Research and Library Introduction (ENGL 102)

Sometimes, using advanced search techniques in Google will help you find information. This is particularly true when doing private company or emerging/niche market research.

Below are some strategies you can use to more effectively use Google to find specific information.

1. Search for specific file types

You can limit Google searches to particular files such as PDFs, PowerPoints, etc. This can be helpful when looking for reports, particularly by professional associations, organizations, and governments.

Type in Google your search terms + filetype:ppt. Example search: nanotechnology market filetype:pdf

2. Search for specific domains

You can also limit results to sites with specific domains, such as .org, .edu, .mil, or .gov.

Type in Google your search terms + site:.edu. Example search: nanotechnology market site:.gov

*Tip: Combine tips 1 and 2 for even more advanced searching. Example search: nanotechnology market filetype:pdf site:.gov

3. Search for other country's versions of Google

When you search Google.com, you are searching the U.S.'s version of Google. If you know the top-level country code domain for other countries, you can search their version of Google.com. Keep in mind that this will not necessarily change the language of the results you see, but will show you results Google thinks are more relevant to those in that country. This can be helpful when doing international research.

Example: Go to Google.de (Germany's version). Search for government privacy.

* Tip: You can also combine tips 2 and 3 to search for sites with a specific country's code. Example search: government privacy site:.co.uk

4. Learn how to develop effective keywords

Sometimes figuring out the best way to structure or word your search can be challenging. In general, follow these guidelines:

• Start with broader searches, and then narrow your focus.
  • This will both help you not miss important information, but also learn more about your topic.
  • For example, first start searching for autonomous vehicles, and then drill down to self-driving cars.
• Keep a running list of terms you have tried, where you have tried them, and what worked and what didn't.
  • This will help you reduce wasted effort redoing work you've already done.
• Use synonyms and any suggested subject terms or keywords
  • i.e. mobile banking, mobile commerce, mobile money, transfer payments
• Add descriptive keywords like "forecast," "market," and "sales" to your search to retrieve more relevant results.

If you have questions about your specific topic, contact your librarian!

5. Learn more Advanced Google tips and tricks

Check out this infographic on more ways to use advanced Google search tricks.

Take a free online course offered by experts at Google to learn how to become a "power searcher."

Contact a librarian for help applying these tips to your own research!

Utilize Google Scholar

Google Scholar allows you to search for primarily scholarly or academic articles. It pulls from various sources, including open access (freely available) online journals, journal publishers, and institutional repositories (where faculty, staff, and students can place their academic work online).

For more information, check out these Google Scholar Search Tips.

Locating the full text of an article

Abstracts are freely available for most of the articles. Alas, reading the entire article may require a subscription. Here're a few things to try:

1. click a link labeled [PDF] to the right of the search result;
2. click "All versions" under the search result and check out the alternative sources;
3. click "Related articles" or "Cited by" under the search result to explore similar articles.

Getting better answers

• If you're new to the subject, it may be helpful to pick up the terminology from secondary sources. E.g., a Wikipedia article for "overweight" might suggest a Scholar search for "pediatric hyperalimentation".

• If the search results are too specific for your needs, check out what authors are citing in their "References" sections. Referenced works are often more general in nature.

• Similarly, if the search results are too basic for you, click "Cited by" to see newer papers that referenced them. These newer papers will often be more specific.

• Explore! There's rarely a single answer to a research question. Click "Related articles" or "Cited by" to see closely related work, or search for author's name and see what else they have written.

Like other Google search products, Google Scholar starts with a basic search blank. You might need the results of more specific searches - access the Advanced Search via the expansion menu on the left side of the page.

Enter your search terms in the blanks. To search for exact phrases, put your search terms in quotes.

Sometimes the item you might want doesn't have a full text link. If this happens, there are two things you can try:

1. Click on the All N versions link to see if other versions, such as preprints, might be available
2. Request the item through Interlibrary Loan

Here's an example of the item being available through the All 9 versions link:

And here's what we find on the next page:

In this case, you find PDFs posted elsewhere. If you see a Full-Text @ URI Library link, it will take you to a page where you will find a link to the item. If URI doesn't have access to the item, the option of requesting via Interlibrary Loan is presented in the middle of the linked page.