Search Techniques

A Module of the CYC Course - Online Search and Information Literacy

7-21-10

Common Terms

• Internet is a series of computers connected together to share information. The World Wide Web is a subset of the Internet.

• A “URL” or “Web Address” is where a page is located.

• A browser (such as Internet Explorer or Firefox) is a software program that allows easy use of the web.

• “Home Page” is a start page or 1st page of a website.

First Mistake to Avoid

• Typing the wrong things in the wrong boxes.– Use the address box when you have a web address.– Use the subject search box when you don’t know a specific

web address for the information you’re looking for.

The Address Box

The Search Box

Search Methods

• Search Engines• From search results:– Trim back a url– Follow links from a search result

• Search within a website

Search Engines

• Use keywords to search millions of pages.• Both simple and advanced search techniques.• Examples– Google - http://google.com– Bing – http://bing.com

Use the Search “Help”

• Read “About Us” “Help” or “FAQ” pages– How the engine wants you to search– How the results are going to be ranked– Suggestions for building a search

• Example: Google Help Center at http://www.google.com/support

From Search Engine Results

• Trim back a url. – Activity – conduct any search, choose a result and

remove all text in the address bar after the top level domain (such as .com, . org, .net) and press your enter key.

• Follow links from a search result

Find it!

• Who played in the 1979 World Series?

Find it!

• Where can you find pink dolphins?

Find it!

• Find instructions on how to dance the Charleston.

Sources

• This curriculum was adapted from a workshop created by N. Riesgraf for the Hibbing Public Library (MN). Funding provided by IRRRA Do I.T. Community Technology Awareness Program. Updated March 2004. Revised for Jacksonville Public Library Dec 2005 by Kate Holmes.

• Additional content created by Connect Your Community, a project of OneCommunity, funded by the federal Broadband Technology Opportunities Program.

Creative Commons License

• This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0