03-074 C03 pp 7/30/03 2:17 PM Page 20
DIG DEEPER
COMMUNICATING THROUGH THE INTERNET: E-MAIL AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES
21
Refining Your Web Searches: Boolean Operators
When you conduct web searches, you
often receive a list of “hits” that
includes thousands—even millions—
of web pages that have no relevance
to the topic you’re trying to search.
Boolean operators are words you can
use to refine your searches, making
them more effective. These words—
AND, NOT, and OR—describe the
relationships between keywords in
a search.
You can also narrow your search important information that may have
by using the NOT operator. When you been useful to you.
use the NOT operator to join two
Expanding Searches
keywords, the search engine doesn’t
The OR operator expands a keyword
show the results of any pages containsearch so that the search results include
ing the word following NOT. For
both keywords. For example, if you
example, as illustrated in Figure 3.16, if
type laptop OR notebook into the search
you want information on buying cars
box, it will list web sites with pages
but you don’t want any information on
that contain either the word laptop or
Fords, you could type cars NOT Ford
the word notebook or both, as shown
into the search box.
in Figure 3.17. Boolean OR searches
Be aware, however, that when you
are particularly helpful if there are a
Narrowing Searches
use the NOT operator, you may elimivariety of synonymous keywords you
Using the Boolean AND operator nate documents that contain the uncould use in your search.
helps you narrow (or limit) the results wanted keyword but that also contain
of your search. When you
Other Helpful
use the AND operator to
Search Strategies
join two keywords, the
Combining terms prosearch engine returns only
duces more specific reNorway
those documents that insults. To do so, though,
and
Norway
Sweden
Sweden
clude both keywords (not
you also need to use
822,000 hits
1,260,000 hits
14,200 hits
just one). For example, if
parentheses to add order
you type Norway AND
to your search. For exSweden into the search
ample, if you are looking
engine’s search box, it will
for tutorials or lessons
list only web sites with
to better use the program
FIGURE 3.15
pages that contain both the
Excel, you can search for
Using the AND operator will narrow your search as the
word Norway and the word
(Tutorials OR Lessons) AND
search engine will return only those pages that include
Sweden, as illustrated in
Excel. Similarly, if you
both the words Norway and Sweden, indicated by the
Figure 3.15.
want
to know how to betshaded area in the diagram
Subject Directories
How can I use a subject directory to find
information on the web? As mentioned
earlier, a subject directory is a guide to the Internet organized by topics and subtopics. Yahoo!
is one of the most popular subject directories.
With a subject directory, you do not use keywords to search the web. Instead, after selecting
the main subject from the directory, you narrow
your search by successively clicking on subfolders that match your search until you have
reached the appropriate information. For example, to find previews on newly released movies
in Yahoo’s subject directory, you would click on
the main category of Entertainment, select the
subcategory Movies and Films, select the further
subcategory Preview, and then open one of the
listed web sites.
Can I find the same information with a subject directory as I can with a search engine?
Most subject directories are more commercial
and consumer-oriented than academic- or
research-based. If you look at the main categories in the subject directory of Yahoo! in Figure 3.18, for example, you’ll see categories such
as Entertainment, Computers & Internet, and
Recreation & Sports. Even within categories such
as Reference, you find consumer-oriented subcategories such as Phone Numbers and Quotations.
Many subject directories, such as Yahoo! and
MSN, are part of a larger web site that focuses
on offering its visitors a variety of information,
such as the weather, news, sports, and shopping
guides. This type of web site is referred to as a
portal.
When should I use a subject directory
instead of a traditional search engine?
Directory searches are great for finding information on general topics (such as sports and
hobbies) rather than narrowing in on a specific
or unusual piece of information. For example,
conducting a search on the keyword hobbies
on a search engine does not provide you with
Car NOT Ford
681,772 hits
Car and
Ford
9,374,000
hits
Ford only
5,172,000 hits
Notebook only
3,620,000 hits
Laptop only
3,620,000 hits
FIGURE 3.16
FIGURE 3.17
Using the NOT operator will narrow your search as the
search engine will not return those pages that include
the word following NOT. In this case, the search engine
will only list those hits containing the word car but not
the word Ford, as indicated in the shaded area.
Using the OR operator will broaden your search as the
search engine will return pages that include either of
the keywords. In this case, the search engine will list
all hits containing the words laptop and notebook, as
indicated by the shaded area.
ter use the entire Office suite with the
exception of Access, you can search for
(Tutorials OR Lessons) AND (Office
NOT Access).
To search for an exact phrase, you
simply place quotation marks around
your keywords. The search engine
will look for only those web sites that
contain the words in that exact order.
For example, if you want information
on the book series Lord of the Rings
and you type in these words without
quotation marks, your search results
will contain web pages that include
any of the words “Lord,” “of,” “the,”
and “Rings,” although not necessarily in that order. Typing in “Lord
of the Rings” in quotes guarantees all
search results will include this exact
phrase.
Some search engines also let you
use the plus sign (+) and minus sign
(–) instead of the words AND and
NOT, respectively. Additionally, you
can use the asterisk (*) to replace a
series of letters and the percent sign
(%) to replace a single letter in a
word. These symbols, called wildcards, are helpful when you’re searching for a keyword but are unsure of
its spelling, or if a word can be spelled
in different ways or may contain different endings. For example, if you’re
doing a genealogy project and are
a convenient list of hobbies, as does a subject
directory. And although most directories tend
to be commercially oriented, there are academic
and professional directories whose sites subject
experts select and annotate. These directories
are created specifically to facilitate the research
process. The Librarians’ Index to the Internet
(www.lii.org), for example, is an academic directory whose index lists librarian-selected web
sites that have little if any commercial content.
Communicating Through
the Internet: E-mail and
Other Technologies
For better or worse, e-mail (short for electronic
mail) is fast becoming the primary source of communication in the 21st century. However, it is not
the only form of Internet-based communication:
chat rooms, instant messaging, and newsgroups are
searching for the name Goldsmith, you
might want to use Goldsm&th to take
into consideration alternate spellings
of the name (such as Goldsmyth).
Similarly, if you’re searching for sites
related to psychiatry and psychology
and you type psych*, the search results
will include all pages containing the
words psychology, psychiatry, psychedelic, and so on.
Using Boolean search techniques
can make your Internet research a lot
more efficient. With the simple addition of a few words, you can narrow
your search results to a more manageable and more meaningful list.
SOUND BYTE
FINDING INFORMATION
ON THE
WEB
In this Sound Byte, you’ll learn how and when to use
search engines and subject directories. Through guided
tours, you’ll learn effective search techniques, including
how to use Boolean operators and meta search engines.
also popular forms. Like any other means of communication, you need to know how to use these
tools efficiently to get the best out of them.
E-Mail
Why did e-mail catch on so quickly? The quick
adoption of e-mail is due, in part, to the fact that
it’s fast and convenient and reduces the costs of
postage and long-distance telephone charges.
In addition, with e-mail, the sender and receiver
don’t have to be available at the same time in
order to communicate. Because of these and
03-074 C03 pp 7/30/03 2:17 PM Page 20
DIG DEEPER
COMMUNICATING THROUGH THE INTERNET: E-MAIL AND OTHER TECHNOLOGIES
21
Refining Your Web Searches: Boolean Operators
When you conduct web searches, you
often receive a list of “hits” that
includes thousands—even millions—
of web pages that have no relevance
to the topic you’re trying to search.
Boolean operators are words you can
use to refine your searches, making
them more effective. These words—
AND, NOT, and OR—describe the
relationships between keywords in
a search.
You can also narrow your search important information that may have
by using the NOT operator. When you been useful to you.
use the NOT operator to join two
Expanding Searches
keywords, the search engine doesn’t
The OR operator expands a keyword
show the results of any pages containsearch so that the search results include
ing the word following NOT. For
both keywords. For example, if you
example, as illustrated in Figure 3.16, if
type laptop OR notebook into the search
you want information on buying cars
box, it will list web sites with pages
but you don’t want any information on
that contain either the word laptop or
Fords, you could type cars NOT Ford
the word notebook or both, as shown
into the search box.
in Figure 3.17. Boolean OR searches
Be aware, however, that when you
are particularly helpful if there are a
Narrowing Searches
use the NOT operator, you may elimivariety of synonymous keywords you
Using the Boolean AND operator nate documents that contain the uncould use in your search.
helps you narrow (or limit) the results wanted keyword but that also contain
of your search. When you
Other Helpful
use the AND operator to
Search Strategies
join two keywords, the
Combining terms prosearch engine returns only
duces more specific reNorway
those documents that insults. To do so, though,
and
Norway
Sweden
Sweden
clude both keywords (not
you also need to use
822,000 hits
1,260,000 hits
14,200 hits
just one). For example, if
parentheses to add order
you type Norway AND
to your search. For exSweden into the search
ample, if you are looking
engine’s search box, it will
for tutorials or lessons
list only web sites with
to better use the program
FIGURE 3.15
pages that contain both the
Excel, you can search for
Using the AND operator will narrow your search as the
word Norway and the word
(Tutorials OR Lessons) AND
search engine will return only those pages that include
Sweden, as illustrated in
Excel. Similarly, if you
both the words Norway and Sweden, indicated by the
Figure 3.15.
want
to know how to betshaded area in the diagram
Subject Directories
How can I use a subject directory to find
information on the web? As mentioned
earlier, a subject directory is a guide to the Internet organized by topics and subtopics. Yahoo!
is one of the most popular subject directories.
With a subject directory, you do not use keywords to search the web. Instead, after selecting
the main subject from the directory, you narrow
your search by successively clicking on subfolders that match your search until you have
reached the appropriate information. For example, to find previews on newly released movies
in Yahoo’s subject directory, you would click on
the main category of Entertainment, select the
subcategory Movies and Films, select the further
subcategory Preview, and then open one of the
listed web sites.
Can I find the same information with a subject directory as I can with a search engine?
Most subject directories are more commercial
and consumer-oriented than academic- or
research-based. If you look at the main categories in the subject directory of Yahoo! in Figure 3.18, for example, you’ll see categories such
as Entertainment, Computers & Internet, and
Recreation & Sports. Even within categories such
as Reference, you find consumer-oriented subcategories such as Phone Numbers and Quotations.
Many subject directories, such as Yahoo! and
MSN, are part of a larger web site that focuses
on offering its visitors a variety of information,
such as the weather, news, sports, and shopping
guides. This type of web site is referred to as a
portal.
When should I use a subject directory
instead of a traditional search engine?
Directory searches are great for finding information on general topics (such as sports and
hobbies) rather than narrowing in on a specific
or unusual piece of information. For example,
conducting a search on the keyword hobbies
on a search engine does not provide you with
Car NOT Ford
681,772 hits
Car and
Ford
9,374,000
hits
Ford only
5,172,000 hits
Notebook only
3,620,000 hits
Laptop only
3,620,000 hits
FIGURE 3.16
FIGURE 3.17
Using the NOT operator will narrow your search as the
search engine will not return those pages that include
the word following NOT. In this case, the search engine
will only list those hits containing the word car but not
the word Ford, as indicated in the shaded area.
Using the OR operator will broaden your search as the
search engine will return pages that include either of
the keywords. In this case, the search engine will list
all hits containing the words laptop and notebook, as
indicated by the shaded area.
ter use the entire Office suite with the
exception of Access, you can search for
(Tutorials OR Lessons) AND (Office
NOT Access).
To search for an exact phrase, you
simply place quotation marks around
your keywords. The search engine
will look for only those web sites that
contain the words in that exact order.
For example, if you want information
on the book series Lord of the Rings
and you type in these words without
quotation marks, your search results
will contain web pages that include
any of the words “Lord,” “of,” “the,”
and “Rings,” although not necessarily in that order. Typing in “Lord
of the Rings” in quotes guarantees all
search results will include this exact
phrase.
Some search engines also let you
use the plus sign (+) and minus sign
(–) instead of the words AND and
NOT, respectively. Additionally, you
can use the asterisk (*) to replace a
series of letters and the percent sign
(%) to replace a single letter in a
word. These symbols, called wildcards, are helpful when you’re searching for a keyword but are unsure of
its spelling, or if a word can be spelled
in different ways or may contain different endings. For example, if you’re
doing a genealogy project and are
a convenient list of hobbies, as does a subject
directory. And although most directories tend
to be commercially oriented, there are academic
and professional directories whose sites subject
experts select and annotate. These directories
are created specifically to facilitate the research
process. The Librarians’ Index to the Internet
(www.lii.org), for example, is an academic directory whose index lists librarian-selected web
sites that have little if any commercial content.
Communicating Through
the Internet: E-mail and
Other Technologies
For better or worse, e-mail (short for electronic
mail) is fast becoming the primary source of communication in the 21st century. However, it is not
the only form of Internet-based communication:
chat rooms, instant messaging, and newsgroups are
searching for the name Goldsmith, you
might want to use Goldsm&th to take
into consideration alternate spellings
of the name (such as Goldsmyth).
Similarly, if you’re searching for sites
related to psychiatry and psychology
and you type psych*, the search results
will include all pages containing the
words psychology, psychiatry, psychedelic, and so on.
Using Boolean search techniques
can make your Internet research a lot
more efficient. With the simple addition of a few words, you can narrow
your search results to a more manageable and more meaningful list.
SOUND BYTE
FINDING INFORMATION
ON THE
WEB
In this Sound Byte, you’ll learn how and when to use
search engines and subject directories. Through guided
tours, you’ll learn effective search techniques, including
how to use Boolean operators and meta search engines.
also popular forms. Like any other means of communication, you need to know how to use these
tools efficiently to get the best out of them.
E-Mail
Why did e-mail catch on so quickly? The quick
adoption of e-mail is due, in part, to the fact that
it’s fast and convenient and reduces the costs of
postage and long-distance telephone charges.
In addition, with e-mail, the sender and receiver
don’t have to be available at the same time in
order to communicate. Because of these and