Web searching tips
Surfing the web is easy, but there is so much information it’s sometimes tough to find exactly what you need. Here are some ideas for more effective web searching.
Keep keywords simple and to the point
- Choose keywords and phrases that describe your topic, for example, “back pain and massage.”
- Avoid whole sentences or questions – many search engines don’t understand this. Avoid filler words like “a,” “of,” and “the.”
Look for .edu and.gov. websites first
- Commercial websites (.com) can be helpful for background information and ideas, but these sites are not always reliable and accurate.
- Educational (.edu) and government (.gov) sites can have more balanced and thoroughly researched information. This is because .edu and .gov are restricted top-level domains, meaning only schools and government agencies can register these sites.
- Some .org sites are reliable organizational/non-profit sites, but not all. Anyone can set up a (.org) site, as well as (.com) and (.net).
Try different search words and/or phrases
- If you’re not finding good results immediately, try using synonyms for varied results. For example, “myocardial infarction” is the medical term for “heart attack.” These search terms are synonyms, yet they will retrieve different results.
Put your search phrase in quotation marks
- Placing your search phrase within quotation marks can bring fewer and more accurate results.
- For example, the search “health care costs” AND hospitals ensures that you get results containing the words “health care costs” together as a phrase rather than separately.
Use the CTRL-F keyboard shortcut to find your keywords on the web page
- To use your browser’s find bar, Ctrl-F (Windows) or ⌘-F (Mac). A search box will appear where you can type in your keyword(s).
- Those words will appear highlighted on the web page.
Learn the advanced features of one search engine and use them regularly
- For example, Google’s Advanced Search features.
- And Google Scholar for Peer Reviewed and research articles