Searching!!

The Good Hunts --- and why they save you time!

Search Query's

• How do you start a search?

• A good strategy is to work out your search on paper before going to the computer.

• Select the major concepts to be searched.

• Use these keywords to find search terms that match. Try using the database thesaurus to find appropriate search terms.

Some Problems with ‘Google’ Searches

Google’s “strategies” are not universalThere are good Google searches and bad Google searchesSearching rules are not really rulesThe rules are really for databases and advanced search screensMost people don’t find or use the advanced screens or the databases

Boolean Search Terms: Here’s how they work

When using AND, you only receive pages including both of your search terms, though not necessarily next to one another. When using OR, you receive pages containing either one or both of your search terms. The NOT operator is used to find pages including only the first term and excluding the second term.

• Boolean Machine courtesy of Rockwell Schrock http://kathyschrock.net/rbs3k/boolean/

AND OR NOT

The Boolean Machineby Rockwell Schrock

• AND • OR • NOT

Try This Yourself

“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 phraseSometimes “ANDing” is a better strategy

Keyword SearchingYou are a detective and the only clues you have for a missing persons case are the words "red," "blue," and "green," these people could be a match. This is keyword searching.RED + BLUE + GREEN

Field Searching

If instead you knew your person had a red tie, blue shirt, and a green beret, you have a better chance of finding the right person. This is field searching. Tie:RED and Shirt:BLUE and Beret:GREEN

Search Query Exercise

Click here to try the exercise From the UW Will

program

Topic : Contemporary music and teaching reading and/or

writing

•Major concepts : •Select the concept terms that would best fit this search : •Classical music and classroom •Music and teaching •Contemporary music and teaching and reading/writing •Teaching rock music and reading/writing

Search terms that can be used to find the three main concepts

• Contemporary Music Teaching Reading/Writing• Popular music Instruction Literacy• "Rock and Roll“ Learning Writing• Techno Music Pedagogy Composition• Heavy Metal Music Reading• Rap Music• Hip Hop

• Try it yourself!

Choose the right search engine for your information need!

Choosing the Best Search Tool (Debbie Abilock) http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html

Getting Started: Selecting a Tool for your Search – 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

Search Tools – which is best?

Our Resources

• Check out the library database page! It’s the home of the good stuff!!