internet research tips, tools and techniques for the administrative professional
DESCRIPTION
Slides from Webinar given for Lorman Education Services on October 29th, 2014. Contents: How to formulate an effective search, Searching the Web effectively using Google, Evaluating the Information you Find.TRANSCRIPT
Internet Research Tips, Tools and
Techniques
For Today's Administrative Professional
Internet Research Tips, Tools & Techniques
How to formulate an effective search
Searching the Web effectively using Google®
Evaluating the Information you Find
Wednesday, October 29th, 2014
Presented by Elizabeth Geesey Holmes, M.S.L.I.S.,
M.A.
Director of Library Services
Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP
About Elizabeth Geesey Holmes
Information Professional
Librarian
Internet Search Specialist
I help attorneys,
paralegals, and legal
assistants find
authoritative information
efficiently and cost
effectively
How to formulate an effective search
Part I
How Keyword Searching Works
Looks everywhere for your search terms
Is “dumb” (unless we help it)
Choosing Search Terms
FIRST
Reflect on your topic and focus on its main points
Think of terms that describe those main points
If you get stuck do some background research or
reading
Choosing Search Terms
THEN
Think about Synonyms
Think about Broader and Narrower Terms
But make keywords as specific as possible Search: antique lead soldiers (specific)
Search: old metal toys (imprecise)
Try the obvious first Search: Picasso NOT Search: Painters
Use words likely to appear on the site with the information you want Search: luxury hotel New York NOT Search: really nice
places to spend the night in NY
Keyword Example
Topic: The impact of substance abuse on crime in
the United States
Concepts: Impact, Substance abuse, Crime, United
States
Synonyms and Broader/Narrower Terms:
Effect
Dependence on Illegal
substance
Drug abuse
Alcohol abuse
Drug use
Drugs
America
U.S.
US
Criminal
Crime rates
criminality
Misdemeanor
Felony
Offense
Wikipedia Entry
Google Search
Keywords and Google®
Google® is a very forgiving search engine
More keywords deliver fewer results
Be careful with Synonyms
The order that keywords are entered in Google® will
affect the search results
Beware of homographs, especially in a one keyword
search
Search: bat
Results: Both results about baseball bats and bats (the
animals)
Search: bat baseball
Results: Just on baseball bats
Choosing Search Terms
FINALLY
Try “throwing” all your keywords into a Google®
search and see what comes up.
These search results may give you clues to other
keywords to include or eliminate from your next
search
Then use Google® specific search strategies and
tips
Searching the Web effectively using
Google®
Part II
#1: Check Your Settings!
How to find your settings
Click here on
main search
page
Click here
from
search
results
page
Select
Search
Setting
s
Search results settings to check
SafeSearch filters
Make sure box next to Filter explicit results is
unchecked
Google Instant predictions
Click the button next to Only when my computer is fast
enough
Private results
Click the button next to Do not use private results
Where results open
Check the box next to Open each selected result in a
new browser window
Location Settings
#2: Use Search Operators
Boolean Logic
A system developed by mathematician
George Boole during the 19th century that
uses a series of connectors to define
relationships between objects
Boolean Connectors: AND
Google Default
All of the keywords are present
Search: probate law
Results: Both the term probate and the term law
Boolean Connectors: OR
One keyword or the other, or both keywords are
present
Search: probate OR law
Results: will all have the term law or the term probate
NOTE: You must capitalize OR otherwise
Google will treat it as a stop word and ignore
it
AND versus OR
Probate LawProbat
e
AND
Law
Boolean Connectors: NOT (-)
No results with this keyword are returned
Search: Ann Tyler –author -novel
Returns results with the keywords Anne, Ann and Tyler,
but without the keyword author, and without the word
novel
Use this technique to find results for your former
classmate Ann Tyler, but not for the novelist Anne Tyler
Proximity Searching: Asterisk (*)
Search: Elizabeth * Holmes
Results: Include:
Elizabeth Geesey Holmes
Elizabeth G Holmes, BUT also
Elizabeth Spencer, Amy Holmes
Proximity Searching: Asterisk (*)
Phrase Searching: “ “
Use for searching exact phrases or words
Use to stop Google from stemming
Enter your phrase or word in quotation marks
Search: Ed Braks
Results: Ed, Edward, Braks and Breaks
Search: Ed “Braks”
Results: Ed, Edward and Braks – NO Breaks
Word Stemming
A search for clerk will also retrieve results with the
keywords: clerked and clerk
A search for swimmer will also retrieve results with
the keywords: swim and swimming
Not really a search technique but something to be
aware of when searching Google®
#3: Filter Your Search Results
What if I just want
News Articles?
Results limited
to NEWS
Very
important
button to
click
Filtered search results
in Standard View
Filtered search results
in Basic View
#4: Know when to use Basic
Search (you can use it for some neat search shortcuts)
Use Basic Search As…
Your starting point
Refine your keywords, narrow results, or use Boolean
search operators and other search strategies to get
more relevant hits
Use Basic Search As…
A tool to look up simple facts
Population Ecuador
President Poland
Capital of Massachusetts
Search
Answer
Use Basic Search As…
A calculator
7 * 2 + 4
sqrt 78
Use Basic Search As…
A dictionary
Search: define: ipso facto
A spell checker
Use Basic Search As…
A weather forecaster
Search: weather 02903
#5: Use Advanced Search
1. Do a Basic
Search
3.
Choose
Advance
d Search
2. Click
on GEAR
Icon
How to get to Advanced Search
Boolean search using the
Basic search box
Boolean search using the
Advanced search page
Paid advertisement
“related” to our search
Only “Ann”
Click on these down
arrows to bring up
options and select one
Limiting Results to Specific File Formats
Enter your search words in the Boolean search
boxes at the top of the page
Scroll down to narrow your results by File Type
Choose the file type from the drop down box
Example #1: Limit search results to .ppt to find
presentations posted to the web on your topic
Example #2: Limit search results to .pdf to find
minutes of a meeting that are posted in .pdf form
Limiting Results to a Specific Website
Search one website domain name or limit your
results to a specific domain extension like .edu, .org
or .gov
The command to do this in basic search is site:
Example #1: Limit to the domain name of a site that
doesn’t have it’s own search button or that does not
have a good search option
Example #2: Limit to the domain extension .edu to
find just results from education institution websites
My
keywor
d
search
Limited to the
domain name for the
Barrington Town
website
Limited to the file
type .pdf
Notice how all my
results are .pdf format
and from the domain:
www.barrington.ri.go
v
More ways to limit your search
Limiting results to where your search terms appear
in the website
In the title of the page
In the text of the page
In the URL of the page
In links to the page
Limiting results by date updated
Past 24 hours
Past week
Past month
Past year
Don’t panic!
If you forget to limit your initial search:
Click on the Icon gear at the top right of the page
Click on Advanced Search
Add the additional criteria to your search
OR
Click on Search Tools at the top of the results list
Choose your limits from the drop down menus here
NOTE: Not all the options are here
Use the Advanced Search page to get ALL the
options for limiting your search
Why Use Advanced Search
Indispensable in refining your searches to
bring the relevant results to the first pages
Fill in the box format means you
don’t have to remember specific search
commands
Evaluating the Information you Find
Part III
Why Evaluate Websites
No one judges the quality or accuracy of information
found on the Web before it is published
Some sites are created by experts
BUT – the majority of websites are designed and
authored by non-experts
Many sites exist to sell the reader something
BUT – others exist to inform and provide
information
Criteria for Evaluation
Perform an I.R.S. Audit
Identification
Reputation
Sources
Identification
Who is the author/creator of the website? Check the About or History section of the website
Take note of any names
Can’t find this information? Use a WhoIs site
Check professional directories or university websites to identify the author and verify their credentials
Is the author an organization? Check for relationships with known and trusted groups,
companies or organizations
Search for articles or news reports that mention the organization
If nothing can be found consider using another source
Reputation
Do an Internet search for the Author of the website
Reputation
Has the person or organization published articles or books on related topics?
Does the Author have a Bias?
Is the website trying to sell you something?
What is the domain extension?
How many web pages link back to this site?
Sources
Are there any?
How old are they?
Are they verifiable?
Are they reputable?
Case Study #1
Case Study #1
Case Study #2
Case Study #2
Author
Case Study #3
A word about Wikipedia and Sources
Don’t dismiss all Wikipedia articles
Many have lists of sources used which can lead to other
useful and credible websites
You can view the history and source for any article
Case Study #3
Trust but verify -- The I.R.S.
way
Resources
Official Google® Blog
http://googleblog.blogspot.com
Google® Search Help Center
http://support.google.com/websearch/?hl=en
Nancy Backman’s Google® Guide
http://www.googleguide.com/
Every Google® Search Operator You’ll Ever
Need
http://www.hbagency.com/every-google-search-
operator-youll-ever-need/
More Resources
Snopes.com (Rumor Has It)
http://www.snopes.com/
WhoIs
http://whois.domaintools.com/
Who Links 2 Me
http://www.wholinks2me.com/
Contact Information
Elizabeth Geesey Holmes
Director of Library Services
Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP
http://www.elizabethgeeseyholmes.com/