search engine tips and tricks

Search Engine Search Engine Tips & TricksTips & Tricks

Popular Search EnginesPopular Search Engines

Ask.com – 2 billion pages indexed Ask.com – 2 billion pages indexed

Yahoo.com – over 20 billion pages Yahoo.com – over 20 billion pages indexedindexed

Google.com – undisclosed but HUGEGoogle.com – undisclosed but HUGE

http://www.google.com/librariancenter/librarian_tools.html

Google Has A Cheat Sheet

Other Useful Search EnginesOther Useful Search Engines

AltaVista.comAltaVista.comBabelfish for language translationBabelfish for language translation

Askjeeves.comAskjeeves.comGood for natural language queriesGood for natural language queries

Mamma.comMamma.comSearches 7 major search enginesSearches 7 major search engines

Other Search FunctionsOther Search Functions

Besides web pages, search engines can be used for:

Calculator

Dictionary

Images

Video

News

Shopping

StrategiesStrategies

Use quotation marks to find words Use quotation marks to find words togethertogether

(“Great Depression”)(“Great Depression”)

          Use a minus (-) sign to exclude wordsUse a minus (-) sign to exclude words

(Bears -Chicago)(Bears -Chicago)

Example searchExample search

“ “seasonal depression” -great site:eduseasonal depression” -great site:edu

site:.edu

site:.edu

results in a list

of colleges and

universities

site.:edu intitle: " index of "

site.:edu intitle: "index of" results in a list of directories of universities and colleges

site:.edu filetype:pdf site:.edu filetype:pdf

site:.edu filetype:pdf site:.edu filetype:pdf

Results in a list of Results in a list of collegescolleges

and universities with and universities with

.pdf files.pdf files

site:.edu filetype:pdf "civil war"

site:.edu filetype:pdf "civil site:.edu filetype:pdf "civil war"war"

Results in a list of collegesResults in a list of colleges

and universities with and universities with

.pdf files that reference the .pdf files that reference the

Civil WarCivil War

site:vcu.edu filetype:pdf "civil war"

site:vcu.edu filetype:pdf "civil site:vcu.edu filetype:pdf "civil war“war“

Results in pdf files only from Results in pdf files only from VCUVCU

that reference the Civil War.that reference the Civil War.

site:yale.edu intitle:"index.of" .mp3

site:yale.edu intitle:"index.of" site:yale.edu intitle:"index.of" .mp3.mp3

Results in mp3 files from Results in mp3 files from

Yale University.Yale University.

Construct Your SearchConstruct Your Search

QuestionQuestion

What are the methods of What are the methods of tattootattoo

removal that a teen might removal that a teen might consider? consider?

Optimal search terms: Optimal search terms:

““tattoo removal” teen tattoo removal” teen site:govsite:gov

Answer: Answer:

Laser surgery, dermabrasion, Laser surgery, dermabrasion, surgical excisionsurgical excision