Search Tips
Any information you could ever possibly want is out there is on the 'Net. The trick is
how to find it when you need it! One problem is that no standard method of cataloging or
indexing of sites has yet been adopted, with each search engine using its own set of
protocols. The following tips will, however, help narrow down your search results:
- Phrase It: Don't use one word searches. Instead, type in multiple words or a
phrase in quotes to increase your chances of finding useful results.
- Be Specific: The more descriptive you can get, the better your results. Typing in
"Real Estate in Muncie, Indiana" is better than just "Indiana Real
Estate."
- Add it Up: Use AND or the plus sign (+) when you want to find articles that
contain all of the words you enter. For example, to find articles on rock and roll music,
try typing "rock AND roll AND music," or "rock +roll +music".
Important: Put the plus sign directly in front of the word you want added, with no spaces
("painting +Picasso")
- Cut it Out: Use AND NOT or the minus sign (-) to limit your results to articles
with only the words you want. For example, if you want articles about pets, but aren't
interested in dogs, try typing in "pets AND NOT dogs," or "pets
-dogs." Remember: Put the minus sign directly in front of the word you want left out,
with no spaces ("psychiatry -Freud").
- More Like This: If you're getting more than you bargained for in your results, be
sure to click on the More Like This link next to the Web link that most closely matches
what you're looking for. This tells the search engine to show you only those sites that
are like the one you chose.
- Refine Your Find: If you really don't like the results you're getting, you've got
a second chance. Scroll down to the "Refine Your Results" area at the bottom of
the results page, and try tweaking your find a bit. If you've got too many results, get
more specific by adding more words. If you've got too few results, make your find more
general by removing some words.
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