Finding Information on the Web

Listservs and Newsgroups

Listservs and Newsgroups are online discussions in which participants can ask questions, answer others' questions, discuss various ideas, argue incessantly about the same point, etc. Each list or group is centered around a particular topic, which could be anything from quantum physics to the the music group Bubba and the Rednecks. The more scholarly oriented sites can be a very valuable source of information for research. Keep in mind, however, that anyone can join and contribute to these discussions, so you have to be careful to evaluate the information and/or the source. 

Many listservs have searchable archives, and Google Groups offers access to the archives of newsgroup postings going back to 1981. An archive likely will already have answers to at least some of your questions. If you join a listserv or newsgroup, it is a good idea to "lurk" (read without actively participating) for a while before you start to post, to make sure you are familiar with the rules and expectations for participants.  

Listservs are e-mail mailing lists centered around a particular topic. When one person sends an e-mail message to the list, that message is forwarded to everyone subscribed to the list. All you need to participate in a listserv is an e-mail account. To find and subscribe to a listserv of interest to you, use one of the databases listed below.

USENET Newsgroups are like bulletin boards where you can post and read messages on particular topics. Unlike listservs to which individuals subscribe, newsgroups are subscribed to by an institution or Internet service provider. So not all newsgroups are accessible at a given institution or Internet service provider. In addition, you need news reader software to access newsgroups (included in Netscape and some other browsers).

Finding Listservs and Newsgroups

• Google Groups - Allows you to search an indexed archive to Usenet newsgroups on all topics, covering messages sent since 1981. 
• Topica - Lists thousands of email newsletters and discussion groups, with brief descriptions of the topics, number of subscribers, average number of messages per day, and how to subscribe. Many include online archives of posts. 
• Publicly Accessible Mailing Lists - Browse by list names or topics, or search for lists on all subjects. Includes descriptions of lists and subscription information, with links to home pages, archives, etc if available. 
• DiscussionLists.com - "strives to be the most comprehensive directory of email discussion lists and communities on the Internet." Search or browse for lists on all sorts of topics for brief descriptions of the lists and information on how to subscribe. 
• CataList - "This web site is a front end for the LISTSERV LISTS database, which contains information about all the public LISTSERV lists on the Internet." Descriptions of public listservs, with archives for some. 
• E-Mail Discussion Group/Lists and Resources - provides background information about the software that supports the discussion groups, an introduction to listserv commands (e.g. how to subscribe and unsubscribe to discussion groups), and links to other websites where you can search for discussion groups on any subject.
• Tile.Net - Provides a list of listserv discussion groups, usenet newsgroups, and ftp sites on the Internet. Search or browse for lists, groups, etc., for descriptions and subscription information.
      
• Subject Directories which list online resources for a particular subject are also a good place to look for listservs and newsgroups related to a specific subject.

Next: Evaluating What You Find     

Contents - Internet - Searching - Search Engines - Subject Directories
Invisible Web - Listservs and Newsgroups - Evaluating - Citing