• Identifying search terms/ circular research process - it is likely that you will discover that the first terms that you search with are not necessarily your best terms.  Be willing to try synonymous terms.  Scour your retrieved results searching for other possible terms.
  
  
• Advanced searching - in addition to merely entering words in a search box, most search engines offer some advanced searching capabilities.  Be sure to know which advanced searching strategies are available on your chosen search engine. Some examples of these techniques include:



• Boolean logic - one of the most prevalent advanced searching strategies, Boolean logic creates relationships between search terms.  Many search engines provide multiple boxes which allow you to enter separate terms in each box and connect with the appropriate Boolean term.  Common Boolean operators include:

 
• AND
- used when both of your search terms must be present; combining terms with AND provides fewer results.  For example, searching for race AND poverty retrieves results that must have both terms in them.  Using a plus (+) in front of each search term retrieves similar results (+race +poverty).


• OR - used when you will accept either of two or more terms; provides the largest group of results.  For example, searching for car OR auto will retrieve web sites with either of those synonyms.



• NOT - used when you want to exclude specific terms from your results.  For example, searching for broncos not denver should retrieve pages that are not about Denver's football team, the Denver Broncos.  Using a minus (-) in front of a search term has a similar impact (broncos -denver)



• Phrase searching - allows you to search for a group of words that are next to each other. For example, searching for seat belt as a phrase may find different information than merely searching for seat and belt. Many search tools recognize phrase searching when the terms are enclosed in quotation marks.  Be sure to identify the parameters of your search tool's phrase searching capabilities.



• Truncation - allows searching of different variants of a term by use of various symbols.  For example, work* may retrieve workforce, workplace, workers, and etc. Other wildcard symbols may represent single characters in terms. For example, wind# may retrieve windy or winds, but not windstorm.  Common truncation symbols include:  *, !, ?, $, #.  Be sure to check your specific search tool to determine which, if any, truncation symbols are used.



• Adjacency
- similar to phrase searching but less frequently available, adjacency allows retrieval of terms that are near each other, but not necessarily next to each other.  Alta Vista allows adjacency searching by using the NEAR operator in between terms.  Alta Vista also allows the user to specify within how many terms you desire adjacency (Example accountant within 5 ethics or accountant ~~5 ethics).


• Still looking for additional details on advanced searching? 
See Boolean Searching on the Web or Bare Bones 101:  Searching with Boolean Logic and Proximity Operators.


• Limiting - in addition to refining your search terms, many search tools allow users to limit to specific type of file (PDF, .gif, Microsoft Word files, etc.) or to specific domains (.gov, www.unco.edu, etc.)



• Finding information on a particular page - when you're looking for information within a long web page or document, use the FIND command (<CTRL F>) to locate information quickly.



• Contact an information expert (a librarian) - contacting a reference librarian is a good way to get a second opinion on an effective strategy or resource.



• Want help choosing the right search tool for your searching needs?  See
• How to Choose a Search Engine or Directory (L. Cohen, University at Albany Libraries) 
• Search Engine Showdown's Search Engine Feature Chart or Comparing Internet Subject Directories (G. Notess).
• Infopeople's Search Tool Chart (supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian)

UNC Libraries - http://www.unco.edu/library/  | UNC - http://www.unco.edu/  | Library Guides - http://www.unco.edu/library/guides/list.htm

 
University of Northern Colorado Libraries; Greeley, CO 80639
Contact:  Sarah Naper, 970-351-1533, sarah.naper@unco.edu
Updated: 3/2/2006
Access this guide online @ http://www.unco.edu/library/guides/websavvy/weblit.htm.