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How To Perform Advanced SearchesComputers :: Internet :: Search“We’ve heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; Now, thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true.” - Robert Wilensky The Internet is a tremendous thing. It is huge. The multitude of information available can make it difficult to navigate. Search engines are vital for people wanting to find information. While basic searches are most common and easiest to use, many times they don't provide enough information to satisfy searchers. If there is enough information it is generally too broad to navigate quickly. Advance search options, available on most search engines, is ideal for eliminating excess information from search results. Unfortunately, advanced search features can be very complicated and just as difficult to navigate as too much information. The three most common search engines are Google, Yahoo and MSN. All of these search engines have advance search features. Many of the features available are similar and learning one can help you learn the others. Google is the only search engine we are looking at that has an actual link to their Advance Search Page. Like MSN and Yahoo, you can search by categories from their home page. Once you learn the basics for advanced searches on Google you can apply the knowledge to MSN and Yahoo. Operator Searches There are basic commands that work in all search engines. Typing these into search boxes refine searches. These are standardized forms that can be used on many search engines and public libraries. When searching for a particular subject, it is common for there to be many possible ways to phrase your query. Adding the symbol “~” before and after a word or phrase that could have multiple synonyms allows you to search for all of them. Most search engines automatically discount common words such as, “the,” “a,” and “I” to speed up you search. If these characters or words are essential to your search, adding a plus sign (+) before the word to signifies to the search engine to include that word. Another common search feature is “OR”. If you are looking for real estate in multiple cities you can phrase your search as “real estate city1 OR city2” Many search topics are better served by limiting number ranges. This can be done by adding “…” to your search. Internet searches are often used for products people are interested in purchasing. By limiting the number ranges, you can limit price range that your search includes. Language of A Search The first section on the Advance Search page of Google is highlighted in blue and is commonly the most used feature. This section helps you phrase your search in a way that allows you to find the best results. There are five categories in this section. Four of these sections are word entry. The fifth option allows you to change how many results appear on your search page. This can range from ten to one hundred. Click on the down arrow and select your preference. The four word entry categories are "with all of the words", "with the exact phrase", "with at least one of the words", and "without the words." The "with all of the words" feature allows you to enter many words that are connected but not in a sentence. For example, assume you are searching for travel information to Mexico, because you are planning a vacation there in the fall. Enter the words: “travel,” “Mexico,” and “autumn.” This will tailor your results to only show you results that include all three of these words. The "with the exact phrase" feature allows you to search for a string of words in the exact order you want. This feature is ideal for finding out information on a multitude of subjects, like songs that you might remember but not know the title or artist. If you enter a line from the song in this search box it will pull up only sites with information that contains that exact phrase. Another way to search for specific phrases is to add quotation marks to a phrase you are searching for in a basic search box. If you wanted to find the quote at the beginning of the article, you could enter, "thanks to the Internet, we know that is not true" into a search box and easily find a site that contains this quote. For less common words the "with at least one of the words" is a good tool. This is helpful for searches involving unusual topics. If you are doing a search for quasars (according to Wikipedia- an astronomical source of electromagnetic energy, including light) this might be a good search category. You should not use this option of popular subjects. One of Google's most restraining search features is "without the words." This search feature allows you to search for particular phrases while eliminating specific topics you do not wish to view. This is commonly used with one of the previous search categories. For example, if you are looking for writings by Shakespeare but don't want to view any of his plays you can enter "writings" and "Shakespeare" in the "with all of the words" bar and "plays" in the "without the words" bar. Another way to eliminate words from a search would be to add a minus sign before words you don’t want to include in the main search bar. For the Shakespeare search you would write, “Shakespeare writings –plays.” In addition to making it easier to fine tune the language of your search, search engines offer hundreds of different language options. If you are fluent in any language you can search for results that are only in that language. Click on the first down arrow in the down arrow after the highlighted blue part to select the language of your choose. Fine-Tuning Your Search Being able to search for specific information is always very helpful. Google has many additional options available on their Advance Search page. These options can also be used on regular search engines by entering specific text to your search box. You can search for specific types of websites by including that in your search. Many students doing research need to look on academic sites. After entering in you subject including a space and .edu will only search for education websites. If you are searching for a word or phrase that would appear in a place on the webpage, such as the title or the main body of the text, you can tailor your search to only show sites that fit your needs. Before entering the subject, add “allintitle:” if you are searching just titles. You can even search for information in specific file types by including “filetype: whatyouwant” to your search. In many cases basic searches are adequate to find what you are looking for. When they are not sufficient or provide too much information, knowing how to use advance feature is an invaluable skill. With a basic knowledge of commands and a little bit of practice, advanced searches can become just as easy to perform as basic searches. Searching for information on the Internet can be overwhelming at times. If you know how to limit the scope of what you are looking for things can go much smoother. Knowing as much as possible about search engines, and the Internet in general can make your online time more enjoyable. Computers :: Internet :: Search Additional Resources... Free Reprint Right Articles Automotive Information Gas Saving Strategies See also: Blackhat Fish FSBO Homes |
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