Most of us use search engines by just typing words in and seeing what we get. Sometimes we get what we want, sometimes we don't.

Some of us remember that you need to put phrases in quotation marks to hold words next to each other. For example "Monterey Bay" otters makes for a more precise search than Monterey Bay otters.

But most of the large search engines have advanced search features that allow you to narrow your search in a number of ways.

In the advanced search modes, you can make your searches more precise by limiting the search in these ways:

• By what words are searched (all of the words? an exact phrase? eliminate words?)
• By language
• By file format (only Web pages, or only Powerpoint Presentations, only MP3 files, only images?)
• By how recently the Web page was updated
• By where your search terms are (anywhere? in the title only?)
• By domain (only from certain kinds of Web sites?)
• By geographic region (only from Germany?)

The advanced search modes are quite powerful. They take a little getting used to, but the rewards are great. And the search engines themselves provide help sheets and examples to assist you.

The best approach is to try the advanced search features on your own.

At Google and at AllTheWeb, click on Advanced Search (over on right)

At AltaVista, click on More Precision (over on right)

You'll remember that to get to a list of the search engines, with brief descriptions:

• Go to the Cabrillo College Library homepage <http://libwww.cabrillo.edu> [If you're at an Information Workstation in the Library, just click on HOME towards the top of the screen.]
• Click on Search the Internet (fourth icon down, on left)
• Click on Search Engines

Have fun! And let us know if we can help you!

1. Go to the Cabrillo College Library homepage <http://libwww.cabrillo.edu>
2. Click on Library & Internet Instruction (3rd icon from the bottom, on left)
3. Click on 1. Web Workshops for Fall 2003

Topsy N. Smalley last rev. 10/08/03