| SECTION FOUR - Using search engines to find things | |||
| How
to use Search Engines
The Internet is made up of millions and millions of pages that are changing all the time. So how do you find the information you want? You use efficient tools specially designed for the purpose. They are called Search Engines. When you want to use one, type in the address on your Address Bar and press Enter. Here is a list of a few of the most popular Search Engines.
(Note: Yahoo and Lycos are not strictly Search Engines, they are very large subject directories that apprear to work like a Search Engine. For more information on Search Engines try a visit to Searh Engine Watch (www.searchenginewatch.com) Internet Explorer ( or which ever Browser you are using) will present you with the front page of whichever Search Engine you have chosen. Take a look at it by using your scroll bars. You will find a bewildering list of news topics, directories and advertisements as well as a box like this:- |
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| Each
Search Engine has its own particular style – some use the word Search
and some use Find. You’ll soon get used to them. For the moment, ignore
everything on the page except your search box.
You will use Search Engines when you want to look something up but you don’t have a site address. So, for example, say you wanted information on the Great White Shark. First, click in the search box so you can see the cursor flashing. Then type in the word(s) that most easily identify the topic you are looking for. In this case, it’s easy. Start with shark. Click Find or Search. Once the page comes up, take a good look and begin to identify what you are seeing. It can feel utterly confusing and bewildering to start with – don’t worry – take it gently! First, find the result. It will say something like: “Your search found 159 web sites and 8,127,656 pages.” It’s always good to know what you are up against! Under the result, you will often find a list of recommended web sites. Use your scroll bars to move down the page and you will then get a list of pages. They are sorted in batches of ten by the Search Engines with the most relevant pages placed highest in the list. So you won’t have to look at all eight million pages – probably the first ten or twenty will have what you are looking for. Notice only the first paragraph of each page is visible with the first sentence in blue. If you click on the blue once you will get the whole document. Remember to click Back to return to the list again. Go ahead now and explore the pages you have found. As you may have found, typing in one word will often get a huge result. However, by learning a few simple techniques you can vastly improve your searches. Here they are… |
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| Use multiple keywords | Search Engines list pages that contain all of your keywords first | ||
| Use double quotes | Use double quotes round more than one word so the Search Engine looks for the phrase rather than single words | ||
| Use
the + sign |
A plus sign in front of the word means it must be in the web page | ||
| Use the - sign | A
minus sign in front of the word means it must not be in the web page i.e.,
+ python + venom - Monty |
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| Capitalise
proper names |
Always use lower case letters except in proper names i.e. Royal Mail, Ken Livingstone | ||
Take some time now to search for topics of interest incorporating the techniques above and see what kind of results you get. How to search by category Sometimes you may find you get better results by starting in a particular category and then entering your key words. For example, type in www.yahoo.com in your Address Bar and press enter. Use your scroll bars to find the categories and click on Education. Then look for the search box and type in your key words. This way, you start by searching in exactly the right category. Well done! You now know enough to get good results from the Internet - happy surfing…To see a large range of Search Engines and Subject Directories (including UK specific sites) visit the Search Engine and Directories sections of our Links page. |
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