How to retrieve fashion research information from the Web

	Books
	Journals
	The World Wide Web (Internet)

The first two sources are available in the library. Information retrieval for research purposes from books and journals requires skills that are already familiar to you: using the library catalogue, browsing the shelves or magazine racks, photocopying the text and pictures you need and making notes. These skills provide us with the information we need to research a particular designer, investigate market trends and find out about the history of clothing.

But the third source, the World Wide Web, requires IT skills that are not so familiar to us.

Text and images

We need to recognise

• (a) text, and
• (b) image information on the Web.

Text information is in HTML format, and images in either GIF or JPEG format.

We need to know how to retrieve both types of information so that we can use them in our research.

Let's start with some text:

	Find and open a website with information about a designer's latest collection.
	Use your mouse to select the text you want to copy, and then click File > Edit > Copy.
	Now open MS Word.
	When you see a blank MS Word page, click File > Edit > Paste.
	The text you selected on the Web will appear on your MS Word page.
	Save your MS Word document.

Now let's copy an image:

	Move your mouse pointer (arrow) over a photograph
	Click the right mouse button, and a drop-down menu will appear. Select "save image as"
	Type in a new "filename" that you will recognise later (e.g. gaultierjacket). Save the file

Last step: insert the image into your MS Word document

	Open your MS Word document containing the text about the designer
	Click where you want to insert the image (photograph)
	Click Insert > Picture > From File
	Click on your image file (e.g. gaultierjacket).
	Click "Insert"
	Your picture will appear in your MS Word document
	Save your document

Congratulations!

You have now successfully retrieved information about your chosen designer, and a photograph of his/her latest garment. You have an MS Word document that contains this information and you can use this in your assignment or research paper.

List of references

Remember to write down the Web URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the website from which you retrieved the text and the image (e.g http://www.firstview.com/gaultier.htm).

Write the citation in your list of references like this:

Jean-Paul Gaultier: Spring 2002 Collection. Firstview [Homepage] Retrieved 11 May 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.firstview.com/gaultier.htm