Module 3 : Searching the Web
Using Search Engines Effectively
Case Problem 1
Using search operators to write advanced queries
You have just finished a Saturday morning workshop at the Computer Research lab at the Washington County Public library on “Using Search Operators to Write Advanced Queries.” You would like to evaluate the effectiveness of your workshop by asking the attendees to write search expressions in response to certain requested information. You propose the following situations to those in attendance and ask for a query in response.
1. I would like to find PDF files about longtime Los Angeles Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully. What
should the query look like?
2. I need Excel spreadsheet files (xls extension) about the gross domestic product (GDP). What search expression would you recommend?
3We are planning our library garden and we would like to look at some PowerPoint presentations about flowers. Can you write a query to see if we can find any ppt files about flowers?
4. One of the search operators we went over in the workshop was the related operator. It can be used to find websites related to a given website. Hint: The format for the use of this search operator is the same as all of the other search operators. Write a search query to find websites related to the website for your school.
5. Write a search expression to find Spanish language websites on the topic of basketball. If you do not speak Spanish but you want to be able to read these websites, which browser should you use?
6. Write a query to find articles that have appeared on the website of National Public Radio about Vladimir putin.
7. Submit your answers to your instructor if directed to do so.
Case problem 2
Searching for information on government websites
Doug Taylor is the director of public relaltons at southeastern veterans hospital. He has been approached by a local TV news station for an interview concerning anabout an outbreak of influenza in that area. ln addition to other information that Doug already holds concerning the outbreak, he has asked you to search for information on government websites that might be pertinent to the outbreak.
1.Open the browser your choice and navigate to http://www.google.com.
2.ln the search box, type influenza. Press ENTER. How many hits did this search produce?
3. Modify your search from step 2 to restrict the search on influenza to the Centers for Disease Control website at http://www.cdc.gov by using the site operator. How many hits did this search produce? It should be many fewer than the search in step 2. Explain why this is so.
4. A wildcard operator is a special character that can be used in a search to stand in for one or more missing characters. One wildcard operalor is the key character, which can be used to search for results of a certain form without completely specifying exaclly what you searching for. For example, if you searched for the query to or not to the search would produce results of this form but could indude results for the phrase “to be, or not to be,” “to hold, or not to hold,” “to eat, or not to eat,” amd others. Modify your query from step 3 to search for information on influenza on any government site by using site: .gov. How many hits did this search produce? lt should be significantly more than the search conducted in step 3. Explain why this is so?
5. Look through the results from step 4 to compile a lisl of at least seven different government domain names that are present in the results. Note: For example, cdc.gov is one domain that is present in the results, and nih.gov is another.
6. Submit your answers to your instructor if directed to do so. Include the browser that you chose to use.