We recently had a "Google Advanced" workshop at the library. We could have also called it "Google-fu" - as wiktionary defines it: "Skill in using search engines (especially) Google to quickly find useful information on the Internet." Thanks to everyone who came out! It was perhaps one of our best attended workshops and for good reason - we all use search engines, usually google, many times a day. The search functions we discussed in the class allow you to search more quickly and with more accuracy. Click through the class Prezi below to find out what beginner, intermediate, and advanced googlers should be able to do:
Here are my favorite tricks -
- Site: Searches within a domain. Example, “site:harvard.edu” or “site:gov”. Extremely helpful when you need government statistics or data, or just want academic results (site:edu). This is an example of what I would enter into the search box - "wi poverty statistics site:gov"
- ~ Finds synonyms of your term and searches with them too. "recipe Halloween ~dessert” searches for the word dessert and cookies, cakes, candy, etc.
- .. Number or publication date range, example: “$1..$5” or “1994..1998”. For instance, if I wanted to buy a vest that costs between $20 and $40, I would enter "vest $20..$40"
- In Google Images, click and drag an image file from your computer into the search box to search or images like it.
- Use “ctrl + f” to find words on a page. Only 10% of users know this very useful and time-saving trick. Try it now! Hold down the "ctrl" and "f" keys at the same time ("command" and "f" on Apples). A small search box will appear in your browser, type in "10%" and it will highlight that phrase on this bullet point.
Graphic by HackCollege.com
For more information on Advanced Google functions, be sure to read through the above graphic and check out these links:
