Making the most of the World Wide Wonderland 22nd February 2005 An introduction to effective internet searching Lorraine Sperring Learning & Teaching Resources

Making the most of the World Wide Wonderland 22nd February 2005

An introduction to effectiveAn introduction to effective internet searching internet searching

Lorraine SperringLorraine Sperring

Learning & Teaching Resources AdviserLearning & Teaching Resources Adviser


Handy hints and tasty tipsHandy hints and tasty tips

Become familiar with a couple of search Become familiar with a couple of search engines rather than trying loads of themengines rather than trying loads of them

Use the help offered within the individual Use the help offered within the individual search engines to refine your searchsearch engines to refine your search

Make sure you understand which default Make sure you understand which default the search engine uses, i.e. when you the search engine uses, i.e. when you enter two or more search terms whether it enter two or more search terms whether it combines them using combines them using ‘or’‘or’ or or ‘and’‘and’


Be as specific as possible to reduce the Be as specific as possible to reduce the number of hits, i.e. amend your search by number of hits, i.e. amend your search by adding additional termsadding additional terms

If you get too few hits, check your spelling; If you get too few hits, check your spelling; consider using truncation (usually consider using truncation (usually ‘*’ ‘*’ ) or ) or an an ‘or’‘or’ search search

Generally the most plausible results are Generally the most plausible results are listed first. If you can’t find what you’re listed first. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in the first couple of pages, try looking for in the first couple of pages, try amending your searchamending your search


No search engine indexes the entire Web. No search engine indexes the entire Web. The fact that you haven’t found something The fact that you haven’t found something does NOT mean it’s not out there does NOT mean it’s not out there somewhere. Try a different search engine, somewhere. Try a different search engine, a metasearch engine or consider using a a metasearch engine or consider using a subject gatewaysubject gateway


Metasearch enginesMetasearch engines

Because all engines index the Web Because all engines index the Web differently you will get the best results by differently you will get the best results by using more than one search engine. using more than one search engine. Metasearch engines are useful because Metasearch engines are useful because they sent your query to several different they sent your query to several different search engines at once and collate the search engines at once and collate the resultsresults


ExamplesExamples

MetacrawlerMetacrawler - - http://www.metacrawler.co.ukhttp://www.metacrawler.co.uk – long – long established and popularestablished and popular

Ask JeevesAsk Jeeves - - http://http://www.ask.co.ukwww.ask.co.uk – – accepts your question in plain English, but accepts your question in plain English, but can give irrelevant resultscan give irrelevant results

Dogpile Dogpile - - http://http://www.dogpile.co.ukwww.dogpile.co.uk// - - returns results from 10 leading search returns results from 10 leading search engines.engines.


Subject gatewaysSubject gateways These are organised indexes of Web sites that These are organised indexes of Web sites that

allow the user to browse by topic in search of allow the user to browse by topic in search of relevant informationrelevant information

Sites included have been selected, often by Sites included have been selected, often by librarians, as authoritative, comprehensive and librarians, as authoritative, comprehensive and useful sites in subject specific areasuseful sites in subject specific areas

Search engines provided by the gateways do not Search engines provided by the gateways do not search the whole web but just the resources search the whole web but just the resources selected. Therefore there are far fewer hits to selected. Therefore there are far fewer hits to scan which is more effective for browsingscan which is more effective for browsing


ExamplesExamples

RDN: Resource Discovery Network -RDN: Resource Discovery Network - http://http://www.rdn.ac.ukwww.rdn.ac.uk an excellent collection of an excellent collection of subject gateways developed in the UK and subject gateways developed in the UK and designed to bring you Websites relevant to designed to bring you Websites relevant to teaching, learning and researchteaching, learning and research

Pinakes - Pinakes - http://www.hw.ac.uk/libWWW/irn/pinakes/pinahttp://www.hw.ac.uk/libWWW/irn/pinakes/pinakes.htmlkes.html Links to many major subject Links to many major subject gateways are at gateways are at

Or Or http://www.rsc-london.ac.uk/cms/250/http://www.rsc-london.ac.uk/cms/250/


How to searchHow to search

Be specific – search engines are very clever, but Be specific – search engines are very clever, but they cannot read mindsthey cannot read minds

Use more than one keyword if possible to Use more than one keyword if possible to narrow a search (but no more than 6-8 as above narrow a search (but no more than 6-8 as above this number search engines tend not to work as this number search engines tend not to work as effectively)effectively)

If you are searching for something like If you are searching for something like apple, apple, they don’t know whether you’re interested in the they don’t know whether you’re interested in the fruit, New York or the computer companyfruit, New York or the computer company


Punctuation – some search engines ignore Punctuation – some search engines ignore most punctuation, except apostrophes, most punctuation, except apostrophes, hyphens and quotation marks. hyphens and quotation marks.

It’s always worth running a search a few It’s always worth running a search a few ways (ways (bow-tie, bow tie, bowtie, St Pauls, bow-tie, bow tie, bowtie, St Pauls, St Paul’sSt Paul’s) if you don’t get what you were ) if you don’t get what you were expecting or hoping forexpecting or hoping for


Quotations - if you want only the web Quotations - if you want only the web pages that contain your words in order, put pages that contain your words in order, put them in quotation marks. If you search for them in quotation marks. If you search for ““to be or not to beto be or not to be” you will get a totally ” you will get a totally different set of results that if you search for different set of results that if you search for to be or not to beto be or not to be


Helpful sitesHelpful sites

Government papers - Government papers - http://www.infed.org/hp-government.htmhttp://www.infed.org/hp-government.htm will give you a list of UK government will give you a list of UK government papers sitespapers sites

Or try Or try http://www.official-documents.co.ukhttp://www.official-documents.co.uk// which contains a selection of Government which contains a selection of Government titles covering a broad range of topics titles covering a broad range of topics including the economy, work and welfare, including the economy, work and welfare, health, transport and the environmenthealth, transport and the environment


Answer the following Answer the following questionsquestions

How high is Mount Everest? (Try using How high is Mount Everest? (Try using Ask Jeeves (Ask Jeeves (http://http://www.ask.co.ukwww.ask.co.uk) and ) and Google (Google (http://http://www.google.co.ukwww.google.co.uk))))

What is the capital of Latvia? (Try using What is the capital of Latvia? (Try using Ask Jeeves (Ask Jeeves (http://http://www.ask.co.ukwww.ask.co.uk) and ) and Google (Google (http://http://www.google.co.ukwww.google.co.uk))))

Where would you find a photo of a Where would you find a photo of a Sherman tank?Sherman tank?


Where would you find a list of post codes?Where would you find a list of post codes? What is the first verse of I’m forever What is the first verse of I’m forever

blowing bubbles?blowing bubbles? How would you find somebody’s telephone How would you find somebody’s telephone

number? (assuming that they’re not ex-number? (assuming that they’re not ex-directory)directory)

Search for yourselfSearch for yourself


http://http://www.ferl.becta.org.uk/www.ferl.becta.org.uk/



http://www.rdn.ac.ukhttp://www.rdn.ac.uk


http://http://www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/


More tutorialsMore tutorials

Try the following internet tutorialsTry the following internet tutorials Internet Detective -Internet Detective -

http://www.sosig.ac.uk/desire/internet-http://www.sosig.ac.uk/desire/internet-detective.html - requires registration (free)detective.html - requires registration (free)

Tonic - The Online Netskills Interactive Tonic - The Online Netskills Interactive CourseCourse - - http://www.netskills.ac.uk/TonicNG/cgi/seshttp://www.netskills.ac.uk/TonicNG/cgi/sesame?tng - requires registration (free)ame?tng - requires registration (free)

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Making the most of the World Wide Wonderland 22nd February 2005 An introduction to effective internet searching Lorraine Sperring Learning & Teaching Resources