Sara Barakat

SLM 521

 

 

Search Tips

 

There are so many great web pages that can help students with a particular subject, but finding them is the hard part. Using search engines can be a long and frustrating process if you do not know how to search properly. Here are some tips to get the most of using a search engines.

 

If you want to be specific, be specific.  If you want to be general, be general.

 

            Ex. Electric trains

            Ex. Trains

 

Most search engines exclude common words such as if and how, possible some numbers.  If these are crucial to your search, use a ‘+’ sign.

 

            Ex.  As+you+like+it

            Ex. Rocky+II

 

Or you can you quotation marks (“”)

 

            Ex. “As you like it”

            Ex. “Rocky II”

 

Quotations can also be used to search a phrase. Put the quotations around the phrase.

 

            Ex. “ask not what you can do for your country”

            Ex. “I have a dream”

 

If you are trying to search a word that has one or more meanings, put a (-) in between the word and the meaning. Scales can have different meanings.  Scales can be used to measure weight but a fish can also have scales.

            

            Ex. Scale-fish

            Ex. Scale-weight

 

Most search engines are not case sensitive, so search away! If you are having problems, make your search in all lower case.

 

If you are still having problems, don’t forget to use the search engine’s search help feature.  This will guide you to a proper search.  Also, if you want to be very specific, use the search engines’ advance search feature and fill out the fields to get your information. Try it!