ITE 130 Web Searching

Keyword Searches Finding information is like finding a "needle in the haystack" Search engines are software that look for pages based on word or phrase A keyword is a word to be found on a page A hit is one of the sites that matches the search.

Natural Language and Phrase Searches To search for information, type in a question, such as Why is the sky blue? Phrase searching expects to find an exact phrase by putting in quotation marks An example of this type of search is "food poisoning". Both types can be done in GOOGLE

AND/OR Using the AND Boolean operator between two keywords requires that both of them be found in a page Using the OR Boolean operator between two keywords requires that either of them be found in a page The exact syntax of the commands vary from search tool to search tool Any web site that has both these words will appear as a hit. See Advanced Search page at Google for precise details on these and other search commands

Searching with NOT Express the search by what is NOT wanted Often combined with a list of keywords that are wanted

Parentheses with Power Parentheses combine Boolean operators into complex math- like formulas. Placement of parentheses determines results

Using Real-Names Searches Real-name keyword searches make it easier to find popular sites. Use the popular name of something as the keyword Examples: Nike, McDonalds, Starbucks

Details on Google Searches Using the Advanced Search Page Go to the Advanced Search Page from GOOGLE main page Many options are implemented under FIND RESULTS AND – Choose “with all of the words” OR – Choose “with at least one of the words” NOT – Choose “without the words” Exact Match – Choose “with the exact phrase”

Searching for Information The World Wide Web contains a set of search tools and menus to help access information. Two types of tools - the Search Directory and the Search Engine. Types are often combined together to give the user added searching power. The goal of any search tool is to get the user out of the search tools and into documents that are on the topic of interest.

Looking for information? Searching for a site maintained by a company or organization Searching for information on a topic Searching for people. A variety of tools are available to help in all these and many other types of searches.

What is a Search Directory? A search directory is a menu, or list, of items linked to documents. May be topical, or based on key words and phrases. The best directories are cross linked, allowing the user to find the same document in a variety of ways in the search. An example of a good directory is http://dir.yahoo.com

An Exercise on Searching the Internet Using Menus Make a list of seven different topics to search on Starting with the Yahoo! directory menu (http://dir.yahoo.com/) and using primarily that menu and its search blocks, find items to match those topics. When an item is found, record the location (URL) where it was located Remember, the goal is to get out of YAHOO and into the pages on topic.

Searching for a Person The purpose is to find a home page or EMAIL Address. YAHOO People Search is an example of a tool that can be used. The search strategy is to use search engines on name and use people locators available on some sites.

Searching for Information on a Topic The purpose is to find information on a topic. The search strategy is to use menus, use search tools starting with specific keywords, and to choose broader words if matches are not found. It is important to realize that many documents exist on the web, and changing keywords can give a different set of documents Save URLs when you find a good source, possibly as a bookmark.

Searching for the Site of a Company or Organization The purpose is to find if a group has a site on the Web. The search strategy is to use menus choosing appropriate key words, use search tools for keywords and synonyms or build a TYPICAL URL. A typical URL is as follows: http://www.commonname.type

What is a Search Engine? A search engine finds information about web pages and stores it in a database for the user to search with keywords, topics and phrases. Search engines return a large number of possible page addresses quickly because the information has been assembled ahead of time. A good example of a search engine is Google.

More on Search Engines World Wide Web Search Engines are actually databases where users enter keywords and URL's of pages are returned that contain those words.

An Exercise in Searching Using Google ( http://www.google.com ) as an example, you can select a topic by choosing three or more keywords that describe it. Then by placing the words in quotes (to force an exact match) or using advanced features, narrow the search until no more than 10 entries are returned. This technique can help you get a list that is manageable.