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Quick Tips for Better Internet Searching
- Use Advanced Search features to refine searches, find images or other file types.
- Use more than one search tool. Even the best tool doesn’t index every good Web site.
- Ask yourself who might have this information; go directly to that organization’s Web site.
- Use the Help screens of the individual search tools.
Basics of Internet Searching
Search Engines and Subject Directories
- When you use a search tool (whether a subject directory or a search engine) you are looking at a listing of Web pages.
The search tool has created an index to those Web pages. You will be searching its index rather than the “raw” Internet.
- There are two standard ways to index the web pages:
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Full-text indexing in which almost every word from the Web site is searchable by you. If what you want to find
is not the main topic of the Web site or if it is contained on other than the main page of the Web site, full-text searching may
be the only way to find it. You may get too many matches including multiple entries for the same Web site, so take time
to refine your search and be precise. All the Web, AltaVista and Google use full-text indexing for their search engines.
Subject indexing in which only the “important” words and phrases are searchable by you. You will get fewer hits (and fewer duplicates) and they should, in most cases, be better matches for you. Although subject indexing can be done completely by computer, the best search tools use humans to refine the list of Web sites available to you. About, OpenDirectory, Yahoo (for adults) and, KidsClick! and Yahooligans (for kids) use subject indexing and human selection for their subject directories.
First Search Strategy
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- Should you use a Search Engine or a Subject Directory?
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Do you want to find something very specific, or
Do you know some very targeted or unique words, or
Are you planning what may be commonly referred to as a keyword search?
- Then use a search engine.
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Do you want to find something more general – maybe an overview, or
Are you unsure about what words to use, or
Are you planning what may be commonly referred to as a subject search?
- Then use a subject directory.
Second Search Strategy
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- Be specific about the terms you use. In general, the search tool will match the words you enter in the search box, letter by letter with the words in its index. You may refine your search by combining the terms you use:
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| AND |
the Web site must have both words |
| OR |
the Web site may have one or both words |
| NOT |
the Web site may not have this word |
| + |
the Web site must have this word |
| - |
the Web site may not have this word |
| “ ” |
the Web site must have this exact phrase |
| ( ) |
parentheses group words used with AND, OR, NOT |
Not every option above will work with every search tool. Some search tools have other specialized options available as pull-down menus or via an advanced search screen. Refer to the search tool’s Help screens for specifics.
Third Search Strategy
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- Who might have this information?
Can you guess the Web address? (A Web address is also called a location or URL, which stands for Uniform Resource Locator.) CAUTION: You may not get to the Web site you expect with this method.
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- Lots of addresses have the same structure:
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- www. ________.com is a commercial Web site
- such as Disney, the Washington Post or Yahoo.
- www. ________.gov is a government’s Web site
- such as Fairfax County or the White House.
- www. ________.edu is an educational institution’s Web site
- such as George Mason University, the Smithsonian Institution or Miss Teacher’s first grade class.
- www. ________.mil is a military Web site
- such as the United States Marine Corps.
- www. ________.org is an organization’s Web site
- such as PBS or the American Red Cross.
The _________ (the part that follows www) often follows a pattern. A Web address may be the full name with no spaces such as washingtonpost or it may be the initials such as usps (United States Postal Service.)
In-Depth Internet Searching Tutorials
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About: How to Search the Web
Ask Scott: Web Searching Tutorial
Finding It Online: Web Search Strategies
KidsClick: Worlds of Web Searching
Citing Online Sources
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Citation Styles: Online: A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources
Columbia Guide to Online Style
