Old Dominion University Libraries - Library Assistance - Tutorials - STARquest II

[an error occurred while processing this directive] Old Dominion University Libraries - Library Assistance - Tutorials - STARquest II - Internet Search Tips I

STARquest II:
Internet Searching

STARquest II

1. The Internet
2. Locating Information
3. Search Tools
4. Search Strategies
5. Media Types
6. Boolean Operators
7. Additional Tips
8. Evaluating Resources
9. Final Thoughts

STARquest I
STARquest Evaluation

4. Effective Search Strategies

Why am I getting so many hits?

One way to help shape your search strategy using any web search tool is to use search commands.

Here are some basic commands which most search tools will recognize.

" "	The double quotation marks mean that all words contained within will be searched as an exact phrase in the order you type them	"distance learning"	Retrieves pages which include distance learning as an exact phrase

+	The plus sign means the word or phrase must be included in the search	+electric +circuits	Retrieves the words electric and circuits in every page. The words do not have to appear next to each other.

-	The minus sign means the word must not be included in the search	+python -monty	Retrieves pages which include the word python but not monty

For further information contact Elizabeth Hogue (ehogue@odu.edu) or Cynthia Wright Swaine (cswaine@odu.edu)
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