Searching the Internet Information Skills tutorial Learning Resource Centre Information Services

Your aim…. … to get a small number of … to get a small number of –relevant –specific –quality results…. results….

Define your search first of all think about the topic and list the following: first of all think about the topic and list the following:  what the topic is  key words  similar words you could use

Search Engines UK - includes Yahoo! UK and Ireland UK - includes Yahoo! UK and Ireland worldwide - includes Yahoo!, Alta Vista, Ask Jeeves, Google, Go.com worldwide - includes Yahoo!, Alta Vista, Ask Jeeves, Google, Go.com metasearch engines (searches the search engines) - includes Mamma, Metacrawler, Copernic metasearch engines (searches the search engines) - includes Mamma, Metacrawler, Copernic directory-based - Yellow Pages, Scoot directory-based - Yellow Pages, Scoot

Search Engines Google - Google - Yahoo!UK and Ireland - Yahoo!UK and Ireland - Yahoo! - Yahoo! - Metacrawler - Metacrawler - Mamma- Mamma- and many more and many more

Using the Advanced Search you usually get a choice of a Basic search or an Advanced search you usually get a choice of a Basic search or an Advanced search Advanced Search gives you more boxes to fill in, so you can be more specific Advanced Search gives you more boxes to fill in, so you can be more specific this means you will get fewer, but much more relevant results this means you will get fewer, but much more relevant results

Google features Advanced search option here Advanced search option here search UK only here search UK only here

Google Advanced Search

And / or / not use AND if you must have both terms in the results - e.g. schools and colleges use AND if you must have both terms in the results - e.g. schools and colleges use OR if you don’t mind either term in the results - e.g. cat or feline use OR if you don’t mind either term in the results - e.g. cat or feline use NOT if you don’t want something in the results - e.g. Liverpool and football not Everton use NOT if you don’t want something in the results - e.g. Liverpool and football not Everton

Wildcards usually * but sometimes ? or another symbol usually * but sometimes ? or another symbol replaces part of a word replaces part of a word educ* - finds education, educational, educating etc educ* - finds education, educational, educating etc advert* - finds advert, adverts, advertising, advertisement advertisements, etc advert* - finds advert, adverts, advertising, advertisement advertisements, etc organi*ation - finds organisation or organization organi*ation - finds organisation or organization chick* or hen* or poultry or fowl* chick* or hen* or poultry or fowl*

Quotation marks finds words next to each other finds words next to each other “wild flowers” “landscape design” “mad cow disease”

Search engines single words are ok single words are ok put phrases in quotation marks put phrases in quotation marks it doesn’t matter which case you use it doesn’t matter which case you use some use + instead of AND some use + instead of AND the wild card symbol is usually * the wild card symbol is usually * look in the Help facility look in the Help facility

Internet Subject Gateways these are specially selected websites these are specially selected websites chosen by academic experts chosen by academic experts arranged by topic or subject area arranged by topic or subject area giving quality information – e.g. giving quality information – e.g.  BUBL  INTUTE  PINAKES - More Gateways html

Evaluating your results are they…..what about… relevant?coverage? accurate?authority? current?content? good quality?sources?

Exercise – evaluate a web site Explore the site and evaluate it using www - what are its strengths? - what are its weaknesses? - what is dhmo?

Exercise – evaluate a website Choose any website and evaluate it using a different www Choose any website and evaluate it using a different www Who is responsible for it? Who is responsible for it? Where is it from? (which country /organisation/ individual?) Where is it from? (which country /organisation/ individual?) When was it last updated? When was it last updated?

Exercise – searching with Google try out Google Advanced Search and see how many hits you get… Type a phrase into the first box, then try searching - - with all of the words - with the exact phrase - with at least one of the words - without one of the words

If you don’t get enough results  expand the topic – use more, or different, terms  Tip : find more keywords from previous search results

If you get too many results if you get too many hits, you need to if you get too many hits, you need to refine your search refine your search narrow it down by setting Limits (by year, language etc) narrow it down by setting Limits (by year, language etc) try different key words try different key words

General tips... always check the Help facility always check the Help facility be prepared to do many searches using different keywords be prepared to do many searches using different keywords use keywords from your previous search results use keywords from your previous search results the more operators and limits you use, the more relevant your results will be the more operators and limits you use, the more relevant your results will be

Useful books in the library searching the Internet searching the Internet online searching online searching search engine guides search engine guides study skills section study skills section

Search strategies …for more advanced search strategies…. …for more advanced search strategies…. Try our Try our Advanced Search Strategies tutorial

Finally….. Please ask the library staff if you need help Please ask the library staff if you need help Happy searching! Happy searching!

Thank you ! Learning Resource Centre Information Services