Internet Search Techniques
Use Google Advanced Search
Go to google.com and click on Settings (bottom right) and go to Advanced Search. You may have to execute a Google search first, then Settings should appear at the bottom right of the screen.
Or go directly to: https://www.google.com/advanced_search
OPTIONS |
WHAT IT DOES |
DO IT IN THE SEARCH BOX |
| all these words: | Results use all the words you enter | Type in just the keywords: access education |
| this exact word or phrase: | Results include one exact word or phrase you enter | Put exact words in quotes: "higher education" |
| any of these words | Results include at least one of the words you enter | Type OR between the words: inequity OR inequality |
| none of these words | Results don’t have any of the words you enter | Type minus sign just before unwanted word: access -accessibility |
| numbers ranging from | Results include a number between the 2 numbers you enter | Put two periods between the numbers: 2011..2021 |
| last update: | Find pages updated within a specific time | n/a |
| site or domain: | Search one site or limit your results to a domain | Type site: just before the site URL or domain: site:wikipedia.org, site:.edu, site:.gov |
| file type: | Find pages in a specific format | Type filetype: just before the format: filetype:pdf, filtype:ppt |
Video: How to Use Google Advanced Search (3:30)
Use more Google search shortcuts
These shortcuts can be used to broaden and refine your search results when using keywords.
SHORTCUT |
WHAT IT DOES |
DO IT IN THE SEARCH BOX |
| Synonym ~ | Broadens search by looking for synonyms of a term | Type a ~ just before the word: ~university (yields college as well) |
| Asterisk * | Broaden search by acting as a fill in the blank or wildcard | Type * just before, after, or in between words: librar* (yields library, libraries, librarian) |
| Define | Searches for a definition of a word | Type define: just before the word: define:pedagogy |
| Related | Searches for comparable information sources | Type related: just before the website: related:nytimes.com |
| Source | Searches for a specific name or word in a news source | Type name/thing + source: just before the news source: Joe Biden source:NPR |
| Info | Searches for information on a specific website | Type info: just before the website: info:snopes.com |
Use Ctrl+F to search webpages
By clicking Control + F on your keyboard (Command + F for Mac) you can search for specific words or phrases within a document or webpage. This can save you a lot of time when searching through online text by locating and jumping to specific words or phrases you want to find.
Search Terms
Keywords & SEARCH QUERIES
When searching for your topic on the high cost of raising children in the United States, combine keywords and synonyms in different ways to get different kinds of results. Choosing the best search terms can help you get the most accurate results, which will save you time and effort.
Get more results:
- search using synonyms with "or" between them. Example: raising children OR child rearing OR parenting
- search using antonyms of your keywords. Example: instead of access, barriers
Get fewer results:
- search by adding a geographic location or particular population of people. Example: raising children New Hampshire
- search using keywords with "and" in between. Example: raising children AND expense
- search using a narrower keyword, sometimes a specific type or category. Example: instead of mental heath, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Other words for COST and RAISING CHILDREN
| COST | RAISING CHILDREN |
|
expense/expenditure price investment expensive costly high-priced |
parenting child rearing childcare caregiving children child welfare child development
|
|
Related concepts economics/economy debt value budget |
Related concepts family child care policy or legislation types of child care childhood poverty |
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
Library Terms
Library catalogs and databases use controlled vocabularies, standardized and organized sets of words and phrases that provide a consistent way to describe data. These are usually applied to subjects or topics of sources, essentially tagging in them in the catalog or database.
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
Below is a list of LCSH that could be helpful in searching for sources for your topic within the access to higher education.
