google short version
TRANSCRIPT
Cambridge University Library
Taming Google - making the web work for you
Ange FitzpatrickData Control, Cambridge University Library
How do we search sensibly?
Knowns
• Good bookmark management on your PC
• Bookmark tools on public machines
• Del.ici.ous, xmarks, RSS feeds
Let the information come to you
How do we search sensibly?
Unknowns
• Think about your search terms
• Avoid vague terms like ‘engineering’, or ‘science’
• Group terms together: “public policy”
How do we search sensibly?
Unknown unknowns
Use the OR operator, or search for ‘similar’ sites
• Go directly to ‘deep web’ sites
Google- the tour
• Enter your search terms:
Searching the whole webOr just UK sites?
Results fromGoogle Image
Links to other types of results
Cached copy of the website
Top result
Wikis:User generatedcontent
Adding extra search terms
Fewerhits
Better quality results?
Excluding search terms
Other useful operators
Searching in specific sites
• Keyword site:address
• Libraries site:bbc.co.uk
Produces results for all articles about libraries @ bbc.co.uk
Other useful operators
Wildcard search
• Use an asterisk * in place of terms
• Blackburn Rovers beat * in * cup
Produces results detailing any team beaten in any cup
Other useful operators
Using the OR operator
• Searches for one term combined with a range of others
• David Cameron OR Beckham
Produces results for David Cameron or David Beckham
Other useful operators
The OR operator keeps going….
• David Cameron OR Beckham OR Hasselhoff OR Ginola
OR is also useful for spelling variations
• Eye colour OR color
Or combine the functions
• Medieval OR medieaval OR “middle ages”
Understanding the internet
A different world to real searching
• Google doesn’t search everything
Like these useful paid for services
Understanding the internet
The internet is a weird place
• More informal sharing of ideas
• Blurred relationships between consumers and producers
• Little formal hierarchy or organisation
Don’t forget about memes…
Understanding the internet
Think about how content iscreated and shared online
informal content ≠useless content
Understanding the internet
User generated content can’t always be trusted
But don’t let that put you off!
Understanding the internet
Search and verify:
Compare music biographies on Wikipedia and GROVEonline
Compare film data on Wikipediawith the Internet MovieDatabase
Google Books - what it is
• Full text access to books ‘in the public domain’
• Limited access to books under copyright
• Full text access to some magazines
Google Books - why it is useful
• Read full text
• Confirm data: try a quotation
• Read an introduction or check the contents of a book
• Decide whether or not to buy, order or read the book
Google Books - the tour
• Enter search term: Moonstone
Full text
Snippets
Overview only
Metadataissues
Reviews
Places to buy
Related books
Links to WorldCat
Read the full text
Full text toolbar
Zoom
Page layout
Full text toolbar
See ContentsPage
Flick between pages
Justtext
Clip,link,share
Google Scholar
• Searches academic and peer-reviewed articles
• Groups results for easy analysis
Provides:
• Citations
• Abstracts
• Full text
Google Scholar - the tour
• Enter your search terms: “Stanford Prison Experiment”
Cambridge resource
Citations
Other places this article has been cited
Other versions of this article
Articles related to this one
Credits
Donald Rumsfeld
• http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=3490
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Rumsfeld
LOL cats
• http://icanhascheezburger.com/
Wikipedia’s big book of things that night not be true
• http://www.nataliedee.com/
Screenshots are courtesy of Google
Research Skills Programme
At www.lib.cam.ac.uk/Courses/ you can …
• Find our timetable of subject-based sessions
• Book for hands-on information skills classes
• Request one-to-one training
• Download these slides and other handouts
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