12 Ways To Be More Search Savvy

 

12 Ways to Be More Search Savvy Google has made it possible for us to have instant information gratification. Just start typing the first letters of your search word and the site intuits your question and offers you the smartest choice of answers. Seems simple enough. But as quick and facile as the process is, there are ways to be even more efficient, more search-savvy. s earch-savvy. nd it!s our our responsibility to teach kids how to find and research information, how to "udge its veracity, and when it!s time to ask for a grownup!s help. # spoke to $aniel %ussell, Google!s &search anthropologist' in charge of Search (uality and )ser *appiness +yes, really, who brought to light some important tips you may not have known. 1.

2.

CONTROL F.  deceptively simple tool, the ontrol  function +or ommand  on /acs allows you to immediately find the word you!re looking for on a page. fter you!ve typed in your search, you can "ump directly to the word or phrase in the search list. ccording to %ussell, 01 percent of #nternet users don!t know this, and spend valuable time scrolling through pages of information trying to find their key word. &2hey!re being terribly inefficient,' %ussell says. KEEP IT SIMPLE. )se search terms the way you!d like to see them on a 3eb site.

But think of how the author would phrase it. &#t!s not about you, it!s about the author,' %ussell says. &3hat would they say and how would they say it4 3hat are some common terms and phrases they!d write4 #t!s the kind of thing that people over-think and are hyper-analytical about.' Stay on topic and keep it simple. 3.

DEFINE OPERATOR. 2his has to be one of the best items of Google!s offerings. 2o learn the definition of a word, "ust type &$efine,' then the word.

4.

se arch for 5ady Gaga!s birthday. ONE MORE SEARC. #t!s one thing to do a quick search But for more important questions that have a direct implication on your life, do one more search. Go deeper and find a second corroborating source, "ust like a "ournalist would. &3e are a credulous society,' society,' %ussell says. &3hen you have something you care about, something you!re going to spend a lot of money on, or an issue with your help, do one e6tra search. 7ever single-source anything.'

5.

FIND TE SO!RCE. %ussell knows first-hand that 3eb 3eb sites can c an sometimes  publish false information. 2hough we all know how to find con contact tact information for an organi8ation, confirm the phone number, look for the author!s names and trustworthy hallmarks like logos, %ussell says &the bad guys know that too. 2hey!re very good at mimicking credible sources of information.' 9n the site  site  3ho.is, 3ho.is, searchers can find details about the source: where it!s located, when it was established, and the #; address.

6.

CONFIRM CONTENT. #t!s common to find the same phrases and sentences on different sites all over the 3eb 3eb because people duplicate content all the time. 2o determine the original source of the content, you can look at the date it was written,  but that!s also not entirely accurate. 3hen authors edit an article, that changes the

 posting date. even gain, if it washere!s originally if it was edited lastSoweek. here! s whenwritten you putinon< inches to mm'. ?o ?ou u can search patents, images, videos, language translations. nd even if you can!t remember a Google function, you can easily search s earch it. &# use Google to Google Google,' %ussell says. &?ou &?ou don!t have to remember )%5s.'

11. F!NCTIONS $ALORE.

SIDE TOOLS. /ost people don!t notice these e6ist, but when you search a topic, a list of useful, interesting tools come up. or e6ample, when you type

12. LEFT(AND

 

in 3ar of >E>E>>, . 3hat could members of your network contribute to each of these discussions4 *ow wouldn!t they be helpful4 *ow would you include information that

friends and family share in your work4 lso e6plain that 3ikipedia must be evaluated like any other website. #n particular, students should focus on the sources cited in a 3ikipedia article and ensure these sources are legitimate. ?ou ?ou might have small groups analy8e all of the sources for one 3ikipedia 3ikipedia article for currency, authority, authority, scope, and security. mphasi8e that it!s usually better to go back to the original source than to quote directly from 3ikipedia.