Is there a book, either e-type or dead tree, or web site that could help in doing web searches? More specifically, for example, if I want to look for A and B, I put in A and B. I get 99 44/100% junc (that's low class junk), giving both A and B. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Sorry, but can you be a bit more clear?
I am rather good at research on the Internet, but would need a bit information as to exactly what the problem is.
Sorry, but can you be a bit more clear?
As I read it, he's looking for an instruction manual on how to build complex search terms.
As I read it, he's looking for an instruction manual on how to build complex search terms.
Simple, use Boolean search terms.
Of all of the ones I commonly use, the minus sign (-) is one of the most useful as I can then do a search excluding something specific.
Like searching "batman -xxx" should give me results that do not refer to one of the many porn parodies. Putting something quotation marks always includes the word or phrase as written. There are many, it just takes some practice to use them the best way.
https://southern.libguides.com/google/boolean#:~:text=Boolean%20operators%20are%20words%20or,that%20work%20to%20refine%20results.
Also, learning what words to even search. For example, looking for "lord of the rings" without quotes is almost worthless, so just search for lord and rings. Of and the are so common that most searches just ignore them unless they are combined with one of the other search parameters.
It's worth noting that Google isn't particularly good at Boolean search terms. Within the last day, I've had it return results where the word in quotes doesn't actually appear, and where things I used a minus on do appear.
And don't get me started with quoted phrases. It'll do crazy things to those.
Don't use Google as your search engine. I use Duck Duck Go and while it may sometimes be a pain in the butt sifting through a couple pages of results, if what I'm looking for is out there, I typically can find it. (Sometimes it's just not out there, is the problem.)
I do use DuckDuckGo. I do research of the Russian American Company, the group that 'colonized' Alaska. How do I search for RAC (or Russian American Company) and one of the locations, persons involved without coming up with the current story in Sitka called Russian American Company etc.? That is an example.
This is Google's search help on search techniques.
https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2466433
Try this search string;
"Russian American Company" +Alaska -Sitka -www.russianamericancompany.com
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=%22Russian+American+Company%22+%2BAlaska+-Sitka+-www.russianamericancompany.com&ia=web
I would recomend researching how to look things up using the old fashion Library Card Catelog and the Dewey Decimal System.
Being able to look things up by
Title
Subject
Author
Not necessarily only those three categories, but Think about several ways to search for the information you want.
Say that you weren't really paying attention to the SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the USA) decisions and then suddenly you noticed there was a Lot of news about Roe v. Wade (from 1973), Protests in Wash. D.C. and across the nation, even an attempted assassination of an Associate Supreme Court Justice.
Most Google searches will turn up a plethora of articles and videos about Roe v. Wade, and the "loss of women's rights" but it is very difficult to discover the actual case decided by SCOTUS in 2022.
(it is Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization; but it is very difficult to find the actualname of the case if you just type in: 2022 SCOTUS Abortion case; or similar)
If you didn't know "Dobbs v. Jackson" and just looking up SCOTUS Abortion Case only got you commentary on the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision...
(instead of Author) try 2022 Opinions by Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
or : Opinions of 2022 SCOTUS decsions by Mark Levin or Ben Shapiro (both are conservative comentators and lawyers).
Another subject: due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, you have been hearing about global food shortages; however, no one is giving any idea of how much food is Not being exported.
Statistics sometimes take a year or two to be published, so try searching:
Ukraine Grain Exports 2019
or
Top 10 Grain Exporting Nations in 2019
Say that you don't trust the UN (for good reason) try the International Red Cross website looking for anticipated health risks due to reduced food exports by Ukraine and Russia.
or
USDA (US Dept. of Agriculture) US Grain Exports (likely to reference increased oportunities for US farmers due to the reduced output of Russia and Ukraine).
For relevant research results rule no. 1 is: do NOT use Google. Google results are heavily biased toward the profile they have build of the user. For unbiased relevant research results you do not want that. Use any of the anonymous search engines (DuckDuckGo etc.). Most offer the same search features as Google so you won't miss out on functionality.