City of Toronto Customized Global Template



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Web Basics III: Advanced Internet Searching

Welcome and Introduction

• Explain handouts

• Review objectives of the workshop

Review screen elements

• URL

• Hyperlinks

• Scrolling

• Back & Forward buttons

Search Engines

• Definition of a Search Engine

• When to use a Search Engine

• Nielsen ranking of Search Engine popularity

• Search strategy

• Google phrase searches & Show options

• Google shortcut search box

• Advanced Search screen & Help

• Operators: minus (-), plus (+), site, define

• Google’s more and even more options: News, Books

• Yahoo & Ask search engines

Subject directories

• Definition of a Subject Directory

• When to use a Subject Directory

• Recommended Websites from the Library’s homepage

• Another Subject Directory:

Additional Resources

Questions and Practice Time

Web Basics III

Welcome

This is the third session in a series of classes about searching the Internet.

My name is ………………. & my assistant is…………………………..

The computers are booked for our class so today you do not need your library card. For your next visit you may reserve a computer using your library card number & PIN.

I will refer to page numbers in your hand-out during the class. Search examples are in boxes, so you can see what to type.

Objectives of the class:

• Review from Web Basics II

• Show techniques for improving your searches: advanced search & operators

• Demonstrate three search engines and two subject directories

• This class does not include how to use the databases available with your library card number via the library’s website.

• We will start by clicking the Start button. This gets the library’s menu and an address box at the top.

Review

The address box is the long white box at the top of the screen. Click inside the address box and type over the highlighted address (URL).

e.g.

Remember, before you begin typing you must see a cursor blinking inside the box. If the cursor is not there, click inside the box. Once the I-beam is blinking inside the box, you may type.

Every web page has its own web address or URL which you find at the top of your screen in the long address box at the top. In the first Internet class we visited many websites by typing an address into this address box. The last part of the domain name often indicates what type of organization is hosting the web page (.com, .edu, .gov, etc.). Country codes at the end of an URL are designated by two letter abbreviations e.g. .ca for Canada or .uk for United Kingdom.

You no longer need to type www at the beginning of an Internet address.

Review:

• Clicking on a hyperlink

• Scrolling different ways

• Back and Forward buttons

SEARCH ENGINES

Search engines use keywords to do a search. Type these keywords into the search box, separating each word with a space between them. There is no human selection in producing a search engine. You are searching the database of the search engine, not the entire Internet.

When to use a Search engine?

Use a search engine when you want highly specific information, when you wish to retrieve a large list of web sites on your topic or when you are looking for a person or product by its name. Most searches will yield a lot of web sites. Some of these will be suitable but others will be totally irrelevant. Today, you will learn how to make your searches more relevant and specific.

Search engines may differ in various ways:

• size of the database

• frequency the database is updated

• speed of the search process

• design of the search screen

• way the results are displayed

• options which allow you to manipulate your search

Google ranks top position for Search Engines

In September 2009, Neilsen ratings ranked the popularity of search engines with Google in the top position with 64.6% of the vote followed by Yahoo with 16.0%, and Microsoft MSN/Live/Bing with 10.7%, AOL with 3.1% and Ask with 1.7%.

Google

Google was launched in September 1998. It is easy to use and is presently the largest and most popular search engine. In the top address box type:

In the upper left corner of the Google screen are buttons to use if we wish to specialize our search for Images Videos, Maps, News, Groups, Gmail and more options. By choosing one of these options you may narrow your search immediately.

A basic search involves typing a keyword into the search box and hitting the Enter key. This will produce a list of search results. You can increase the accuracy of your search by adding more keywords and by using various search strategies.

Search strategies

• Identify the main concepts of your search

• What are your keywords?

• Try similar keywords or synonyms

• Use the questions who, what, when, how to provide you with keywords

• List the most important words first

Be specific when you choose keywords. You will get more precise results if you use 3 keywords: toronto gas prices instead of gas.

Another example: ford fusion 2010 reviews instead of ford reviews.

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Google Phrase Search A basic Google search includes the word “and” between your keywords. In other words, both words must appear on the web page. By putting quotations around a set of words, you are instructing Google to look for all the words in exact order. e.g. “Canadian national exhibition”, “restless leg syndrome”, “book reviews”, “bed and breakfast”. It’s especially useful for finding famous sayings or information about people by their name.

The quotations key is located to the left of the Enter key at the end of the middle row of keys. Hold down the SHIFT key, keep it depressed and hit the double quotations key

Search #1 – Phrase search using quotation marks

Type the words in the search box with quotations around them.

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As you type your search a drop menu lists choices which allow you to specify your search. For this search, hit the Enter key.

Search Results page

Let’s look at our results list.

The blue bar near the top of the screen lists the results we get with these key words. We have millions of results.

The top and right sections show Sponsored links for our search. These websites have paid to be near the top of the results and are usually advertisements. We will ignore them.

You must read the information on the results page and decide which web page you would like to view.

Look at the Wikipedia entry, image, video and news results and click on a link.

Click the BACK button to return to the results screen.

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The More search tools button allows you to filter your results by type, time period and appearance. For example we can limit to video or blog results or show results from the past 24 hours or display our results in a wonder wheel format. We can combine options for a more focused filter.

Wonder Wheel

This is a useful tool if you are looking for terms to use for your search or if you are looking for people related to a specific topic. Start with a term, then use the related searches or wonder wheel options to find alternative search terms. Use these suggestions for additional searches.

In a blank Google search box type:

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Click on More search tools at the left.

Click on Wonder wheel at the left.

The Wonder wheel shows a diagram that visually presents connections between related searches and your search term.

Click on modern architecture in the diagram to see how searches can expand.

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The current topic is bolded and related topics are listed around it.

The right side of the Wonder Wheel screen shows websites about the current topic.

Click Reset tools at the bottom to return to a text view.

To return to the Google search screen simply click on the word Google. This will give you a new blank search box.

Visit this link for more information on Options:



Google shortcut search box

To do a Google search quickly use the search box in the upper right corner.

Searching this way does not provide a drop menu or the ability to limit to Images, Video, News or other options. Example: financial post

Search #2 - Phrases in Quotation Marks

A phrase search is very useful for finding quotes or words to a song.

• Let’s find out who said these words.

• Type the phrase in quotation marks.

Our search results show us websites which refer to this quote.

• Click on the Wikipedia result and scroll to the Quotations section. An explanation of this famous quote is given here.

• Click the BACK arrow to return to the search results

• Click on the video result with Humphrey Bogart and watch the film clip.

Search #3 - Double Phrase Search

You may combine 2 or more phrase searches.

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Other examples: “discount travel” “las vegas”, “niagara on the lake” “carriage rides”

Advanced Search Screen

There are different ways to specialize your search. You may use the Advanced Search option or you may use shortcuts called Operators.

At Google’s home page click on Advanced Search at the right. We are now at Google’s Advanced Search screen.

Notice the second box: this exact wording or phrase.

If we did not wish to use double quotation marks at the Google basic search box we could use Advanced Search and type the phrase in this second box without quotation marks.

Example: solar power

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Some other options available with the Advanced Search screen are the ability to search by language, for a file format, within a date range or search a specific website using a domain or site search.

• Click on Date, usage rights, numeric range, and more to learn more about other search options.

|Cheat Sheet |

|+ |Include words |

|- |Exclude words |

|No quotation marks |Puts “and” between words |

|“ ..” |All the words and in an exact word order |

|Translate |Translates into other languages |

|Site: |Search within a website |

|Define: |Dictionary definitions |

Google Advanced Search Tips and Help

• Click on Advanced Search Tips. Help is found here with information on how to improve your searches. Let’s try some shortcut symbols, called “operators”.

Operators

These are special tools that improve your search results. Usually you do a search, read your results and add these operators to reduce the number of hits.

Use the - (minus) to exclude words you don’t want in your search. The minus sign is found on your keyboard at the right of the top row of numbers. There are no spaces after the minus sign.

Search using the - (minus) operator

I want to find information about miami but I don’t want results about the football team.

Compare results for the next 2 searches.

The minus operator is very useful once you have done a search and want to eliminate irrelevant information from your search results.

Other examples: pepsi -cola, saturn -car, iraq -war, phoenix –coyotes.

Search using the + (plus) operator

Use the + (plus) to stress that certain words must be included in your search.

Other examples: Toronto +”restaurant reviews”, trudeau +biography, “chicken soup” +garlic.

Summary: The +plus or -minus symbols are useful for focusing results when you get too many that are unrelated to your topic.

Site Search

This feature allows you to search only one website for specific information.

For example, you know that the NASA website is very large and you want to find information about the launch of the Atlantic space shuttle. You can narrow your search by telling the search engine what website to search and list what you are looking for.

Note: This type of search requires the URL of the address you wish searched. Therefore, search for the website address first; then use it to search for something specific on that website.

Other examples: site:toronto.ca flu shots,

site:utoronto.ca ”application forms”

Define Search

Let’s use Google to find the definition or meaning of a word.

In the search box type:

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The first search result explains what chaos means, followed by links to other websites with definitions.

Summary: Operators are an easy way to limit a search. Alternatively, you can use the Advanced Search screen.

Google News

Google has numerous ways to specialize a search. Across the top of Google’s home page are some basic options: Web, Images, Videos, Maps, News, Groups, Gmail and more.

• Google News is a computer generated news site that gathers headlines from 4,500 English language news sources worldwide

• Google News offers a wide variety of news perspectives from which to choose

• Google News presents different publishers’ accounts of a story

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•

•

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• Top of Form

Google News Search

Click on News. Several of these articles are pay-per-view.

In search box type the phrase:

We get a small number of results.

Time period

Click 2006-2009 at the left to find articles about the Toronto Public Library during that time.

Click Everything at the top left.

Click More Search tools at the bottom.

Click Timeline and choose a time period (1760).

Click on the link: Advanced search

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Here we can choose the news source or date coverage about Toronto Public Library.

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News Source

Type Toronto Star in the News Source box to limit to articles only from that newspaper.

Click the back arrow twice to return to our original search.

Summary: Google News allows you to choose how you want your news presented to you.

More Google Products

At the Google home page across the top of the screen click on more, then even more.

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Google Books

Click Books. You can search the full text of some seven million books through Google Books. Many of the books you can preview are still copyrighted, and are displayed with the permission of publishers and authors. You can browse these "limited preview" titles just as you would in a bookstore, but you won't be able to see more pages than the copyright holder has made available.

Advanced Google Books Example

Click Advanced Book Search.

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Click inside the Full view only radio button.

Enter the author in the appropriate box and click Google Search.

Example: Author: Karl Marx

Other Search Engines

Yahoo

In top address box type:

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Similar to Google, Yahoo has a search box at the top where you type words describing your search. Yahoo also has specialized search capabilities: Web, Answers, Images, Shopping, Site Explorer, Video Search, News, Directory, Local Search and Shortcuts.

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Ask

In the top address box type:

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Ask provides ways to shop and find local businesses.

Summary: Different search engines provide various options for searching. Learn their features and use their advanced search tips.

SUBJECT DIRECTORIES

A subject directory is a listing of web sites collected and organized by humans. Directories provide a good starting point if your topic is popular and general.

When to use a Subject Directory?

Use a subject directory when you want to find a small list of selected Internet sites on a subject which is easily defined and popular. To use a subject directory you first choose a general heading and work your way through the sub-headings until you get to the specific website or selected list of websites. Then you choose the site(s) you want to explore. If you are looking for something specific use a search engine.

The Recommended Websites listed on our websites are produced by staff at the Toronto Public Library and include lots of Canadian content.

Click inside the address box and type the library’s URL:

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Click on Books, Video, Research & more

Click on Recommended Websites, at the left.

Recommended Websites Search #1

Q: How do I find information about Climate Change and Global Warming?

We will use Recommended Websites to find this information.

• Click on: Environment and Ecology. Several subheadings are listed at the left

• Click on: Climate Change and Global Warming

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• Click on the blue link under the title, Global Warming

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• Click the Back arrow to return to the Recommended websites page.

Recommended Websites Search #2: Keywords

This time we will use the search box.

• Type hockey inside the search box

• Click on Recommended Websites at the left

• Scroll down and click on one of the links.

Another Subject Directory

Type this URL in the top address box:

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In 2010, the Internet Public Library (IPL) will merge with the Librarians’ Internet Index (LII) to create ipl2: Information You Can Trust.

• Use this subject directory to find websites about the Arts & Humanities.

Additional Resources



Try this great website.

Review

Ways to Save Time Searching

1. Use the right tool for the job

Remember there are specialized search engines for specific types of searches and specialized options within search engines as well. For example if you are looking for images, narrow your Google search using the Image button.

2. Use special syntax, Operators and Advanced Search screens

Learn the help screens to find the special tricks each search engine offers and try them.

3. Educate yourself about your searching options and try different keywords.

Printing

The library charges 20 cents/page. Pick up copies at the desk. To print go to a web page. At the top click on Print Preview [pic]. Use the arrows at the bottom of the page to advance to the next page. Determine the number of pages you wish to print. Click on Print at the top left. To print ALL pages click the Print button at the bottom. To change your print range click inside the page circle, type the page number or range in the box, then click the Print button. To exit the Print Preview screen click on Close at the top.

Other resources for you to explore

The following is a list of some sites that may be useful to you. These sites are created and maintained by different organizations. The Toronto Public Library is not responsible for the content, accuracy, or availability of these sites. The inclusion of these sites does not mean that Toronto Public Library endorses or sponsors the products or services described or offered by these web sites.

Search engines

Use for news, reviews and a comparative chart for search engines.

• Traditional ones include Yahoo (yahoo.ca), Google (google.ca)

Ask (), Bing ()

• Kid’s ones include: KidsClick () and AskJeeves for Kids

(), Yahoo Kids (kids.)

• For movie information try

Evaluation of web sites:

library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/webeval.html

lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html

Subject directories

There are several types of Subject Directories:

• IPL2, Internet Public Library ()

• For a list visit this website:

• University/College Library directories include Infomine () and Academic Info ()

Jane’s E-Learning Pick of the Day

janeknight.

What is a Browser?

watch?v=BrXPcaRlBqo

Thank you for attending this class!

Please fill out the Evaluation form.

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architecture







“book review” “hunger games”

“here’s looking at you kid”

define:chaos

“solar power”

torontopubliclibrary.ca

Toronto Public Library

[pic]

Web Basics III: Advanced Internet Searching

Participant’s Package

September 2010

[pic] torontopubliclibrary.ca

vrl.torontopubliclibrary.ca

cell phone +legislation +ontario

yahoo.ca

+ (include all words)

“ .” (exact words and word-order)

(no quotation marks, searches all words)

- (Exclude certain words)

Click here for

more search options

site: atlantis launch

miami -dolphins

torontopubliclibrary.ca

google.ca

Click on

More search tools

miami

“toronto public library”

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