Using Google Search for your Research
Factors to Consider:
Please note that students completing the same Google Search may not get the same results page because Google takes account of a person's search history.
Research cycle. (2019). Retrieved from http://brescia.uwo.ca/library/research/research-cycle/
The Research Cycle
A database is an organized, data storage repository that can be easily managed and retrieved. The databases that are available via the library homepage are not freely available on the internet, which is why the library pays an annual subscription that provides authenticated access to our school community.
The information available from a library database is selective, age appropriate, peer reviewed and generally not freely available via the internet. Databases provide information that is high quality, credible and authoritative. They can be general knowledge databases such as World Book
OR be subject specific such as JSTOR
Search Social Media
Put @ in front of a word to search social media. For example: @twitter
Search for a Price
Put $ in front of a number. For example: camera $400
Search Hashtags
Put # in front of a word. For example: #throwbackthursday
Exclude words from your search
Put - in front of the word you want to leave out. For example: jaguar speed -car
Search for an Exact Match
Put a word or phrase inside quotation marks. For example: "tallest building"
Search for Wildcards or unknown words
Put a * in your word or phrase where you want to leave a placeholder. For example: "largest * in the world"
Search within a range of numbers
Put . . between two numbers. For Example: camera $50 . . $100
Combine Searches
Put "OR" between each query. For example: marathon OR race
Search for Related Sites
Put "related:" in front of a web address you already know. For example: related: time.com
Get Details about a Site
Put "info:" in front of the site address. For example: info: nationalgeographic.com
See Google's cached version of a site
Put "cache:" in front of the site address. For example: cache: wwf.org.au
Source: Google Search Help . Common Search Techniques & Refining Web Searches
Main Points to Remember:
Have you had trouble taking notes from books or handouts you need to read? Watch this video for tips on effective note-taking.
To narrow your search, you might want to limit the domains you search in. These are the most common: