Using Worldwide Search Engines

If your a first time user of Internet Search Engines, here are a few basic guidelines to help you search the World Wide Web.

Most Search Engines understand plain English, and are programmed with novice users in mind. You don't need to be a computer wizard to use them. To use Search Engines, you just need to be able to describe what you're looking for with a series of words, or a phrase. Type those words into the search box, and then click on the "Search" button. The Search Engine will find resources on the Web that closely match your search.

Below the search box, it will tell you how many documents it found that matched your search, and give you the option of viewing summaries (a brief description) of the results.

The title for each link is usually the title of the web page, or in some cases where a Webmaster neglected to include a title, so the URL of the page will show as the link. The results are provided in order of relevance, with the most relevant resources first.

At the bottom of the search page is the next selection of revelant sites. Click on the next set of sites you would like to view next.

If you receive too many results, or the results weren't as specific as you want, here are some strategies for focusing your search results.

1. Put quotation marks around phrases or more that one word descriptions.
2. Replace generic or commonly used words, with more specific and unique words.

If you receive too few results, or didn't find what you were looking for, here are some strategies for broadening your search results.

1. Try adding synonyms to your orginal words.
2. Check your spelling. A single misspelled word can make a search worthless.

For more information on effectively using search engines, go to Search Engine Watch at http://www.searchenginewatch.com.

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