Power Searching 501 (?): a crash course

1. 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!)

2. But we’ve heard this all before, Mrs. V!

3. Sorry.This important review won’t hurt too much! I promise!!!! And it will help you in college and beyond!

5. Let us begin! Yeah! Okay. We love databases and searching!

6. And I love your enthusiasm for searching and databases! You make me proud!

7. Our review begins!

8. Review question #1: What is the difference between free Web search tools and subscription databases?

9. Hmmmm

10. Free Web Search Tools

11. Subscription or Proprietary Search Tools

12. Review question #2:How can you choose the right search tools for you information task?

13. Choose the right database for your information need!

14. 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 http://library.albany.edu/internet/started.html

15. 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

16. Review question # 3: And when you are in the search engine or database, did you know you have a major searching interface choice?

17. Simple vs. Advanced It’s about power!

18. Why go beyond the simple search screen?

19. Simple Screen Click here for more precision and power!

20. Advanced screen

21. Simple screen in a database

22. Advanced screen in a database

23. And within your database, you will often have to make another choice!

24. Another decision: Subject / Topic Keyword Full text

25. This is an important choice!

26. Review question #4What is the difference? • Subject / topic • Keyword • Full text When might you use each?

28. Subject headings or descriptors in databases Use the language and structure of the database to gather relevant material!

29. In some databases this choice is critical!

30. More about subject headings and database structure!

31. Databases have information hierarchies

32. Subject structure behind the database

33. Descriptors may look different

34. Some search engines also offer subject / topic cues or clusters

35. You can open these categories!

36. Search engine clusters help you find relevant documents and suggest search terms

38. 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

39. Using stop or noise words instead of a Boolean operator List of English “stop words”

40. Review question # 5What are Boolean operators?

41. Rockwell Schrock’s Boolean Machine http://kathyschrock.net/rbs3k/boolean

42. Google doesn’t care, but your database does! Google ignores stop words and assumes an AND between words.

43. How important AND is!!!

44. Using the operator “AND” gets more results!

45. When to use “+” in Google

46. When do you really need OR? OR is generally used for synonyms or related words.

47. OR in Google

48. NOT as a refinement technique for problem words eagles NOT Philadelphia“Martin Luther” NOT King

49. Using “not” in Google

50. Boolean operators in databases