Search Engines: Tips

1. Select the most unique words
   When searching a database that may contain 500 million records at the least and over 1 billion at the most, it is important to select terms which are unique to your topic area, e.g. search for the word "nightcrawlers" instead of the broad area of "worms". Often you can combine non-unique words together in the same search to narrow your results.

2. Enter most important terms first
   Some search engine use the order in which terms are entered to help determine rankings.

3. Capitals may count
   Using capital letters in proper noun searches will help narrow your search in some engines. Be sure to check if the engine you are using supports this feature.

4. Consider synonyms
   There may be dozens of words which express your topic. Make sure you search all synonyms, spelling variations, abbreviations, etc.

5. Use parentheses in complex searches
   Parentheses determine the manner and order in which operators (AND, OR, etc.) are processed. For example, compare the following searches:
   cookbooks or recipes and appetizers
(cookbooks or recipes) and appetizers
   Since the first search does not specify processing, your results could include all items containing the word cookbooks and items containing only the words recipes and appetizers.
   
   
6. Be familiar with how your search options work
   This means knowing the basics of keyword searching and how to use search operators effectively.

7. Read the instructions
   Remember that there are dozens of search engines available and each operates differently. Reading the search engines instructions will help you figure out the default search operator used and other search options available.

8. Use more than one search engine
   Since no one search engine is comprehensive, you should try your search in several.

9. Examine and evaluate your results
   Since there is no formal quality control for the entire WWW, make sure the sources you find are accurate and authoritative.