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The Internet for Graduate Students
Email discussion groups and Usenet

• What is email discussion and usenet groups

• When to use them

• Usage tips

If you are having trouble finding information on a specific topic and are not coming up with anything on the Internet or through database searching, another option may be to join any of the thousands of e-mail discussion groups or Usenet newsgroups.  You can ask questions of others on these lists and read the answers to questions that others have asked through the listserve archive. 

E-mail discussion groups can be associated with academic institutions. Many topics are scholarly in nature, and it is not unusual for experts in the field to be among the participants. In contrast, Usenet newsgroups cover a far wider variety of topics and participants have a range of expertise. Be careful to evaluate the knowledge and opinions offered in any discussion forum. 

A list of Usenet newsgroups can be accessed from within a newsreader program. Web browser suites such as Netscape Communicator include a newsreader. This offers the convenience of Usenet access in a graphical environment as a part of the Web experience.

A good Web-based directory to assist in locating e-mail discussion groups and Usenet newsgroups is Topica, located at http://www.topica.com

Asking an expert is often an excellent way of retrieving information not easily found on the web or in a book.  Very often, you can find experts in a field through a subject directory or through looking at a university's web page.  

When to use an E-mail discussion group or Usenet newsgroup:

• Do not use these sources for answers to quick, ad hoc questions.
• Do not use if you are in a hurry to get an answer.  The participation in these groups are voluntary and it also may take time to find the best community and properly post your questions.
• Use it if you're completely stuck.  If you demonstrate you've tried to answer the question yourself and outline what you've done, you're likely to get a better response.
• Use it for exhaustive research that may not come up in a web search or online database search.  These groups can provide you with "insider's information" on relevant resources that may be in development.  Use this information at your own discretion!
• When you want descriptive information on resources that you may not get via a computer. A person is more likely to give you more detailed and evaluative information on a resource.

Tips on asking questions from e-mail discussion or usenet groups:

• Keep your message brief and clear
• Identify yourself
• State where else you are posting your request
• State your goals
• Tell them what you already know or have found out.
• Ask for the address of experts in the area

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Last Updated:  06/25/2002
mjp