brainstorming with google
DESCRIPTION
Ideas for brainstorming research topic using GoogleTRANSCRIPT
Page 1
Getting Started: Using Google to Brainstorm
Research Topics
Page 2
Brainstorming a Topic: Looking for Ideas
• Think about a topic that interests you.
• Consider the following idea-starters:
– My friends and I like to argue about…
– Someone believes …; however, I believe …
– I think we should pass a law so that …
Page 3
GooglePros ConsExtensive search results Search results can be
overwhelming
Starting point for background information
Results filled with non-relevant items despite refining
Retrieve websites by scholars, experts
Retrieve websites by non-experts - Scholarship varies
Become familiar with topic NOT everything is available through Google
Page 4
WikipediaPros ConsAnyone can edit ANYONE can edit!
Possible starting point for unfamiliar topic
Information can change on daily basis - Superficial level of scholarship
Mine for search terms Inaccuracies (truthiness)
Covers a wide range of topics Wikilobbying (companies, politicians, etc. skew facts)
Some articles list bibliographies or references
Quality of articles inconsistent or biased
Page 5
Benefits of Google Searching
• Become more familiar with a topic
• Pick out search terms that can be used for
library searching
• Find bibliographies
• Google Scholar, Google Books…
Page 6
Connecting Your Search Terms
Google & Research Databases offer this type of searching. Databases may present this option differently.
Page 7
Searching Google More Effectively
• Limit your results by producer or organization: site: .org .edu .gov
• Refine search options
• Find recent websites - “climate change” 2008..2010
• Synonyms - ~film→ movies, movie, cinema
• Advanced search link
Page 8
Smarter Googling
Focus a Google search:
• site: -- limits results to certain sites or domains– american history / american history site:loc.gov – libertarian / libertarian site:edu
• intitle: -- limits results to pages with search terms in the page title– rosa parks king / intitle:"rosa parks" intitle:king– douglass abolition / intitle:douglass intitle:abolition
Page 9
Smarter Googling
Build from good results:
• link: -- discover what other sites link to a site– historymatters.gmu.edu– link:historymatters.gmu.edu
• related: -- discover other similar sites– related:loc.gov– related:snopes.com
Page 10
Googling continued→ Limitations• Quotation marks can be used around phrases
– “climate change” – but they might eliminate useful results if too specific
• barack hussein obama vs. “barack hussein obama”• Databases often DO require quotes around phrases.
• Synonyms ~ work well with one-word searches BUT not with phrase searching like “climate change”– Many databases will retrieve similar terms like global warming,
greenhouse effect…
• Other limitations…
• For more tips, see: http://bit.ly/moregoogle
Page 11
Limitations
Limitations of Google as a research tool
• Google’s index doesn’t include everything that is
online. (e.g., licensed resources)
• Searches often have overwhelming numbers of
results. Databases usually more focused.
Page 12
Limitations
Realities of the Web
• Most info on the Web is not scholarly
• Web is constantly in flux, being edited and
indexed; inaccurate to think of Google info as a
static “snapshot” of the Web
Page 13
Google Instant
• Released Sept. 8, 2010
• Revises results as you type
• More info:
– Introducing Google Instant (YouTube)
– Could Reinvent Channel Flipping (wired.com)
– Is this the best they could come up with? (
telegraph.co.uk)
Page 14
Google Scholar
• Google’s index of scholarly literature
• Set Google preferences to get Mason resources
(“Find it@GM”)
• Google Scholar is one way to access resources,
not the way.
• Is the “cited by” information useful?
Page 15
Google Books
• Useful in conjunction with library catalog (linked
from catalog record)
• May include book summaries, reviews, table of
contents, selected pages, etc.
• Links to purchase options BUT the library can
often provide it for free.
Page 16
Can you find…
Authoritative information about the
species of bird called the Baltimore oriole
Page 17
Can you find…
Authoritative information about the
species of bird called the Baltimore oriole
• Baltimore oriole –baseball• Baltimore oriole birds –baseball• Baltimore oriole +habitat• Baltimore oriole +plumage etc.
Page 18
Can you find…
Reputable academic discussions
(essays, articles, etc.) about Lady Gaga
Page 19
Can you find…
Reputable academic discussions
(essays, articles, etc.) about Lady Gaga
• "lady gaga" site:edu• link:ladygaga.com site:edu
Page 20
Can you find…
Information about George Mason
(the man); limited to only .edu or .org
sites, not .com sites
Page 21
Can you find…
Information about George Mason (the
man); limited to only using .edu or .org
sites, not .com sites • george mason site:edu site:org• (“george mason” site:edu) OR (“george mason” site:org)
• “george mason” site:edu|site:org
Page 22
Can you find…
You’re building a model of an 18th-century
sailing ship. What is the fore topmast
studding sail and where does it go?
Page 23
Can you find…
You’re building a model of an 18th-century
sailing ship. What is the fore topmast
studding sail and where does it go?
• sailboat diagram
Page 24
Brainstorming Alternative: InfoGuides
• Starting point for ideas
• By subject/discipline
• Reliable sources evaluated by librarians
• Variety of sources: books, articles, images, DVDs,
primary sources
• Resources you only have access while students
at Mason
Page 26
Library InfoGuidesPros ConsResources selected by librarians Not all resources full text
Created for specific academic subjects & classes / Resources organized by subject
May not always know the correct word/phrase to use
Link to library catalogs & databases
Resources→ Not as many as Google or Wikipedia
Access to resources NOT available in Google/Wikipedia
Not every resource every published
Scholarly resources from various time periods