Searching

Just enter a few key words, click submit, and you can find what you want, right? Wrong. Beginning with hundreds of thousands of matches and complicated by the fact that no two search engines are the same, there is an art to finding what you want, and just what you want. The following tips are collected to help you be efficent and effective in locating resources on the Web.

Concepts

Search Strategies
A tutorial for middle and high school students on how to define a search, subject searching, keyword searching, Boolean operators, narrowing or broadening a search topic. Try the quiz at the end and see how you do.
http://www.open.k12.or.us/oslis/tutorials/strategies/index.html

Finding Information
An effective lesson plan for teaching search concepts, with a useful section on troubleshooting the format of URLs. From the FermiLab Leadership Institute Integrating Internet, Instruction and Curriculum online courses (LInC Online).
http://www-ed.fnal.gov/lincon/tech_find_info.shtml

Beyond Surfing: Directories vs. Search Engines
When you need specific information, simply surfing doesn't quite cut it. This short discussion will help you figure out when to use a search engine or directory, and identifies some of the pros and cons of each.
http://www.open.k12.or.us/oslis/search/beyond.html

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Search Engines

Search Engines
An introduction to search engines, some good ones to try, where to find more information, and "Eight Ways to Outsmart a Search Engine."
http://www.open.k12.or.us/oslis/tutorials/engines/index.html

Web-Searching Tips
Danny Sullivan's Search Engine Watch offers simple and advanced tips for effective searching, links to all types of search engines, a look at what goes on "under the hood," a features comparison chart, reviews, and more. The site is a respected resource for up-to-date information on search engines and directories.
http://searchenginewatch.com/facts/index.html

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Comparisons

Choose the Best Search Engine for your Information Need
A bibliography of search engines nicely organized by purpose. If you know what you want to accomplish, such as narrowing a broad topic, this will point you to the tool to use.
http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html

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Tutorials

Finding Information on the Internet
An excellent tutorial that covers the mechanics and concepts of searching the Internet, including a concise list of "dos and don'ts" and helpful strategies that make use of the variety of engines and directories.
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html

Netscape
A step-by-step guide to searching the Internet with the Netscape brower.
Windows 95: http://www.open.k12.or.us/jitt/web/maninter.htm#searching

Macintosh: http://www.open.k12.or.us/jitt/web/macinter.htm#searching