Research Skills - Sharp Searching

Making the Most of Google Searches

Learn to Search Like a Librarian

Everyone Googles!

It’s no secret!

Making the Most of GoogleFine-tuning “googling” skills

better command of searches leading to

valid and more reputable results.

Use Likely Words

Avoid questions for queries. NO: Where can I find a cheap

hotel in Savannah? YES: cheap hotel Savannah

Avoid extra words to connect search terms. NO: documentation on knee replacement surgery YES: knee replacement surgery

Be Specific

Avoid ambiguous searches. NO: java YES: Java Indonesia YES : java coffee YES: java programming

NO: Michael Johnson YES : Michael Johnson guitarist YES: Michael Johnson sprinter YES : Michael Johnson Georgia Tech football

Spelling

Stick with a few concise terms. NO: programs on how to lose weight YES: weight loss programs

Brevity

Stick with a few concise terms. NO: programs on how to lose weight YES: weight loss programs

Google ignores certain search words. Common Google Stop Words –

a, all, any, few, how, in, into, of, more, most, my, only, so, some, such, the, this, those, through, very, which, while, who, whom, why, with…

BUT Google is “smart” enough to generalize when not to ignore a stop word.

Example – Google will not ignore the “for,” “whom” and “the” in a searching

Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Stop Words

Become Familiar with Operators

Minus Sign The minus sign excludes a term(s) in the results and

used by librarians to filter a search term with multiple connotations.

jaguar –football –Jacksonville –car

#..# Search a range of numbers. Martha Stewart Halloween 2008..2011, editions

3..8 Wildcard –> * Placeholder for a word(s), letter(s) or number(s). pumpkin * recipe, Jan * 2011, environ*

Become Familiar with Operators

> Add site:> to only search a type of site (ex: .gov

or .edu) or a specific website url. grammar activities site:> .edu Hubble telescope images site:>nasa.gov

or Tells Google to search for either variable

though not necessarily together. crescent moon or quarter moon

Filetype: Google will only yield sources of the requested

filetype. Women* suffrage filetype:ppt

Become Familiar with Operators

define: Use this preceding anything unfamiliar. define:kerning, define:planking

quotes: Surround an exact phrase with quotes. “But I have promises to keep, and miles to go

before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.”

phonebook: Fast way to locate a telephone number. phonebook:Rite Aid Peachtree Rd

Become Familiar with Operators

related: Browse sites with similar content. related:ancestry.com

movie: Instant 411 of current movies – times,

reviews, rating (G, PG, PG-13, R), trailers, etc. movie:Moneyball

weather: Quick weather synopsis by location. weather:31093, weather:Paris, weather:Turner

Field

BibliographyImages Sources:

http://www.huzzer.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/looking-3.jpg http://gotlocaltraffic.com/wp-content/themes/iblogpro/images/top-ranking-in-

google-places.png http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/01/09/article-1345441-

076E8826000005DC-675_468x286.jpg http://www.owlsweb.info/tidbits/2004/google-spell.jpg http://www.nwhm.org/media/category/exhibits/spies/telephone%20operators

%20world%20war%20I.jpg http://www.best-4-u.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Find-Similar-Websites-

On-the-Internet.jpg http://www.marcgunther.com/wp-content/uploads/google.jpg http://wwwcdn.net/ev/assets/images/vectors/afbig/downward-black-arrow-

clip-art.jpg http://www.mononarag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/real_stop_sign.jpg http://www.usa.gov/tutorials/auctions/images/gov_auctions_7.jpg