Power Searching 501 : a crash course

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PowerSearching 501 (?) a crash course

• The stuff you need to
• know about searching, but may have forgotten
  along the way!
• (And, the stuff I want you to know
• before you go off to college!)

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But weve heard this all before, Mrs. V!
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Sorry.This important review wont hurt too
much! I promise!!!! And it will help you in
college and beyond!
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Let us begin!
Yeah! Okay. We love databases and searching!
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And I love your enthusiasm for searching and
databases! You make me proud!
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Our review begins!
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• Review question 1
• What is the difference between free Web search
  tools and subscription databases?

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Hmmmm
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Free Web Search Tools
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Subscription or Proprietary Search Tools
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Review question 2How can you choose the right
search tools for you information task?
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Choose the right database for your information
need!
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Choose the right search engine for your
information need!

• Choosing the Best Search Tool (Debbie Abilock)
  http//www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/infor
  mation/5locate/adviceengine.html
• Getting Started Selecting a Tool for your Search
• http//library.albany.edu/internet/started.html

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Even Google has choices

• Google Print - Search the full text of books
• Google Scholar - Search scholarly papers
• Google Directory for a subject approach
• Google Images

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Review question 3 And when you are in the
search engine or database, did you know you have
a major searching interface choice?
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• Simple vs. Advanced
• Its about power!

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• Why go beyond the simple search screen?

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Simple Screen
Click here for more precision and power!
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Advanced screen
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Simple screen in a database
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Advanced screen in a database
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• And within your database, you will often have to
  make another choice!

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Another decision

• Subject / Topic

Keyword
Full text
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This is an important choice!
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Review question 4What is the difference?

• Subject / topic
• Keyword
• Full text
• When might you use each?

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Subject headings or descriptors in databases
Use the language and structure of the database to
gather relevant material!
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In some databases this choice is critical!
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• More about
• subject
• headings and database structure!

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Databases have information hierarchies
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Subject structure behind the database
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Descriptors may look different
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Some search engines also offer subject / topic
cues or clusters
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You can open these categories!
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Search engine clusters help you find relevant
documents and suggest search terms
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STOP the insanity!

• Stop using stop words in your searches!

in, of, the, a, to you, why, who, what, on, than,
then, their, an, his, her, be
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Using stop or noise words instead of a Boolean
operator
List of English stop words
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Review question 5What are Boolean operators?
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Rockwell Schrocks Boolean Machine
http//kathyschrock.net/rbs3k/boolean
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Google doesnt care,

• but your
• database does!
• Google ignores stop words and assumes an AND
  between words.

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How important AND is!!!
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Using the operator AND gets more results!
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When to use in Google
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When do you really need OR?
OR is generally used for synonyms or related
words.
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OR in Google
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NOT as a refinement technique for problem words
eagles NOT PhiladelphiaMartin Luther NOT King
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Using not in Google
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Boolean operators in databases
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Phrase searching

• One of your best searching tools!
• Use only for legitimate phrases, names, titles
• Best example -- vitamin A
• John Quincy Adams
• Titles An Officer and a Gentleman
• to be or not to be
• Phrase searching is sometimes overused not every
  group of words is a phrase
• Sometimes ANDing is a better strategy

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Time for parentheses?
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Wildcards and stemming

• Google stems, it returns varies forms of words
• Many databases do not stem.
• Use an asterisk for various word forms
• adolesc child teen
• BE CAREFUL when you stem cat

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Using wildcards in databases
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A question is not a query

• How many buffalo remain in the United States?
• Can you create an effective
• two word search?
• From David Barr, formerly of IMSA

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How to structure a good query

• Brainstorm several key words and phrasesthe ones
  you think would appear and wouldnt appear in
  your dream document
• Anticipate synonyms and related words
• Mine your results! be on the look out for better
  words and phrases as you search

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More on the query

• Focus on nouns (verbs are often vague, stop
  words, like articlesa, an, theare ignored by
  most engines)
• Include most important words and phrases first.

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And just a few more little tricks!
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Searching by media type and using phrases
(Also phrase searching
Search / filter by media type
http//elibrary.bigchalk.com/libweb/curriculum/do/
search
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Dont forget the tabs across the top of the page!
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Sorting results
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Find command helpful for lots of text, or search
results
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More like this, related sites . . .
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Searching within a large site
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And finally, as you search, consider . . .

• What types of sources does your instructor want
  you to cite
• Primary sources?
• Scholarly sources?
• Popular sources?
• Trade journals?

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Consider what type of source is contained on that
printout?

• Popular?
• Trade?
• Scholarly?
• Primary source?
• http//mciu.org/spjvweb/scholarly.html

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Scholarly words

• Refereed
• Peer reviewed
• Scholarly

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Filter for scholarly
and for full text
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When to use Wikipedia and other wiki sources
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_bombing
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http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_fried_Mars_Bar
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http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Python_programming_la
nguage
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A very powerful dictionary source!
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Help screens can help
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Online, offlineSchool, academic, public
Librarians can really help!
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Habits of mind apply to research

• Tolerating, embracing ambiguity
• Using resources wisely
• Seeking accuracy
• Seeking clarity
• Evaluating the effectiveness of your own actions
• Planning
• Being responsive to feedback
• Being open-minded
• Engaging intensely

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Any questions?