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[[image:At_the_Computer_12.png]] Unit 2: Advanced Search Strategies
Objective 2-1: Learners will identify and explain effective key words and phrases for successful online searches. Objective 2-2: Learners will conduct online searches utilizing advanced search strategies.

What are search engines and how do they work?
 * Search Engines and Keywords:**

Search engines allow us to search for specific information on the World Wide Web without having to go to each and every website. Search engines are a little like the index of a book that would allow you to pinpoint specific pages where topics can be located. In the following activities you will learn more about the history of search engines and how they work. Hope you’re not afraid of spiders!

Activity 1: Visit the following websites and tutorials to learn about search engines and how they work. Please choose at least 3 sites to visit.

Search Engine History How they work animation 21st Century Information Fluency Webopedia What is a Search Engine Bare Bones Search Engines Bare Bones Meta Search Engines Bare Bones Subject Directories Bare Bones Gateways and Subject Specific Databases

These are some of the most commonly used search engines:  AltaVista strives to advance Internet searching with new technologies and features designed to improve the search experience for consumers //Dogpile// has compiled several of the best web search engines into one. As they say "Go Fetch"! Google's mission is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful" along with many other available tools. Ask.com was originally called Ask Jeeves and today is recognized for their search technology and search interface design. Yahoo is advertised as the search engine that helps you find exactly what you're looking for - relevant information, video, images, and answers. Bing is the search engine developed by Microsoft that searches over 200 million Web sites to help you find the information you need. WebCrawler.uses metasearch technology to compile results from many other search engines such as Google and Bing to help deliver more comprehensive and relevant results for every search.

Which search engine do you think is utilized most often?

If you chose Google, you are correct. //Fig 1:// Search Results for July 2006 ........................ //Fig 2:// Search results for June 2009

Over the years Google has maintained its status as the most widely used search engine. With Microsoft’s introduction of the Bing.com search engine, do you think that will change?

Activity 2: One of the best ways to utilize a search engine effectively is to choose appropriate keywords and/or key phrases for your search. Keywords help to describe the main concepts of a topic.

Prior to beginning a search it is a good idea to brainstorm keywords and phrases that are associated with the topic. For example, in Zack’s search for his research paper on the Holocaust, his list of keywords could have included WWII, ethnic cleansing, pogrom, or 20th Century history. It is often helpful to consult a thesaurus or dictionary (online, computer software, or printed) to help identify keywords.

You can use the acronym SKILL to help you determine keywords for your search: Step 1 - __S__ummarize your topic in one or two sentences; Step 2 - __K__eywords and phrases need to be highlighted; Step 3 - __I__dentify synonyms, alternate terms, phrases and variant spelling; Step 4 - __L__ ink your keywords and phrases; Step 5 - __L__ocate your information

Watch this tutorial about choosing keywords for your Internet search

Activity 3: Practice identifying keywords and phrases at one of these Keyword Challenge websites:

Question to Query or Soccer Challenge

They’re pretty tricky. Don’t get discouraged!


 * Wrap It Up #1:**

Using the “[|Identifying_Keywords.doc]“ worksheet, take a topic such as school uniforms, gun control, or capital punishment and list a number of keywords or phrases for the topic. E-mailthe completed Keywords Assignment to the project facilitator.

Now that we have learned how search engines work and the use of effective keywords to locate information, let’s explore different strategies to find the relevant information.
 * Advanced Search Strategies:**

Activity 1: Advanced Search Techniques Activity 2: Boolean Searches

Watch the Web Search Strategies in Plain English video and Power Searching on the Web presentation. media type="youtube" key="CWHPf00Jkqg" height="340" width="560" media type="custom" key="4504804"

These have given us some basics for successfully searching the web for information. Now let’s explore more in depth.

Visit at least two of the searching websites, two of the Boolean searches websites as well as one focusing on truncation techniques.

Searching: Effective Internet Searching for Educators Searching the Web Tutorial Best Bet Search Tips Online Search Tutorial Using the Internet for Research

Boolean Operators: Boolean Search Flash Tutorial Boolean Searches on the Web Conducting Boolean Searches The Boolean Machine Boolify Interactive Boolean Search Tool – “Boolify makes it easier to for students to understand their web search by illustrating the logic of their search, and by showing them how each change to their search instantly changes their results.” Basic search techniques + Boolean Operators Strategies for Database Searching

Truncation: Truncation 1 Truncation 2

You can also use these basic tips for effective searching: Tips for effective searching (From H. Diblasi Compiled by Michele Rook http://www.drhowie.com/)

· Double Quotations ( “ “) Look for words in exactly the same order you enter them Examples: “great depression” “school dress code”

· Minus sign ( - ) To exclude a word from your results Examples: depression –great Apple –computer

· Addition sign ( + ) To find all of the words you enter, not just some of them Examples: “ Hawaii +hotels +oceanfront “ “Chocolate +cake +recipe +layered” Note: Many search engines will let you search this way without using the plus sign. The results are very similar in most instances.

· Limit by extension (site: ) Limit search to pages by certain groups Examples: site: edu site: org site: gov

Activity 3: Searching by File Type or Extension There are times when searching that you might be looking for a specific type of file, such as a PowerPoint or jpeg image.

Different Types of Files at Your Will (from Dr. H. Diblasi - http://www.drhowie.com/) How many times would you have asked for materials (PDF, PPT, DOC) for a particular topic from a friend? Let’s say I want to implement a case study on SOA (service oriented architecture). I want to find materials which might have already been uploaded on the web in the form of PDF’s, DOC’s or PPT’s. These materials can be easily obtained by doing a search for:

PDF 21st Century Learning filetype:pdf

PPT 21st Century Learning filetype:ppt

DOC 21st Century Learning filetype:doc

Searching by filetype can help to eliminate some unnecessary search results and refine what you need.

Activity 4: Google Search Tips In today's world we use the term Google as a verb – such as “I’ll Google it!” In addition to searching for basic research information on the web, Google also allows you to search for very specific information and facts. Watch these videos for some very interesting tips!

Google Search Tips and Tricks Google Search Tricks Google Search Tips & Tricks

Review: Visit at least two of these review sites before proceeding. Four Nets for Better Searching Teacher Tap Search Strategies 10 Search Steps 7 Steps for Better Searching How to Search the Internet Effectively


 * Wrap It Up #2:**

1. Research Activity: Download and complete the using the search strategies you have learned. When you have completed the activity, e-mail the scavenger hunt worksheet to the project facilitator.

2. Discussion: Discussion #1 Post a response to the Unit 2 Discussion Thread. How could advanced search strategies have helped Zack in his research? How can they help teachers and students? Please respond to one other person’s post also.

Click on the Discussion tab at the top to post your reply.

3. Survey: Please complete this brief online survey for Unit 2.

Click Here to Take Survey