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Effective Web Searching

This document provides tips for effective online searching. It explains that search engines search databases of websites collected by "spiders" and allow broad searches using keywords, while subject directories organize websites by category and allow narrower browsing. It recommends using Boolean operators like "and" and "or" to narrow or broaden searches, and wildcards to search for word stems. Finally, it advises choosing the best tool (engine or directory) for the task and using specific keywords paired with search strategies like trying different engines or reading help files.

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Steve Evans
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131 views13 pages

Effective Web Searching

This document provides tips for effective online searching. It explains that search engines search databases of websites collected by "spiders" and allow broad searches using keywords, while subject directories organize websites by category and allow narrower browsing. It recommends using Boolean operators like "and" and "or" to narrow or broaden searches, and wildcards to search for word stems. Finally, it advises choosing the best tool (engine or directory) for the task and using specific keywords paired with search strategies like trying different engines or reading help files.

Uploaded by

Steve Evans
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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EFFECTIVE SEARCH

STRATEGIES

How to easily find what you are


looking for on the Internet
Topics

• What is a search engine? • How can I improve my use of


• How does a search engine search engines?
know about things on the Net? • How do I use a wild card?
• What’s a subject directory? • How do I narrow or broaden a
• Which is better to use? search?
• What’s a meta-search engine?
• What are some effective search
strategies?
What’s a search engine?

• An Internet tool which will search for Internet sites


containing the words you designate as your search terms.
• Provides results back to you in the form of links to those
sites which include the terms you are looking for.
• Search engines search databases of information that have
been collected by automated computer programs.
How does a search engine know about
things on the Net?

• If search engine finds it while its “spiders”


are out collecting data from the Web
servers. The information is put into a large
database that the user searches.
• If a publisher of a Web page registers the
site with the search engine.
What’s an Internet subject directory?

• Subject directories organize Internet sites by


subject.
• Created by a human.
• Users conduct their searches by selecting a series
of progressively narrower search terms.
• May contain a search element.
Which is better to use?

• Directories allow more control and allow the user to


browse.
• Search engines leave the searching pattern to the
computer program and can be used to find more specific
resources.
• Cons:
– With directories, there is a fixed vocabulary
– With search engines, you get excessive hits
How can I improve my use of search
engines?

• Learn how to use wildcards and Boolean


operators.
• Wildcards allow you to search simultaneously for
several words with the same stem.
• Boolean operators allow you to combine terms to
broaden or narrow a search.
How do I use a wildcard?

• A wildcard is a special character that can be


appended to the root of a word so you can search
for all possible endings to that root.
• Example :
Doing a search on whal* would return
whale, whales, whaling, whalers
How do I limit a search?

• Using the Boolean operator “and”


• Example :
– The search string heart and disease will only provide links to
sites that have both of these terms.
– Documents which have just one of the terms will be ignored.
– You can narrow it more by using and more than once.
How do I broaden a search?

• Using the Boolean operator “or”


• Example :
– The search string drama or theater will return links to
sites that have either of these words present.
– You can broaden it even more by using or more than
once
What’s a meta-search engine?

• A meta-search engine doesn’t create it’s own


database of information.
• A meta-search engine searches those of other
engines and directories.
• By using multiple databases, the results are more
comprehensive, but slower to receive.
What are some effective search
strategies?

• Decide whether a search engine or a directory will


be best for your purpose.
• When using a search engine, be a specific as
possible.
• Try different search engines.
• Read the “tips” and help files that are included
with most engines.
The End

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