ENGL 235 Introduction to Technical Communication (Frazier)

Advanced Google Searching

Advanced Google Searching

Use Google Advanced Search for power searching on the general web

  • Note your ability to limit to one particular domain (.gov, .edu, .org):

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Image of Google Advanced Search page

Google Searching - Tips

(Click on video to open in another window)
Source: "Searching Google Effectively" by Joshua Vossler, UWF Libraries, Educational use.

Using Google's Advanced Search Options

​To find websites that are more revelant to your needs, use Google's Advanced Search. You can use the link below, or you can always just do a Google search for "Advanced Google Search" to see the options below. 

Look at this scenario: 

You are researching how stem cells from human embryos might help cure neurological diseases, especially Parkinson's disease

  • You could use the options shown below to search for exact phrases, like "human Embryonic stem cells"
  • You can also exclude certain words that are not relevant, words you do not want to see in your search results. 
  • You can also limit the domain to find more credible or relevant results.

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When you use the form for the advanced search in Google, you can see how Google has taken what was put into the form above into a search for the following:

"neutral disease" OR "Parkinson's Disease" "human embryonic stem cells" -cloning site:gov

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Google Web Search

Limit to Specific Domains with Google

Limiting the domain of the websites you're searching in Google is one of the quickest ways to narrow your results and find more credible resources quickly! URL domains can be clues to a site's reliability and ownership.

Common URL domains:

  • .com = commercial (ads & pop-ups)
  • .gov = U.S. government (official agencies)
  • .mil = U.S. military
  • .edu = educational (colleges & universities)
  • .org = organization (could be non-profit or for-profit, can be informative but often biased)
  • .net = network (could be almost anything, including personal websites)
  • .info = information (generic domain, no criteria needed for companies or individuals to use)
  • .biz = business (an alternative to .com)
You can also limit your searches, like through a Google search, by using the "site:" search shortcut. 
"Site searching" examples:

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sample site search limiting the domain to educational websites

  • politics in art site:edu (would find educational resources on this topic)
  • politics in art site:gov (would find U.S. government resources on this topic)
  • Note that there are NO spaces before or after the colon after the word "site"

Understanding How to Use Google Scholar 

Google Scholar can be very useful in finding about articles on a topic. You may not always get free, immediate access to the content it shows you, but Google Scholar can certainly be a great place to get started and see what kinds of content is out there.

Here are some features as highlighted in the image below.

  • You can click on the title of an article to read the abstract and information about where the article was published.
  • By clicking on the small quotation mark icon that appears under the article, you can see a list of citations, in various citation styles including MLA and APA, for the source. Be sure to check these against a style guide as they may be incorrect or incomplete.
  • You can limit by date, or a date range to ensure you're finding the most relevant content - and depending on your topic, that might be important.
  • If the article is freely available online, there is often a PDF icon and link off to the left. 
  • And, if in your settings, you at GRC as one of your libraries, the results page will even note and link you to articles housed in the GRC library databases. 
  • You can request any articles that you learn about here, but are not given full-text access to, through Interlibrary Loan. Use the links for more information about this process or talk to a librarian if you need help!

(click on image to enlarge)screenshot of the results page of a search in Google Scholar with arrows pointing to the tools mentioned in the text before the image

evaluation signEvaluating Sources

Not all resources are created equal! There are a number of criteria to consider when determining whether or not a source is reliable (able to be trusted) and appropriate for your academic work.

  1. Authorship

  • Who is the author?
  • What makes the author an expert in the field he or she is writing about? What are his or her qualifications? Does he or she have education or work experience in the field? Has he or she published anything else about the subject? (HINT: Google the name of the author to find this information).
  • If there isn't an author listed, is the information authored by a government, corporate, or non-profit agency?  Is the agency or organization recognized in the field in which you are studying, and is it suitable to address your topic?

  1. Point of View or Bias

  • Does the source promote one point of view or one agenda?
  • Is the information provided as fact or opinion?
  • If the information is found online, does the Web site have advertisements? If so, are the ads part of or separate from the rest of the site?

  1. Currency

  • Does your topic require current information?
  • Does the source include a date of publication or a "last updated" date?

  1. References to Other Sources

  • Does the source include a bibliography or links to other web sites?
  • What types of sources are cited (primary/secondary, popular/scholarly, current/historical, etc.)

  1. Relevance to Topic and Assignment

  • Is the information you found related to and useful for your topic and assignment?
  • Is the source the appropriate type for your needs?  For example, do you need a book or a scholarly journal article? Do you need primary or secondary sources of information?
  • Is the information too broad or too specific?

Image source:  "Evaluation" by NY is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0