What advanced search techniques help you find relevant information?

2 Use operators

Another technique is to use operators, which are symbols or words that modify your search query and tell the search engine how to interpret it. For instance, the AND operator tells the search engine to include all the terms in your query. For example, if you want to find information about the ethical issues of search engines and social media, you can type search engine ethics AND social media. The OR operator tells the search engine to include any of the terms in your query. An example would be if you wanted to find information about the ethical issues of search engines or artificial intelligence, you can type search engine ethics OR artificial intelligence. The NOT operator tells the search engine to exclude a term from your query; for instance, if you wanted to find information about the ethical issues of search engines, but not about Google, you can type search engine ethics NOT Google. Additionally, the ( ) operator tells the search engine to prioritize a part of your query. For example, if you want to find information about the ethical issues of search engines or artificial intelligence, but you are more interested in search engines, you can type (search engine ethics) OR artificial intelligence.

3 Use modifiers

Another technique to refine your search query is to use modifiers, which provide more specificity or context. For instance, the 'site' modifier limits the search to a specific website or domain, such as educational institutions ending with .edu. The 'filetype' modifier restricts the search to a particular file type, like PDFs. And the 'intitle' modifier narrows the search to results that have a specified word or phrase in the title, like "case". For example, if you want to find information about the ethical issues of search engines with the word "case" in the title, you can type intitle:case search engine ethics. Using these modifiers can help you find more relevant and specific results.

4 Use advanced search tools

To improve your online research skills, you can use the advanced search tools offered by most search engines. These tools allow you to customize your search query with various options and filters. For example, you can specify the language, region, date, or update of your results; exclude or include certain words, phrases, or domains; search for images, videos, news, or books; search within a range of numbers or prices; and search for related or similar terms or websites. To access the advanced search tools, click on the settings or options icon on the search engine page, or type the word "advanced" after the search engine name in your browser (e.g., google advanced or bing advanced).

Although these advanced techniques can help you find relevant information faster and easier, be aware of the limitations and biases of search engines. Remember to evaluate the quality and credibility of the sources you find and use your critical thinking and ethical judgment when searching online. Seek out diverse and reliable sources of information to ensure that you are getting accurate information.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?