The internet can be an invaluable resource for students, but only if they know how to access the right information from he right places. The most common method of seeking out online information is by doing a search, but not all searches are created equal. Without the right methods and knowledge, a web search can lead to inaccurate information, sites trying to make a sale, or even questionable sites we may not want our students seeing.
If we want our students to find quality information online, then we need to teach them the best ways to search through the endless amounts of data posted on the internet. While there are a number of search engines out there, perhaps the most commonly used is Google. Here are a list of some key Google search tips (many of which work with other search engines, that we can share with our students to help them:
Use Quotes - Quotation marks "" can be used to search for a specific phrase. Without quotes, Google will search for pages with all search teams, but they may not be found next to each other. For example, "sand shark" searches for a breed of shark while sand share with no quotes includes any page with sand and shark on it.
Subtract Unwanted Terms - You can use the - sign to remove unwanted words from a search. For example, if you want to learn about Mercury the element, not the planet, you may include -planet in your search bar.
Sort by Date - The left side of Google's search now allows you to add filters to your query. This includes searching for information updated recently, in the last day, week, month, etc. This is great for finding the most current details on your topic.
Find the Right File - Sometimes, searching for a .pdf of an academic article or a PowerPoint presentation on a confusing subject can be more helpful than a traditional webpage. Google allows you to search for a specific type by adding filetype: and the file extension.
Be Advanced - Google (as well as many other search engines) offers an advanced search page. You can define where / how keywords appear on a page. You can also select specific languages, date ranges, and even domain names for the pages you are sifting through.
Resources:
Google. (2011). Google.com. Retrieved from http://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=134479
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