HOW TO BE A SMART RESEARCHER
We all use platforms like Google or Microsoft to look up for information on the Internet. Having said this, how do we know that our search is correctly written?
S pecific words ⇒ Don't write just one keyword in your search, give details of what you want. Use at least two or three words (but not too many).
E ffective filters ⇒ To narrow on the Internet, filters can help you getting fewer hits. You can filter by language, year of publication, articles...
A void spelling mistakes ⇒ This kind of errors might affect your search, specially when the word you write exists.
R emove unhelpful words ⇒ Try not to use words like "a" or "the", which are not necessary for you to make a good search.
C ompare different sites ⇒ Look out in more than one webpage, contrast them, and keep the information you need.
H ave you thought about the authenticity of the websites? ⇒ Not everything you see on the Internet is true, you should consider what you find and think about possible fakes.
PRACTICAL TIPS:
- If you put inverted commas (") in your search, the browser will only show you exact results. For instance, if you write "peregrine falcon flying", you will see the phrase in the same order on all the sites.
- When there is a word that has more than one meaning, add a minus (-) before the words you don't want to find. Example: bank -river.
- If you want to get more results, try to search in another language, and then translate the website.
- You can search on a webpage using Ctrl+F.
- Try to search with different words, using synonyms.