<$BlogRSDUrl$> Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
Internet Happenings, Events and Sources


Saturday, January 29, 2005  

In Search of Better Searches
http://www.syracuse.com/technology/poststandard/dempsey/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1104918968312170.xml

Syracuse Post-Standard staff researcher Jan Dempsey offers six tips on honing your online searches. First, don't mistake quantity for quality -- zero in on authoritative sources like encyclopedia articles, almanacs or other reference tools. When possible, try to access primary sources -- information often becomes progressively more garbled the more often it's repeated. Find out where the information originated and go to that site or e-mail the source. "Especially with statistics, if there's no source cited, don't trust it," warns Dempsey. Remember to use your local library -- many of them now offer online access to catalogs, databases and even reference librarians, 24/7. Don't rely on a single favorite search engine. As good as Google or Yahoo is, it's not perfect. Get in the habit of checking several search engines or using a meta-search engine such as www.info.com, which scans several search engines at one time. And when you're typing in your search request, use the advanced features that can help you make your search more precise. Dempsey suggests: "When you're trying to figure out words to include in the search box, try to visualize the results. If you are looking for an article on the greatest American presidents, names such as Lincoln, Roosevelt and Washington would normally appear in the article. Use those names in your search (i.e., greatest presidents washington lincoln roosevelt)."

posted by Marcus Zillman | 4:15 AM
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