This document provides tips for effectively using search engines to find information online. It discusses how search engines work by having "crawlers" that follow links to index web pages. It emphasizes the importance of having a clear search goal and strategy before beginning a search. Specific tips are provided, such as using advanced search features like phrases, required/excluded words, and proximity of words. The principles of smart searching include knowing where to look first, fine-tuning keywords, being refined in searches, using "query by example" to find similar sites, and anticipating the ideal results. Overall, the document aims to help readers optimize their search engine skills to find relevant information more quickly.

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Indaysgoneby,sourcing
informationwasquitea
time-consumingexercise.
Itmeanttripstothelibrary,
borrowingbooks,photocopying
andsortingthroughmasses
ofdata.
In 2008, life travels at a much quicker pace.
Technology has taken over in schools and, as
teachers, we now rely on electronic devices to
get us through the day. Laptops, email, wireless
Internet and mobile phones are essential tools in the
education sector, but these are also assets that need
to be utilized to their full advantage.
Capitalizing on the tools available to us involves
learning and educating ourselves – something
which is often more laborious than integrating new
technologies into our lives.
Using an Internet search engine is part of a daily
routine for many, but very few know how to make
optimal use of this tool. With a few tips and tricks
on how to use a search engine more efficiently,
relevant information can be found quickly, and
valuable time saved.
How to
Effectively
Use a Search
Engine
By Bianca King

2. EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS 035
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3. 036 EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
How do Search Engines Find
Information on the Web?
Search engines access their information through an
automated web browser which follows every link it
finds on the Internet. This web browser, known as
a ‘crawler’ or ‘spider’, then stores the information
for the pages it finds. The contents of each page
are then examined to determine how and where
the page should be indexed. Once indexed, the
web page is available through the search engine.
For example, a student may search the Internet
for information on trucks on Google search engine
using the keyword ‘truck’. Upon entering his query
using this keyword, the Google scans its index for
web pages that contain references to the word
‘truck’ and provides a listing of the best
matching pages.
A search engine’s practicality relies on the
relevance of the results it returns. There may
be thousands of documents or websites on the
Internet that include references to a particular
word or phrase; some of these websites may
be more relevant, preferred or informative than
others. Various methods are used to decide
which web pages rank highest and to determine
the order that the results are shown in. These
methods are constantly changing as Internet
usage increases and new techniques and ideas
are developed.
How to Search the Web Quickly,
Effectively and Productively
In order to prevent time-wasting searches and to
avoidpointless‘surfing’ontheInternet,itisimperative
that all searches begin with a basic search strategy.
For example, what are you looking for?
Are you researching a specific topic, like former
Prime Minister of Australia, Bob Hawke? Are
you beginning to gather information on an
extensive topic, like Australian Government?
Each search must have a specific goal. Do
you want to learn everything you can about
diabetes or are you looking for the date JFK
was assassinated?
Web Directory
If you are looking for broad or general information,
your initial search may be more productive if you
skip the search engine and go straight to a web
directory. A web directory indexes the Web into
major topics. For example, www.webdirectory.net.
au, has categories covering topics such as Arts and
Humanities, Business and Economy, Computers
and Internet, Education, Recreation and Sport and
Science and Technology. Each of these categories
has sub-topics, and again, each of those sub-
topics has further sub-topics – eventually your
search will progress from general to more specific.
For example, if you were searching for information
on soccer, you would begin at the Recreation
and Sport category. You then have the option of
choosing from 28 other subcategories, ranging
from Amusement and Theme Parks to Travel.
Search Engine
Each time a search is performed on a search
engine website, the information entered is
checked against the search engine’s index of all
the web pages it has analysed. The best websites
are returned as ‘hits’, with the best results at the
top of the list.
A keyword search is the most common form
of searching on a search engine. A keyword is
basically any word on a web page. For example,
you are low on energy and looking for a website
on how to increase your levels of energy.
Go to www.google.com.au and type in the word
‘energy’. The results returned to you are related
to energy – but not the type of energy you need
information on. The results returned are about gas
and electricity.
A web page’s keywords are automatically
determined by the search engine. To the ‘crawler’,
they are words which appear to be of importance
or significance to the website. Most search engines
use the title of a page, words that are mentioned
at the beginning of a document, or words that
may be repeated throughout the document as
keywords.
Most search engine websites offer both basic
and advanced search options. A basic search
will usually involve entering a few keywords
and waiting for results to appear. Advanced searches
can refine the search dramatically, often saving time
by reducing the results the search engine offers,
which in turn means less data to sort through.
Advanced search options are varied across all
search engines, but will often incorporate options
such as ‘Find web pages that have all these words’,
‘Find web pages that have this exact wording or
phrase’ or ‘Find web pages that contain one or
more of these words’.
Other simple ways you can refine your Internet
searches are:
• Search for an exact phrase
If you would like to search the Internet for a phrase
or set of words, enter quote marks around the
phrase. For example, to search for information on
school uniforms, type the words “school uniform”.
You will receive hits for websites that contain the
words school and uniform in that exact order,
either in the title, the URL, the description of the
website or the document.
• Search for required words
If you type the word AND or use the plus sign (+)
before a word, the search engine understands
that you require this word to be found in all of the
search results. For example, if you search “school
AND uniform” you will receive hits for websites that
contain the words school and uniform, though not
necessarily together.
• Search for excluded words
If you find that your searches keep returning
irrelevant information, try using the word NOT
or the minus (-) sign immediately before the
word you do not want returned in your searches.
For example, searching “school NOT uniform”
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will return websites that contain information on
only school, not uniform. Some search engines
prefer AND NOT as two words or ANDNOT as
one word.
• Search for multiple words
Using the word OR asks the search engine to find
either of the keywords. For example, “school OR
uniform” will list websites containing the words
school or uniform.
• Search for words in close proximity
Using the word NEAR will mean that your search
returns results where both keywords appear
close to each other, usually within 25 words. For
example, a search on “school NEAR uniform”
will mean your results show you websites where
the word school appears in close proximity to the
word uniform.
• Use parenthesis, or brackets
For example, typing “school NOT (uniform OR
holiday)” will return results that contain the word
school but neither uniform or holiday.
It should be kept in mind that while using various
search engines their capability to understand
what you are asking is quite limited. This is why
a search on “hard rocks” for outdoor education
students may provide you with websites for hard
rock bands or the Hard Rock Café.
Bad habits are inevitably hard to break, but
many do not realize they have bad habits! Rather
than sitting in front of the computer and only then
beginning to think about a search strategy, take
the time to research. Five minutes with a pad and
pen may save hours of pointless, time-wasting
Internet surfing.
The 5 Principles of Smart Searching
1. Know Where To Look First
What sort of information are you looking for?
Are you looking for information on an individual,
a company, an activity, a product? Consider
consulting a web directory rather than a search
engine if your search topic is quite broad.
2. Fine-tune Your Keywords
Be as specific as possible. Think carefully about
the words you are using to search and be brief.
Simplify as much as possible.
3. Be Refined
Take advantage of the search options available to
you. Try to search for phrases and learn to exclude
words from searches by using the word NOT.
4. Query By Example
Many search engines offer an additional option to
a basic search. You can ‘query by example’or ‘find
similar sites’ to those that your search engine has
returned to you. This is basically telling the search
engine, “Yes, this is what I am looking for, give me
more like this”.
5. Anticipate The Answers
Prior to beginning, try to think of the ideal page you
would like to find during this search. Make a list of
what words you think it would contain in the title
and introduction or home pages. Use these words
in your keyword search.
Finally, if all else fails, why not try the help files?
Each search engine website has them and they are
there to help! n
Miss.Bianca King is the Junior Editor of
Education Technology Solutions
Magazine. She is currently studying Journalism at
Monash University.
Bianca King can be contacted on
03 9845 1583 or by email at
bking@australianmediagroup.com