Become a Better Searcher

1
Become a Better Searcher

• Boolean Searching

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Search Engines

• Databases
• Academic Search Elite
• Literature Resource Center
• Internet
• Yahoo
• Google
• AltaVista
• They all find information, but do it differently.

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SEARCHING

• Understanding what is going on with a search will
  help you search.
• Knowing how to search will
• improve your results

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How Indexing Works

• databases
• Internet
• Articles/Information is put into categories that
  are described by keywords.

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How Searching Works

• Keywords
• Important or unique words representing a concept
  you wish to find.

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Keywords

• JFK
• John F. Kennedy
• President Kennedy
• We know that this is the same person.
• The computer does not.

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Keywords

• Choosing the best keywords will improve your
  search results.

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Phrases

• Treat complex keywords as phrases.
• John F. Kennedy
• Use quotation marks
• Tie words together to represent a unique idea or
  concept.

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Phrases

• Phrases eliminate non-relevant results that
  contain words used in the phrase.

John
Robert Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
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How Searching Works

• Combining Keywords
• Representing Keywords in a way that makes sense
  to the computer.

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Combining Keywords Boolean Searching

• AND
• OR
• NOT

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Query

• Find articles on television and violent
  programming
• television violence
• television AND violence

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AND

• Both keywords must be in results
• Makes your search result smaller
• Television and violence

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AND

• Find all articles containing the keywords
• Television and violence
• Articles with both keywords

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Query

• Find articles on cats or kittens.
• cats
• Kittens
• felines

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OR

• Use for synonyms
• Makes your search result bigger
• Cats or kittens or felines

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OR

• Find all articles containing the keywords
• Cats or kittens

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Query

• Find articles television, but not cable.
• Television
• cable

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NOT

• Use to exclude items
• Makes your search result smaller
• Television not cable
• ?Not all search engines use NOT

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NOT

• Find all articles containing the keywords
• Television not cable
• Television Articles without cable

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SEARCHING Tips

• Use more specific keywords if too many results.
• Use fewer keywords if too few results.

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SEARCHING Tips

• Different keywords work in different databases or
  search engines.
• Have extra keywords ready.

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Database Searching

• Use the best database for your topic.
• Databases may search differently.
• Read Help Files for search tips.

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Internet Searching

• Use a good search tool
• google.com, altavista.com, lii.org
• Search tools search differently
• Read Help Files for search tips
• Evaluate EVERYTHING

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Extras

• www.mcc.cc.fl.us
• click on student information, then library
• reference_at_mcc.cc.fl.us
• Bradenton Reference Help
• [phone]
• Venice Reference Help
• [phone]

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Library Hours

• Bradenton Campus
• M-TH
• 745 a.m. - 1000 p.m.
• F
• 745 a.m. - 430 p.m.
• Sunday
• 200 p.m. - 600 p.m.

• Venice Campus
• M-TH
• 745 a.m. - 900 p.m.
• F
• 745 a.m. - 430 pm