Searching the World Wide Web

"What's the best search engine? The one you learn to use well."
Bill Dedman, Power Reporting: Resources for Journalists http://powerreporting.com/altavista.html
  Finding information on the Web can be difficult, especially if you're unfamiliar with different search engines. Some search engines are computer-generated indexes which search the Web or portions of the it while other engines search sites gathered, indexed, and organized by people. Sometimes, search engines are a combination of the two. In addition to indexing and retrieving information in different ways, search engines may vary in the search syntax they understand. Some allow the Boolean operators (and, or, not) in search statements; others allow what Search Engine Watch calls "search engine math." In other words, they understand pluses (+), minuses (-), and quotation marks (" ") in search statements. Very few search engines understand natural language--that is, typing something in as you would say it. Natural language searching,even when it is permitted, typically produces poor results. It's best to learn more about search techniques.

To become an expert, pick two or three search engines, and then become familiar with their features and the syntax they allow. Otherwise, your search will always be compromised. If you want to search as much of the Web as possible, try an engine like Google. If you are new to searching the Web, start with a directory like Yahoo. If you want sites that have already been evaluated by a reputable source, try the Scout Report's Archives.

Helpful Sites

Web Searching Tips from Search Engine Watch

Web Searching: A Tutorial on Search Strategy and Syntax

Bare Bones 101: A Basic Tutorial on Searching the Web

Practice Exercises

Using Boolean Operators and "Search Engine Math"

Becoming a WebWIZARD:
What you need to know:

 Boolean Operators (and, or, not)
AIDS and quilts This search finds both words in same document. Both words have to appear. AND narrows search results.
colleges or universities This search finds either word or both words in a document. At least one word must appear. OR broadens search results.
Cleveland not Indians NOT eliminates terms and narrows your search. This search will retrieve items about Cleveland but not about the Cleveland Indians.
"Search Engine Math"* (pluses, minuses and quotation marks)
+AIDS +quilts The plus sign requires terms to be present. Two or more terms narrow your search.
colleges universities No signs will retrieve either word, not necessarily both. Your search will be broad.
+Cleveland -Indians While the plus sign requires the presence of a term, the minus sign eliminates a term. This strategy narrows your search.
"stock market" Quotation marks bind phrases. Use double quotes to bind a naturally occurring, grammatically correct phrase to make your search more precise:
"high school"   "New York"    "World Wide Web"    "Affirmative Action"
+"New York Stock Exchange"
-"American Stock Exchange" 		Combine all three signs to create a powerful, precise search when needed: This search will eliminate the phrase American Stock Exchange but will retrieve the phrase New York Stock Exchange.
*"Search engine math" is a phrase coined by Search Engine Watch.


Three Search Engines: Google, Yahoo, Scout Report's Archives
Search Engine Features Suggested Use Search Tips
Google
  • Includes more than 4 billion pages.
  • Is a crawler-based tool that provides comprehensive coverage of the web and has the ability to retrieve highly relevant results.
  • Also provides access to images, usenet groups, and a subject directory (topical browsing).
  • Use this tool when you want to search as much of the Web as possible.
  • Look here for information on the "real" world: travel, weather, movies, Web pages you know about, news, etc.
  • Defaults to AND (finds all words entered).
  • Use quotations marks to keep phrases together.
  • Understands search engine math
  • Go to advanced search for a menu-driven search.
Yahoo
  • Is a hybrid search tool consisting of a directory and listings of web sites compiled by people. Also ties into Google, a crawler-based tool.
  • Has a searchable and browsable directory.
  • Provides links to over half a million sites divided into more than 25,000 categories.
  • Has unevaluated sites suggested by users.
  • Has sites assigned to categories by real people called "surfers" at Yahoo. Standards for inclusion aren't clear.
  • Browse to see what's available on a given topic.
  • Look here for information on the "real" world: travel, weather, movies, Web pages you know about, news, etc.
  • Defaults to AND (finds all words entered).
  • Use quotations marks to keep phrases together.
  • Understands search engine math
  • Go to advanced search for a menu-driven search.
Scout Report's
Archives
  • Links to sites selected and reviewed by editorial staff.
  • Contains over 13,000 critically evaluated sites, 9,000 of which have been cataloged, classified, and arranged according to Library of Congress classification.
  • Provides a lengthy annotation.
  • Is browsable (by LC subject headings and classifications); Is also searchable (Keyword and Advanced).
  • Visit this site when looking for more information aimed at an academic audience. The site is intended for higher education.
  • Browse to see what's available on a given topic.
  • Check here if you are having trouble finding reputable information.
  • The keyword search default is OR when two or more words are searched . (An AND search isn't possible in the keyword search.)
  • Use quotation marks to bind a phrase in both the keyword and advanced search (e.g., "first aid," "United States," etc.).
  • Advanced search has a full range of Boolean operators. Complex searches can be created with the menu-driven interface.


Wording Your Search

Before you start typing words in a search engine, spend some time putting your topic into words. Write it down if you want to keep track of important concepts or keywords. In most search engines you can't use natural language. That is, you can't search something by typing a complete sentence or question.

For example, let's say that this sentence captures the topic you're searching:

I want to find information about college students doing volunteer work.

Possible search strategies:
Google "college students" volunteer
Yahoo "college students" volunteer
Scout Report Archives Use the pull-down menus in Advanced search. In the first box, type volunteer; in the second box, type students; and in the third box type college. Leave the Boolean operator AND as the connector.


Troubleshooting: Common Obstacles
  • Too many hits?
    --Add to your search statement. Depending on the syntax that a search engine understands, use AND or + to add a new term.
  • Not enough hits?
    --Try a different search engine.
    --Check your search statement. Make sure it accurately reflects what you're searching for.
    --Use different search terms to express the same idea. Let's say you're looking for information on the subculture of extreme sports. After searching for subculture and extreme sports, you want more hits. Try searching the term counterculture and/or naming sports individually (skateboarding, snowboarding, etc.).
  • No hits?
    --Check your spelling.
  • False Hits?
    -- Depending on the syntax a search engine allows, use NOT or a minus sign (-) to eliminate the term that's throwing off your search. Say, for instance, you're searching for information on Jordan, the country, and you keep getting sites about Michael Jordan. Eliminate Michael from your search, and you're more likely to retrieve more appropriate hits.
  • Problems citing the Web page?
    --Citing Web pages can be difficult. Sometimes, a page doesn't have all of the elements required in a citation. In that case, supply as much of the required information as possible. Your job is to get your readers back to the sources you cite. See Module 5, which has information about APA & MLA style.
  • Information not scholarly or academic enough?
    --You may find some scholarly information on the Web; however, in general, you will be much better off using the Research Databases, which provide access to scholarly literature. Many of the Research Databases supply full-text articles, which are not freely available through a search engine like Google or Yahoo.
  • Not enough time to search and evaluate Web sites?
    --Visit Scout Report's Archives. It's one of the few sites on the Web geared toward an educational audience that provides access to already evaluated sites. To be included in the Archives, a Web site has to have a certain quality (according to their human reviewers, anyway).
  • Not happy with your search results?
    --Remember that librarians at Jerome Library and the Science Library specialize in finding information. Stop by and let a librarian help in your search!

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