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Effective web search techniques
Introduction
Do you think you are searching the Internet effectively?
Have you been frustrated by search results that are
confusing or not relevant?
Web searches are not always intuitive, and there are steps
you can follow to access even the deep, invisible web…
Formulating Effective Searches
How often do you have to search the search results to find the
information you were seeking?
Do you identify key words when typing in the search bar? Have
you ever parsed a phrase or sentence? These are ways to make
web searches more effective. The following slides will cover these
techniques.
Formulating Effective Searches
Question must be scaled down to operative terms
Key words - Essential for communicating what you need. Circle
them. Often they are common or proper nouns.
“Maybe” words – Words that might not be necessary or better
expresses in an “alternative phrasing”. Underline them.
Missing words – Identify any missing information. What does the
search engine need to identify sources? Write them in.
Unnecessary words – Identify and cross them out.
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
Formulating Effective Searches
Analyzing the Search Question
Parsing to arrive at a better query
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
Formulating Effective Searches
Search Question is Edited to Arrive at Search Query
Question
Becomes
Cheetah running speed
Search
Query
How fast can a cheetah
run?
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
Formulating Effective Searches
Every word matters – who, the who, and a who are all
different queries
Punctuation and capitalization do not matter, (except
in Boolean operators)
Word order matters – blue sky does not get same
results as sky blue
Limit search by designating language and media type
(image, video, book, journal article)
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
Formulating Effective Searches
Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results
Quotation marks – Used for phrases and results will only
show words as phrased – “Navy Ghost Blimp”
Range operator – Results contain numbers in a range by
specifying two numbers, separated by two periods, with no
spaces – [ recumbent bicycle $250..$1000 ]
Boolean operators qualify searches: AND, OR, NOT
(Always typed in uppercase)
Ecology AND Pollution – Only results with both words
Ecology OR Pollution – Results with either word
Ecology NOT Pollution – Results with ecology not pollution
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
OR [keyword1 OR keyword 2]
All results that contain either keyword
AND [keyword1 AND keyword2] =
results contain both words (Google and
Yahoo use this operator by default)
Boolean Operator Searches
Formulating Effective Searches
NOT [keyword1 -keyword2] =
results excludes keyword2 from
search results
Source: Smarty, Search Engine Journal
Formulating Effective Searches
Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results
Go beyond the visible web to the invisible or deep web
 Visible web – Content that is available through major
search engines.
 Deep web– Content not available through search engines.
Includes many essential academic research tools such as
statistics and scholarly work. For example, pages from
government websites for the Bureau of Labor Statistics
and the Navy do not show up in standard queries.
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
Formulating Effective Searches
Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results
Using context terms to access the deep web – Identifying
and utilizing different collections of information
 Database
 Archives
 Reference
 Bibliography
 Works Cited
 Museum
 Exhibit
 Encyclopedia
 Pathfinder
 Collection
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
Using Boolean operators
and context terms leads
to search results from
the previously invisible
deep web
Formulating Effective Searches
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
Formulating Effective Searches
Search deeper with SITE: operator
site: + website title
(rhinoresourcenter.com) + other
word or words (rescue). The “site
operator” should be written all in
lower case.
This allows searches within specific
websites, especially useful for
those that do not offer search
functions.
Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
Formulating Effective Searches
Use a Minus Sign to eliminate
unwanted results
A minus sign in front of a word in
a query prohibits the search
engine from returning any page
with that word on it.
The query “eagles-philadelphia”
assures that results will not
pertain to the NFL football team.
Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
Formulating Effective Searches
Add a tilde (~) before a search
term (with no space) to ask to look
for a wider variety of spellings or
related terms
In this case, the search delivered
results with the word extinct as
well as endangered.
Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
Formulating Effective Searches
Use an asterisk (*) to fill in the
blank for an unknown entity.
The query is: Each year, N people
die of AIDS. The asterisk solves for
N.
It could also be used multiple
times in one query [ “Conquering
the * and * of Grief“ ]
Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
Formulating Effective Searches
Use a filetype operator when
searching for a specific type of file.
This query [parts of a microscope
filetype:swf] is looking for a flash
file to illustrate the microscope’s
parts.
The search could have specified
other file extensions such as pdf or
doc for written instructions.
Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
“Deep” Search
Let’s find out about the Navy Ghost Blimp. Is the story
just based upon a rumor? Can you find anywhere on
the Navy website that talks about the story as if it
really took place?
Not as easy as it seems … go back and look at the
techniques discussed to perform a “deep” search.
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
“Deep” Search Results
Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
References
Bergson-Michelson, T. & Glass, K. (n.d.) Narrowing a search to get the best results.
Google Search Education. Retrieved from
https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dcbsfbvq_9696dtmg4dq
Bergson-Michelson, T. & Glass, K. (n.d.) Picking the right search terms, advanced lesson
1. Google Search Education. Retrieved from
https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dcbsfbvq_1017fdzjnp5h&start=7
Bergson-Michelson, T. & Glass, K. (n.d.) Picking the right search terms, beginner lesson
1. Google Search Education. Retrieved from
https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dcbsfbvq_1283dtjfh9g3
Google. (2010, March 4) How search works. [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNHR6IQJGZs
Smarty, A. (2008, October 16). How to use Boolean search operators : SEO application.
Search Engine Journal. Retrieved from http://www.searchenginejournal.com/how-to-
use-boolean-search-operators-seo-application/7822/

More Related Content

Effective web search techniques

  • 2. Introduction Do you think you are searching the Internet effectively? Have you been frustrated by search results that are confusing or not relevant? Web searches are not always intuitive, and there are steps you can follow to access even the deep, invisible web…
  • 3. Formulating Effective Searches How often do you have to search the search results to find the information you were seeking? Do you identify key words when typing in the search bar? Have you ever parsed a phrase or sentence? These are ways to make web searches more effective. The following slides will cover these techniques.
  • 4. Formulating Effective Searches Question must be scaled down to operative terms Key words - Essential for communicating what you need. Circle them. Often they are common or proper nouns. “Maybe” words – Words that might not be necessary or better expresses in an “alternative phrasing”. Underline them. Missing words – Identify any missing information. What does the search engine need to identify sources? Write them in. Unnecessary words – Identify and cross them out. Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 5. Formulating Effective Searches Analyzing the Search Question Parsing to arrive at a better query Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 6. Formulating Effective Searches Search Question is Edited to Arrive at Search Query Question Becomes Cheetah running speed Search Query How fast can a cheetah run? Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 7. Formulating Effective Searches Every word matters – who, the who, and a who are all different queries Punctuation and capitalization do not matter, (except in Boolean operators) Word order matters – blue sky does not get same results as sky blue Limit search by designating language and media type (image, video, book, journal article) Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 8. Formulating Effective Searches Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results Quotation marks – Used for phrases and results will only show words as phrased – “Navy Ghost Blimp” Range operator – Results contain numbers in a range by specifying two numbers, separated by two periods, with no spaces – [ recumbent bicycle $250..$1000 ] Boolean operators qualify searches: AND, OR, NOT (Always typed in uppercase) Ecology AND Pollution – Only results with both words Ecology OR Pollution – Results with either word Ecology NOT Pollution – Results with ecology not pollution Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 9. OR [keyword1 OR keyword 2] All results that contain either keyword AND [keyword1 AND keyword2] = results contain both words (Google and Yahoo use this operator by default) Boolean Operator Searches Formulating Effective Searches NOT [keyword1 -keyword2] = results excludes keyword2 from search results Source: Smarty, Search Engine Journal
  • 10. Formulating Effective Searches Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results Go beyond the visible web to the invisible or deep web  Visible web – Content that is available through major search engines.  Deep web– Content not available through search engines. Includes many essential academic research tools such as statistics and scholarly work. For example, pages from government websites for the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Navy do not show up in standard queries. Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 11. Formulating Effective Searches Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results Using context terms to access the deep web – Identifying and utilizing different collections of information  Database  Archives  Reference  Bibliography  Works Cited  Museum  Exhibit  Encyclopedia  Pathfinder  Collection Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 12. Using Boolean operators and context terms leads to search results from the previously invisible deep web Formulating Effective Searches Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 13. Formulating Effective Searches Search deeper with SITE: operator site: + website title (rhinoresourcenter.com) + other word or words (rescue). The “site operator” should be written all in lower case. This allows searches within specific websites, especially useful for those that do not offer search functions. Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 14. Formulating Effective Searches Use a Minus Sign to eliminate unwanted results A minus sign in front of a word in a query prohibits the search engine from returning any page with that word on it. The query “eagles-philadelphia” assures that results will not pertain to the NFL football team. Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 15. Formulating Effective Searches Add a tilde (~) before a search term (with no space) to ask to look for a wider variety of spellings or related terms In this case, the search delivered results with the word extinct as well as endangered. Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 16. Formulating Effective Searches Use an asterisk (*) to fill in the blank for an unknown entity. The query is: Each year, N people die of AIDS. The asterisk solves for N. It could also be used multiple times in one query [ “Conquering the * and * of Grief“ ] Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 17. Formulating Effective Searches Use a filetype operator when searching for a specific type of file. This query [parts of a microscope filetype:swf] is looking for a flash file to illustrate the microscope’s parts. The search could have specified other file extensions such as pdf or doc for written instructions. Techniques to Narrow and Deepen Search Results Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 18. “Deep” Search Let’s find out about the Navy Ghost Blimp. Is the story just based upon a rumor? Can you find anywhere on the Navy website that talks about the story as if it really took place? Not as easy as it seems … go back and look at the techniques discussed to perform a “deep” search. Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 19. “Deep” Search Results Source: Bergson-Michelson & Glass, Google Search Education
  • 20. References Bergson-Michelson, T. & Glass, K. (n.d.) Narrowing a search to get the best results. Google Search Education. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dcbsfbvq_9696dtmg4dq Bergson-Michelson, T. & Glass, K. (n.d.) Picking the right search terms, advanced lesson 1. Google Search Education. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dcbsfbvq_1017fdzjnp5h&start=7 Bergson-Michelson, T. & Glass, K. (n.d.) Picking the right search terms, beginner lesson 1. Google Search Education. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dcbsfbvq_1283dtjfh9g3 Google. (2010, March 4) How search works. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNHR6IQJGZs Smarty, A. (2008, October 16). How to use Boolean search operators : SEO application. Search Engine Journal. Retrieved from http://www.searchenginejournal.com/how-to- use-boolean-search-operators-seo-application/7822/