Using
Your Head While Searching the Web
Talawanda District Library Media Centers
February 2012
INTERNET
TIP: Search
Tips
A very important skill for students (and adults) to learn
is searching the internet effectively to avoid wading
through lines and lines (pages and pages?) of irrelevant or
inappropriate sites. Try these internet search tips:
1) Use
the
Advanced Search option
many browsers have. It allows you to be more specific by
selecting exact phrases, synonyms, etc..
2)
Search terms are very
important. Think about what you want to find before typing.
You might have to use synonyms (teens, adolescents, young
adults, etc.). If you’re not getting the information you
want, rethink your search terms and try again.
3) Use
Phrase search to find
a specific phrase with quote marks. This will tell the
computer to make sure the phrase is complete. For example:
“to be or not to be”.
4)
Exclude terms by
typing a minus sign (-) before them.
If you type: jaguar
-cars –football, you will
get information about animals but not about automobiles or
sports mascots.
5)
Specific Sites It is
possible to search for specific sites (edu, gov, org) by
typing: site:edu
or
site:org
along
with your search words. Use a colon between
site
and the
domain name. This will give you information only from
educational, government, or organization’s sites. You can
also type iraq
nytimes.com to get
articles about Iraq only from the New York Times.
I hope these search tips help you and your student(s) find
what you need. Of course, INFOhio provides accurate,
reliable, and grade appropriate information all the time.
WEB SITES: Want access to a lot of valuable information? Go
to:
www.talawanda.net
Schools
(select your school) and then select MEDIA CENTER (center
section)
select
Online CATalog to look for library materials
within the Online CATalog look for the DISCOVERY PORTAL
button for research
OR
select the INFOhio button on the right of the homepage for
extensive research
Call or email me for the username and password for home
access or assistance in navigating.
Don’t
lose your head – use it – to research wisely on the web!!
Carol Morison
THS Library Media Specialist
TCS District Media Center Coordinator
Ohio Master Teacher
National Board Certified Librarian
morisonc@talawanda.org
273-3262
INFOhio is an awesome resource, for the amazing students in
our excellent school district!!