Diamonds not Duds: Mining the Web for Jewels of Information
Basic Web Search Tips
These search tips will help make your web searching more efficient resulting in more reliable websites located. You will find diamonds and not duds in your website results. Good luck searching!
1. Develop a search plan – this will help to narrow your search.
a. What do I know about subject?
b. How much information do I need?
c. What are possible keywords or phrases? Brainstorm possible keywords. Make sure to include them in your search phrase.
d. Brainstorm possible synonyms for keywords. Try using them in your search phrase.
2. Quotation Marks
a. Helps to ensure that entire phrase will be searched as one word.
b. EXAMPLE: “Iraq War”
3. Using AND in a search phrase
a. Search term must be included in results helping to limit results.
b. Does not necessarily search as a phrase. Term must just be included somewhere in websites located.
c. EXAMPLE: Dallas AND cowboys (may bring up other results besides the football team).
4. Using NOT in a search phrase
a. Excludes search term from being included in search results.
b. Helps to limit results
c. EXAMPLE: Hurricanes NOT basketball (will eliminate basketball team websites)
5. Using OR in search phrase
a. Both terms must be included in search results.
b. Helps to expand search results
c. EXAMPLE: Hurricanes OR Tornadoes
6. Using * (wildcard)
a. Can be used at the end or middle of word or as partial word.
b. EXAMPLES: woman*, RETRIEVES: woman, woman’s, womanizers
Wom* retrieves: woman, women, wombats, womb
Wom*n retrieves: woman, women
Wom*n* retrieves: woman’s, womens’
These search tips will help make your web searching more efficient resulting in more reliable websites located. You will find diamonds and not duds in your website results. Good luck searching!
1. Develop a search plan – this will help to narrow your search.
a. What do I know about subject?
b. How much information do I need?
c. What are possible keywords or phrases? Brainstorm possible keywords. Make sure to include them in your search phrase.
d. Brainstorm possible synonyms for keywords. Try using them in your search phrase.
2. Quotation Marks
a. Helps to ensure that entire phrase will be searched as one word.
b. EXAMPLE: “Iraq War”
3. Using AND in a search phrase
a. Search term must be included in results helping to limit results.
b. Does not necessarily search as a phrase. Term must just be included somewhere in websites located.
c. EXAMPLE: Dallas AND cowboys (may bring up other results besides the football team).
4. Using NOT in a search phrase
a. Excludes search term from being included in search results.
b. Helps to limit results
c. EXAMPLE: Hurricanes NOT basketball (will eliminate basketball team websites)
5. Using OR in search phrase
a. Both terms must be included in search results.
b. Helps to expand search results
c. EXAMPLE: Hurricanes OR Tornadoes
6. Using * (wildcard)
a. Can be used at the end or middle of word or as partial word.
b. EXAMPLES: woman*, RETRIEVES: woman, woman’s, womanizers
Wom* retrieves: woman, women, wombats, womb
Wom*n retrieves: woman, women
Wom*n* retrieves: woman’s, womens’
Resources
Boswell, Wendy. “Developing A Search Plan.” About.com: Web Search. 2007.
http://websearch.about.com.od/internetsearch/a/searchplan.htm?p=1.
4 January 2008.
Chamberlain, E. “Bare Bones Lesson 7: Basic Search Tips.” USC Beaufort Library.
7 September 2006. http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/lesson7.shtml.
4 January 2008
“Web Search Techniques.” IAC. 1 January 2002. http://www.iage.com/boolean.shtm.
24 January 2002.
Boswell, Wendy. “Developing A Search Plan.” About.com: Web Search. 2007.
http://websearch.about.com.od/internetsearch/a/searchplan.htm?p=1.
4 January 2008.
Chamberlain, E. “Bare Bones Lesson 7: Basic Search Tips.” USC Beaufort Library.
7 September 2006. http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/lesson7.shtml.
4 January 2008
“Web Search Techniques.” IAC. 1 January 2002. http://www.iage.com/boolean.shtm.
24 January 2002.
Created by Mary Moyer