Search Tips
by
Lauren Day-Lewis
SLM 521
Fall 2004
Elective
This page contains five basic search tips that students and teachers
(or anyone) should follow when using a search engine.
1. When typing in a word or phrase, try to be as specific
as possible. For example, instead of typing in "government", type
in "state government". By being
more specific, you will not get a list of hundreds of links.
2. If you want to find an exact phrase, put the exact phase in quotes.
Otherwise, the search engine will look for documents that
contain any of the words in the phrase.
3. If you are typing in more than one word, try using the +symbol,
instead of typing in "and" or "or". By using this symbol, the
search engine will look for documents that contain all
of the words.
4. If there is some specific information that you do not wish to view,
use the - symbol. Then, you will not waste your time
reading information that
is useless to you.
5. Finally, most search engines contain a "Help" or "Search tips link"
that will aid in your searching process if you are having
problems. Also, try the "Advanced Search" option
to narrow your search even more!