effective search techniques
DESCRIPTION
Effective search techniques. Powerpoints can be found at: arts.kmutt.ac.th/call/Workshop_Doc.htm Richard Watson Todd. General Internet searches. Search engines Using Google (www.google.com) Directories for general information Using Wikipedia. Click here if you want everything in English. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Effective search techniques
Powerpoints can be found at:
arts.kmutt.ac.th/call/Workshop_Doc.htm
Richard Watson Todd
General Internet searches
Search engines Using Google (www.google.com)
Directories for general information Using Wikipedia
Click here if you wanteverything inEnglish
Choosing keywords for searches
Situation: You are writing an article about teaching,
where you want to find information about what sorts of principles should govern how teachers give feedback in the classroom.
What keywords will you use?
Keywords or key phrases?
What’s the difference between typing:– giving feedback
AND– “giving feedback” ?
23,900,000 hits
Giving feedback
183,000 hits
“giving feedback”
Adding more keywords giving feedback
“giving feedback” “giving feedback” classroom “giving feedback” classroom “English
language teaching” “giving feedback” classroom guidelines
English “giving feedback” teacher guidelines
English “how to give feedback” teacher
guidelines English “how to give feedback” teacher English
24 million hits: only first relevant
183,000 hits: same 33,100 hits: few relevant 250 hits: most about
teacher training courses 7,720 hits: few relevant
pages 9,950 hits: some
relevant pages 145 hits: 2 relevant
pages 393 hits: several relevant
Principles for choosing keywords
Where set phrases are generally accepted, use them
If you get too many returns, add more keywords
Play with different ways of expressing the same concept
Advanced searching
If you get too many hits, restrict your search using Advanced Search
If you get too many hits focusing on one irrelevant topic, restrict your search by deleting that irrelevant topic
Advanced search situation 1
You want to know what the biggest dog in the world is.
You enter the key phrase: “biggest dog in the world”
Without Digby
Advanced search situation 2
You want to go to England to study a course at a university in digital marketing
You enter the keywords “digital marketing” university England
Domain = ac.uk
Alternative to Google
If you can’t find the information you want from Google (even using different keywords), try another search engine
Use www.alltheweb.com Use the Advanced search
Dealing with results 1
Don’t automatically click on the first result Read through the summaries Look at the URLs (especially domains) You may need to look through the first 3 or
4 pages of results
Dealing with results 2
When you have lots of possible relevant websites, use the right mouse button to “Open in new window”
Keep an eye on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen (or the tabs at the top of the screen)
Work through the pages you have selected after finishing with Google
An example of dealing with results
You want to find 10 examples of funny headlines to put in the lifts (or to give to Ajarn Harvey to put in the lifts)
You search for: “amusing headlines”
Searching for pictures
Using Google, choose ‘Images’ Use the same searching strategies as when sea
rching for information With results, left-clicking allows you to see th
e picture more clearly (you can then right-click to save)
Right-clicking allows you to save a thumbnail
Click here to search for pictures
Notice that ‘Images’ is now in bold
Some differences here
Searching for “King Mongkut”
Right-click and look for “Save Picture as”Note: this saves a thumbnail only
What you see if youleft-click on a picture
Right-click on thepicture to save the fullpicture
Click here to see the original page
Finding background information
For a topic where you would like to gain a general overview, searching can produce results that are too specific
Use an alternative, such as Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Enter your search term here
Task
Think of some piece of information you would like to know (don’t make it too straightforward)
Will you use a search engine or a directory? What keywords/phrases will you use? Will you use advanced searching? How will you deal with the results? TRY IT!