Searching Google For Website

Searching GoogleSearching GoogleTMTM

SHR Medical Library

In This In This SessionSession You Will Learn You Will Learn

How Google Works Tips for Searching

Google Boolean Logic Google Special Features Tips for evaluating

information on the Internet

A. Same number of syllables as YAHOO

B. Named after founder’s dog

C. Misspelling of Googol

Test Your Google I.Q. Test Your Google I.Q.

Why is Google called “Google”?

Answer is C!

Originates from term Googol means 10100

Test Your Google I.Q. Test Your Google I.Q.

Answer from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Googol

““Don’t Be Evil”Don’t Be Evil”

Started in 1996 as the PhD research project of engineering students Sergey Brin & Larry Page at Stanford University

They never went on to finish their PhD

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google

The Little Spider that Could…The Little Spider that Could…how search engines workhow search engines work

Google refers to their spiders as Googlebots

Crawls the web - sends request to web page – passes off page to Google indexer

They are not a directories

i.e. Google Directory

From: http://www.googleguide.com/google_works.html

A (very brief) description of A (very brief) description of How Google Gets ResultsHow Google Gets Results

1. Searches for all of your keywords as a phrase

2. Will search to see if our search terms are found close together on the page

3. Measures number of times your keyword appears

4. plus some other secret stuff

5. multiplies page’s individual scores by its ‘Page Rank’

6. Then Displays top 1,000 in order of relevance

Based on IMPACT factor premise from scholarly publishing

Google applies this to the Web: importance of Web page judged by number of hyperlinks pointing to it from other pages

Page RankPage RankTMTM

From: http://www.google.com/technology/

Deep Web or Invisible WebDeep Web or Invisible Web

Google & others search about 15%

Internet

Can Google Do it All?Can Google Do it All?

Google and other Internet search engines access only 7% of available

health-related information.

Source: Henderson J. Google scholar: A source for clinicians? CMAJ 2005;172(12):1549-1550

Google ScholarGoogle Scholar

•Still in BETA, meaning its still in a developmental phase

•Does not used controlled vocabulary and does not have up to date access to current journal articles

Let’s Get Googling!Let’s Get Googling!

Go to Google Canada: www.google.ca

Basic Google Search ScreenBasic Google Search Screen

Choose what to search

Enter search

terms here

Click here when ready to start

search

Can choose to search only Canadian sites

Set your preferences

Automatically takes you to the first site in results

URL- the website address

Get more help with your searching

Title of Web Page

Example: http://www.saskatoonhealthregion.ca/

http:// - stands for hypertext transfer protocal

www – World Wide Web

saskatoonhealthregion – this is the domain name

.ca – this is the type of domain, this is a Canadian site

URL: Uniform Resource LocaterURL: Uniform Resource Locater

Setting Your PreferencesSetting Your Preferences

Understanding Google Results

Database searched

Number of results

Words searched

Cached & Similar Pages

Search terms in Bold

Results current as of January 29, 2007

Image SearchImage Search

Results current as of January 29, 2007

Click on Images and then click on Search

Click on Advanced Image Search for more options

Map SearchMap Search

Click on Maps and then click on Search

Maps

Shows location of Museum

Results current as of January 29, 2007

AND, OR, NOT …. Boolean OperatorsAND, OR, NOT …. Boolean Operators

Dogs

Dogs Cats

AND is exclusive – must have both terms

OR is inclusive- must have either idea

Dogs AND Cats

Cats

Dogs OR Cats

AND, OR, NOT …. Boolean OperatorsAND, OR, NOT …. Boolean Operators

NOT : is exclusive,

must have first term not

the second

Cat Dog

Cat Not Dog

AND is the default in Google

Example: dogs AND cats = dogs cats

Phrase put phrase in quotes

Example: “The truth about cats and dogs”

OR can use the word OR and can use symbol (I)

Example: dogs OR cats = dogs I cats

+ forces search of common words

Example: the + truth + about + cats + dogs

Synonyms searched using Tilde (~)

Example: dogs ~ puppies ~ terrier ~ husky

Googlean BooleanGooglean Boolean

Google Advanced SearchGoogle Advanced Search

ANDPhrase

OR

NOT

Google Advanced SearchGoogle Advanced Search

Pearl Growing: Helpful when you find the perfect site and

want more like it

Allows you to search within Google Books or only for MAC computer stuff, etc.

1. Choose some search terms

2. Try different combinations (with all the words, with the exact phrase, with at least one of the words, without

the words)

3. Choose some limitsfile type (.ppt, .doc)

Language (English, French)Domain (.edu, .gov, .org, .ca)

4. Ask Us Questions!

Try It! Google Advanced Search

Google Advanced: Sample SearchGoogle Advanced: Sample Search

We limit our search to Power Point Presentations

Google Advanced: Sample SearchGoogle Advanced: Sample Search

Results current as of January 30, 2007

Our Results are all Power Point Presentations

Other Google StuffOther Google Stuff

Quick Tips: Evaluating Web SitesQuick Tips: Evaluating Web Sites

• Who Runs the Site? Check the About Us Page, Do they provide any contact information? (anonymous sites can spell trouble). Do you recognize the organization, institution or agency?

• Quality of Information. Check when it was last updated (on bottom of page). Does the information seem credible?

• Privacy. Check for their Privacy Policy. Do they use cookies? How are they using this information.

• Secure Connection? Is there a lock icon in Security Status bar, located on right side of address bar?

Note the lock icon to show the page is secure

Google RecapGoogle Recap

Google is a search engine, does not have access to same information as MEDLINE, CINAHL, etc.

Google supports partial Boolean (OR, NOT and phrase searching)

Easier to use Google Advanced Search Screen

Advanced Search allows you to apply limits

Can search for images, news, scholarly literature, etc.

Session RecapSession Recap

You Have Learned:

How Search Engines, specifically Google works How to search in the Basic Google Search

Screen Boolean Logic & how Google uses Boolean How to search in the Advanced Google Search

Screen How to evaluate websites

Need More Help?Need More Help?

Don’t Hesitate to Call or E-mail the SHR Medical Library Staff!

E-mail: library@saskatoonhealthregion.ca

Phone:

306-655-8228

Hours:

Monday thru Friday: 8am – 5pm