Find what you want on the Web quicker and more accurately!
Any information you could ever possibly want is out there is on the 'Net. The trick is how to find it when you need it! One problem is that no standard method of cataloging or indexing of sites has yet been adopted, with each search engine using its own set of protocols. The following tips will, however, help narrow down your search results:
- Phrase It: Don't use one word searches. Instead, type in
multiple words or a phrase in quotes to increase your chances of
finding useful results.
- Be Specific: The more descriptive you can get, the better your
results. Typing in "Computer Courses for Windows 98" is better than just
"Computer Courses"
- Add it Up: Use AND or the plus sign (+) when you want to find
articles that contain all of the words you enter. For example, to find
articles on rock and roll music, try typing "rock AND roll AND
music," or "rock +roll +music". Important: Put the plus sign directly
in front of the word you want added, with no spaces ("painting
+Picasso")
- Cut it Out: Use AND NOT or the minus sign (-) to limit your
results to articles with only the words you want. For example, if you
want articles about pets, but aren't interested in dogs, try typing in
"pets AND NOT dogs," or "pets -dogs." Remember: Put the minus
sign directly in front of the word you want left out, with no spaces
("psychiatry -Freud").
- More Like This: If you're getting more than you bargained for in
your results, be sure to click on the More Like This link next to the
Web link that most closely matches what you're looking for. This
tells the search engine to show you only those sites that are like the one you chose.
- Refine Your Find: If you really don't like the results you're
getting, you've got a second chance. Scroll down to the "Refine
Your Results" area at the bottom of the results page, and try
tweaking your find a bit. If you've got too many results, get more
specific by adding more words. If you've got too few results, make
your find more general by removing some words.
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