Web research is an integral part of our due diligence as writers. Whether you write nonfiction or fiction, the accuracy of your data can make or break a story. Unfortunately, search engines like Google don’t always understand questions formatted in standard English. Therefore, our internet research success depends on how well the program is able to translate our phrases into relevant results. Maximize Google’s research potential by using search operators between keywords to define the inquiry and narrow the search. The most common search operators are “OR” “site:” and “link:” Web surfers who use these operators gain results faster than the average user, so streamline your research by becoming familiar with how each operator works.
1) “OR”
Use OR to separate your keywords, and you’ll find pages that contain one or all of your search criteria.
For example: cat OR kitty OR kitten
2) site:
Use your keywordsplus site: followed by a domain name to search for information within a single website.
For example: airport interviews site: tmz.com
This is a search for airport interviews on the tmz.com site.
3) link:
Use link: to find pages that link to other pages.
For example: link: fundsforwriters.com
This search finds pages linked to fundsforwriters.com.
Google also lets you use punctuation to narrow a search. Here are the most common uses of punctuation in search queries.
1) Double Quotation Marks
Surround a phrase with quotation marks (e.g. “Birdbox Challenge”), and Google will search for your keywords in the order they appear within the phrase.
2) Exclude a Word
To exclude a certain word, place a minus symbol in front of the word you wish to exclude.
For example: Aladdin –Smith
This will bring up results about the story, film, play, or cartoon that don’t include Will Smith. Remember, your search query must go first then the minus sign followed by the word or words to omit. Make sure there are no spaces between the minus symbol and the word or phrase you’d like to exclude.
3) Replace a Letter
Use the asterisk to replace one or more letters in a word. For example, placing drag rac* into the search engine returns results that include the words drag race and drag racing.
If the search operators prove too challenging, use Google’s Advanced Search. The advanced search provides specific options to narrow your query. Most people make the mistake of starting their web research with broad keywords. As a result, they end up with pages upon pages of material to sort through. To avoid this, start by identifying the most specific words for your subject and select one of Google’s advance search options to refine your results. Here’s how some of them work:
“all these words” = The results will contain all the words you type in an input box, but not always in the order that you type them.
“this exact word or phrase” =The results will contain the exact phrase or wording that you type into an input box.
“any of these” = The results will contain at least one of the words that you type into an input box.
“none of these” = The results will exclude the words that you type into an input box.
You can narrow your results further by specifying language, region, or the last update. Users can also search for specific file types such as .pdf or .xls.
Since one erroneous statement can destroy a writer’s credibility, authors must develop fast and accurate ways to research information online. If you’re looking for additional internet research techniques, consider reading Mastering Online Research by Maura D. Shaw or How to Find out Anything by Don MacLeod.
Find this helpful? Let me hear what you have to say below.
