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Search Tips

Googling with Efficiency

Although the Google search engine works well when entering keywords, you can maximize its capabilities even further by exploiting some of its specialized database features.

Note: Some tips courtesy of David Pogue's New York Times "Circuits" e-mail column of 3/25/2004 ("Meeting the Googlers").

Keywords Tips

In addition to making sure to enter in multiplekeywords, you can try entering your question as an incomplete answer. For instance, if you want to know how many students attend Penn State in 2003, you could enter "the number of students attending Penn State in 2003" as the keywords. This will more than likely match a phrase used in an official report posted on the Web.

Advanced Search

You can access a more detailed search form by clicking the small "Advanced Search" link to the right of the main keyword text box. The Advanced Search allows you to perform the following types of searches:

an AND search in the "all the words" text box
an "exact phrase" search
an OR search in the "at least one of the words" text box
a NOT search in the "without the words" text box
Search by page language
Search by file format (e.g. P.D.F. versus PowerPoint)
Search by last update date
Search by domain (e.g. .edu only or .uk only)

Pay attention to the syntax format of the searches generated. You can enter these in by scratch into the basic search.

Google University Search

Many universities allow Google to search within their domain. For instance, if you want to search Michigan State's domain (msu.edu) you would type in http://www.google.com/msu as the U.R.L., then enter your keywords. For University of Illinois (uiuc.edu), you would type in http://www.google.com/uiuc.

Googling Penn State

To search Penn State with Google, you can go either to the main search page http://search.psu.edu which uses the Google engine or http://www.google.com/psu

Image Search

Images Tab

You can search Google to see if appropriate images are available on the Web by clicking the Images tab, then entering your keywords. The search results will display a series of images associated with that keyword.

Copyright Caveat

Any images found should not be downloaded without prior written permission. See the TEACH Act Copyright page for more details. Linking to a page containing images is legal.

Groups Search

This tab allows you to search for postings within newsgroups. This option could be useful for tracking how various communities perceive different events or situations related to their interests.

Google News Alert Service

If you want to track how different topics or events are covered in the general media, you can create a custom "News Alert" service at http://www.google.com/newsalerts.

You select keywords and often you want to be sent an alert, and Google will send you links to news items to your e-mail address. Make sure to click the link in the initial verification message sent.

Foreign Language Google

World Directory

To access the directory of Web sites listed by language go to http://directory.google.com/Top/World/

View Google in Multiple Languages

To view the Google interface in languages besides English, you can either:

Go to Language Tools (right of main text box and click on one of the available languages. Click on on Preferences to save the Language selection as a default (cookies required).
Note: Some languages like "Elmer Fudd" are not natural languages.
Go to Google engines for other countries such as www.google.fr (France), www.google.co.jp (Japan), www.google.de (Germany) or www.google.es (Spain). Countries from Europe and East Asia are the most supported, but some countries from Latin America and Africa are available.
Note: Available countries are listed on the Language Tools page

Google Calculator

Google includes an embedded calculator in its search interface. You can type in a formula such as ".75*100" or a units conversion such as "millimeters in an inch". See the online Google Calculator instructors section for more details.