used by others.

Modern computers contain the basic hardware to deal with audio and video.

You may need to download and install a media player to play certain types of files.

There are several specialized sites and search tools to access audio and video files.

For all sorts of media some sites are scholarly in nature or contain collections of files that may be culturally or historically significant, and some sites allow you to search by example.

There's also a growing collection of course lectures in audio and video formats, many of which can be accessed at iTunes U.

Some sites focus on access to popular culture - radio broadcasts, popular music, pictures from the news and advertising, and TV shows and movies.

In each medium we also find sites that feature user-contributed materials.

Flickr allows for posting and sharing photos, and YouTube deals with video.

Each facilitates a community among its registered users.

The advent of the iPod instigated podcasts - digital recordings that can be downloaded to a computer or other device.

Using RSS technologies, these podcasts are readily available as individual episodes or through subscriptions.

Podcasts can be accessed through the browser or through software installed on a listening device.

iTunes is the most substantial and fully featured of the latter type with a rich collection of audio and video podcasts.

Access to maps and satellite images is as easy as any other type of media.

Several map services that give directions, street and road maps, and satellite views of locations can be used through you browser.

Software that lets you traverse the globe with two- and three-dimensional views will likely need to be installed on your computer.

Google Earth is one of the more widely used of these with a rich collection of features and user-contributed information.


 * Summary Activity:**


 * Source:**

Hartman, K. and Ackerman, E. (2010). //Searching and researching on the Internet and the World Wide Web//. Sherwood, OR: Franklin, Beedle & Associates.