Online searching

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Searching Online can provide us with a lot of answers. Sometimes too many answers, or not quite the answer we were looking for.

Use the following tips to help you refine, or improve, your search so that you can find the information you are looking for.

Keywords
- Use Keywords, or significant words or ideas, or keyphrases, rather than complete sentences in your searches. Don't ask your browser questions.
Change the wording in your search term
- If you cannot find a good answer using the keywords or phrase that you used in your search, change the phrase. Use synonyms.
Be more/less specific
- If your search term gives you too broad of an answer, use more specific words.
- If you needed a general answer but the sites you get are too specific, broaden your search terms.
Use Advanced Search options
- Most search engines and online databases have an Advanced Search option by the search bar. This allows you to look for more specific terms: by date, author, language, format, and so forth.
Use Boolean Functions and Search Operators
- Boolean Search Functions are symbols that can be added to your search string that allow you to refine your search. They work on most search bars. They have the same function as the Advanced Search.
- Search Operators are search-engine-specific terms and symbols that help you perform searches for specific elements within the search engine.

List of Common Boolean Search Functions

“ ”

Searches for exact phrase between quotation marks instead of searching for each word separately.

Example:

"Personal Project"

Omits search results for term with a dash in front of it.

Example:

Egypt -pyramids

NOT

Omits search results for term with a NOT in front of it.

Example:

Egypt NOT pyramids

Finds terms with similar words to the word with the tilde in front of it.

Example:

~pig -> hog

AND

Only finds results that both of the keywords in front of and behind of the AND.

Example:

Personal AND Project

Finds results that contain one or both of the keywords in front of and behind of the OR.

Example:

Personal OR Project

Finds results that contain only one of the keywords in front of and behind of the |.

Example:

Personal |Project

Acts as a wildcard and will match any word or phrase.

Example:

Steve * Apple

Steve Jobs AppleSteve ate apple

( )

Brackets group multiple terms or search operators together to control how the search is executed.

Example:

(iPad OR iphone) apple

Click here for a list of Google Search Operators

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