1/28/10 How to Effectively Search the Internet

How to Search the Internet Effectively

Although there is no exact number, it is estimated that there are well over 200 million websites (most with multiply pages of information) now available through the Internet, with millions more being added every month. This is a conservative estimate. With this much information available at your finger tips it can be a frustrating task to find the best and most reliable sites out there. Here are some tips that research has found to be the most help full way to sort through the websites available on the Internet.

Getting Started:

Define your topic as completely as possible. Write down exactly what information you are looking for and not looking for. This will help you determine a handful of keywords to begin your search.

Keywords:

Search engines will return the most useful results if several keywords or phrases are used. On average, an internet search consists of 1.5 keywords. This does not provide enough information for the search engine to limit its results to what you really are looking for. It is recommended to use 6 to 8 keywords that consist of nouns and objects. Pronouns (he, she, it) and articles (a, the) are ignored by search engines and verbs should not be used. Only use modifiers when they describe the noun more specifically (i.e. “peanut butter” instead of just “butter”).

When using a modifier or searching for a phrase, they should be surrounded by quotation marks. This tells the search engine to return results that only contain this phrase exactly as it appears in your quotation marks.

Most search engines also ignore the use of capitalization and punctuation.

Boolean Basics:

Some search engines recognize this technique when conducting an Internet search. When used correctly, Boolean can limit the number of results to reasonable number and increase the chance of the sites returned being useful. The three most common Boolean commands, or operators, are described below. The Boolean operator used only applies to the terms directly before and after so, as in the “AND” example below, you must use the Boolean command between each term. You may also combine different Boolean operators. It is also important to note that not all search engines support Boolean operators or they may require them to be displayed differently, such as “+” instead of “AND” or “-“ instead of “AND NOT”. If using Boolean operators, you need to be aware of how your specific search engine recognizes them.

AND- tells the search engine to return sites that contain all the terms or phrases entered. This is the most commonly used Boolean command.

EX: “Plattsburgh” AND “Lake Champlain” AND “Quadricentenial”

OR- tells the search engine to search for documents that contain either word, it does not matter which. This command can be used when you are searching using synonyms or closely related terms.

EX: “Plattsburgh” OR “Up-State NY” OR “Lake Champlain”

AND NOT- tells the search engine to find documents that contain this word but not another. This can be a very useful tool if you are trying to find information of a specific topic that is often associated with another.

EX: “Plattsburgh” AND NOT “Lake Champlain”

Search Engines:

Picking the appropriate search engine can be one of the most challenging parts of an Internet search. You should become familiar with three to four search engines and use each during a search. Each search engine will provide different websites in their results with the same search, so using only one will limit your results significantly. You also need to be aware that some search engines just use another search engine to conduct their search. AOL, for instance, returns results through Google, so using these two will not improve your results.

Becoming familiar with your primary search engines will also heighten your success at searching the Internet. Use the “Advanced Search” options as much as possible. These tools are used to help you find the most relevant, up-to-date and reliable information that is available.

More information concerning search engines can be found at http://searchenginewatch.com/.

Use Your Resources:

As a student enrolled at Clinton Community College, you have many resources available to you through the Douglas Library and the Feinburg Library at SUNY Plattsburgh. You have access to some of the most helpful and knowledgeable librarians in the area who are always willing to help create an effective internet search strategy as well as point you in the direction of other resources. Also through the libraries you have access to many databases on a multitude of subjects. These database give you access to peer-reviewed journals and articles that the general public does not have access to. They provide the most up-to-date and accurate information on these topics available.

Take time to explore the library and the databases that are available to you.

Reliable Sources:

One of the biggest issues with conducting research through the Internet is the fact that any individual or group may publish a web page on any topic that they wish. This leads to much of the information available being partially or completely inaccurate. Never take the information provided at one site as completely accurate, always have several sources that support the idea. You should also evaluate the accuracy and reliability of each and every Internet source. The Douglas Library has published a list of questions to ask of every Internet source to determine the accuracy and reliability, http://www.clinton.edu/douglaslibrary/evaluatinginternetresources.cxml.