Internet Search Strategies

How and Where to Find What you Need on the Internet

Goals

To be able to define a search engine and a search directory

To be able to apply a strategy to help structure searches

To be able to choose between a search engine and a search directory

To be able to choose between simple and advanced search

Goals

To be able to define a search engine and a search directory

To be able to apply a strategy to help structure searches

To be able to choose between a search engine and a search directory

Today’s Agenda

Search Engine Vs. Search DirectorySearch StrategiesSimple or Advanced SearchingGoogle, is it all we needReference practice

Today’s Agenda

Search Engine Vs. Search DirectorySearch StrategiesGoogle, is it all we needQuestions?!

Exercise 1

What search tool did you use?What search terms did you use?What site did you find?

Search Engines

Full-text indicesLarge amounts of web pages indexedAll pages indexed by “spiders”Pages not evaluated

Examples??

Search Directories

Smaller indices, not full-textPages added by submissionsGrouped by subjectEvaluated by staff/experts

◦To varying degrees

Examples??

Types of Search Directories

Two levels or purposes◦General, broad coverage

Librarians’ Index – Yahoo! - About.com◦Focused on specific subjectson any topic

Law Directory of Open Access JournalsDog Health Directory

Types of Search Directories

Two levels or purposes◦General, broad coverage

Librarians’ Index – Yahoo! ◦Focused on specific subjectson any topic

Business.comi-love-dogs.com

Why Focused Directories?

Coverage of a topic◦selected web pages◦broken down into sub-topics

Selected, often evaluated◦guide to worthwhile sites

You can often forage for yourself◦broad interest◦research need not clearly focused

Sometimes fast way to find a specific answer◦when search engines retrieve way too much

Finding Subject-Focused Directories

LII◦scattered throughout the entries

Yahoo!◦search a topic term + “web directories”

EXAMPLE: woodworking web directoriesAbout.com – other general directories

◦search by subject mixed in with other pages

Google◦Subject intitle:”directory of”

Which to Use?Directory Vs. Engine

Search Directories◦ Search engine

frustration too many or “wrong”

hits tap into an expert’s web

searching on the subject◦ Question on an aspect

of a broad subject overview or orientation

to the subject◦ Special format or type

of web item sounds, images,

databases, MP3, video, FTP sites

Search Engines◦Need to search “full-

text”◦Can narrow search

with specific search terms

◦Look for a specific site

◦Locate interests “people put on the web

Exercise 2Brainstorming Where to Search

Clues in the keywords?◦Search Engines – what words should be in the

pages in your results?◦Search Directories – what is the broader topic?◦What search terms might work?

Just practice thinking, don’t search yet.

#1 Search Strategy

Know the question!Think about the question and the information you are trying to find.

How much information is needed?How much info will successfully answer the question.

Define the search terms.Choose unique and descriptive keywords

Check all terms for duplicate meanings and synonyms.

Examples?

#2 Search Strategy

Keep your searching simple, direct, fastLearn about your question from what you

findChange your approach as you learnEvaluate what you find for reliability

Exercise 3Search Strategy Worksheet

Analyze topics before you start searching◦Unique words◦Phrases◦Organization◦Increase specificity◦What can you exclude

Simple Vs. Advanced SearchFactors in choosing

SPEED – Simple search is fasterneed to FOCUS on an aspect of a topicwant LIMITSwww.google.com

Is Simple Sufficient?Yes, if…

Question contains unique words, distinctive names, acronyms◦maltose ◦Ethernet◦NAACP

Question contains phrase or string ◦“lead pollution” ◦“communicable diseases”

You can think of an organization with the answer◦EAP◦NIH

When should you use Advanced Search?

Complex topic to searchWhen terms have duplicate or many

meaningsWhen you need to add terms to focus the

search◦Use Boolean Logic

All search engines have the “implied AND” Remember OR Limit by exclusion

Exercise 4Simple Vs. Advanced Search

Use both types of searchesAre there differences in results lists?Are results more reliable or of higher

quality with one or the other?

Is Google the only one we need?

Probably not, but it’s darn good.If you like Google…try Bing

Cool Google Tips

Things to remember◦No more than 32 query words◦Word order matters◦Repetition matters◦You can use slang or “industrial terminology”◦Stemming

Questions?

Bing