Searching Google is easy, and routine. Most people think the more "hits" they get the better off they are. That just simply is not true. Reality says do you want millions of things to look through or just 200? Sure the top 10 are all you may use but is it good enough and is it what you are looking for?

"Be Careful what you look for - You just might find it!"
(key) Velcro, Octopus, Holocaust, Moon.
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Check your Sources carefully. C.R.A.P. test.

Utah's Online Library

Be sure to use Gale Reference Collection 9-12. PowerSearch OR individual databases in the OnlineLibrary.

​To access the K-12 Pioneer Library from home:
Go to: http://onlinelibrary.uen.org AT SCHOOL and write down the username and password! Or take a picture of it...
Picture
There are basically 3 types of Search Engines
1. Directories like Yahoo used to be! Some one (a human being) actually goes out and finds websites and categorizes them into a "directory" So they are only as good as what some else finds.
 2. Crawlers or spiders (Google) which rely on software to "go out" and find things based on your queries.  Metacrawlers like DogPile. These "crawl" into a few search engines. DogPile searches 4 other search engines - Google, Yahoo, Bing and Ask and then compiles it into one list.
3. And a combination of the two!
The directory is man-made but then crawlers search based on the directory.
Databases - (Gale, EBSCO, Worldbook, SIRS,...) Search peer reviewed magazines, journals, newspapers, websites and other scholarly material. Google and other search engines DO NOT search all these databases.
Search Engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing...) Search the free and commercialized internet and provide little, if any filtering for educational resources. Top hits are by location, user profile and popularity NOT accuracy.
 Some things to know.
  • Google invented something called PageRank. The number of times a website has been viewed is determined where it ends up on Google's search page. The guys that invented Google left MIT with intentions of "downloading the whole web" to it's own computers. That is why 1. Google is fast and 2) Sometimes a picture shows in your search but if you try to go the site the picture may not be found or is blocked!. The picture is now on one of Google's computers NOT where it was originally found!
  • Most search engines have advanced features to narrow down your search. Please use them.
  • Wikipedia is a hot topic too. It is not a search engine. It is a user (normal everyday people like you) generated encyclopedia/WikiSpace. Anyone can contribute to it and is sometime sabotaged with wrong or crude information. However, use it to find sources. Search for Causes of WWII and (key) look at the references! SCROLL down!
  • There are literally hundreds (and hundreds?) of specialized search engines out there. Many of them actually use Google's search processing engine. See below.
  • Search engines normally look for Meta-tag information in web pages to find a "hit". You may know tagging #hashtags from social media sites and music tagging. Most people do not see it but search engines DO see tags. 
  • Don't confuse Search with Find. In web browsers there is a find (or "Find on page") command (usually under the edit menu) that will search the current page you are on. LEARN THIS! Not an option. You will use it instead of reading all 'x' number of pages. Do a find for (key) to see the most important parts of this page! No ( )!
  • If you search for an "Image" MAKE SURE YOU click 'Visit" the page so you see the image in context and the source.

 Citing your sources .
Follow your teacher's instruction on this one. There are quite a few ways to cite your sources. Either of these two links will help you. Fill out the form and it will create a correct text for you to copy and paste into your document.
  • Easy bib(liography)
  • Son of Citation Machine
  • Information Fluency - 21cif.com/tools/cite/
  • GALE <key> (through Utah Online Library) gives you the citation ON the document!  Copy and paste it. Or even better - Send it to NoodleTools
  • Many research sites will tell you how cite them right on the page
  • Microsoft Word - Using Word for your bibliography
  • Noodle Tools <key>A research / notecard / Citation / Outline tool that ties into Google as well. Students have an account but must log in with their @granitesd.org account.
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 Suggestions for your searches.
  • Be specific you do not want 75,231 random hits. You want 75 accurate hits.
  • (Key) Using "quotation marks" keeps words together. If you search for death penalty you will get hits with both words NOT related to each other. For instance you may get a hit for some one who recently died and you may get a hit for a soccer player who got a penalty. Using quotation marks in "death penalty" will look for the two words together.
  • Boolean Terms are AND, OR, & NOT. Here is some more information in a movie (Boolean terms must be capitalized)
    • AND will look for all words (somewhere on the same page but maybe not together) You mostly do NOT need to use this function. Google does NOT support "AND". It is built into their engine.
    • OR (also '|' known as a tube) will look for either word (OR gives you more!)
    • NOT or (-) will give you different results. 
 ​ More Suggestions 
  • (key) <"search terms" inurl:gov> or edu, org. or a country. -> KNOW WHAT THEY MEAN!
  • ​... will give you numbers in a range. 1999..2009
  • Do your regular Google Search then click on (key) Advanced.
  • Change up your words. Instead of searching for "Spiders" search for other words "arachnids" "black widow"... Use http://thesaurus.com/ to find similar words.
  • Search "The Deep Web" too - (key) Most of what you find on "The Web" is soft news or current information. It is not always "real research". That stuff is found in the deep web. The deep web consists of sites that are not indexed or searched by search engines like Google. The deep web is mostly websites that are NOT general information. There are few deep web search engines on the bottom of this page. You may have heard of  "The Dark Web"? Click here (key)
  • Use the CHEAT SHEET for more ideas (key)
  • (key) Google uses +, - instead of AND (+) and NOT (-) they have to be next to the word (no space) to add Death +penalty. 
  • Please note that Google changes and updates often and some of these "cheats" many no longer be needed as they get built into basic Google searches.  
  • Filter Bubble (key)
    results based on information from your personal preferences, past searches, location, friends, and many other web based habits.
Be Careful 
  • The links below will take you far far away into a new learning curve other than Google.
    (All the links below are stored at Diigo under a search tag)
  • Give the search engines TIME to search.  Once the links show up USE "Ctrl F" to find any specifics.
  • Make your links open up in a new window so that you still have access to this page.
  • You will need a lot of time.
  • STAY focused on your topic! It is too easy to get side tracked (Hey look shiny things...?)
  • CRAP Test! Is the website....<key>
    • Current? When was it created or last modified - is that important?
    • Reliable? - Is there a bibliography to make the site look reliable?
    • Authoritative? - Who is the author or publisher of the site?
    • Purpose? What is the purpose of the site. Find an "About" link.
Obviously I do not have every search engine below but it is a good sampling to get you going away from Google generic.

Am I missing one?  ​Find a broken link? ​

All the links below come from diigo.com and may or may not be active.  (I can add or remove links from here remotely... Kinda cool)
There are a lot and some are hard to navigate. NONE are perfect
Explore them and use the ones you find that you like or make sense for your project.
For school projects Please use the UtahOnlineLibrary as much as possible.  

School Databases

Library Database vs Website - (Stolen from this site -http://wheelerschool.libguides.com) 
What is the difference between the library's online Databases and Internet websites?
Here are some key differences between the two resources
Databases:
  • work through the Internet, but are not Internet sites.
  • are published by reliable companies, like book publishers.
  • provide access to information, articles, and more.
  • use really flexible search methods.
  • are "free" with a Public Library card. (Or UEN.org)

​
Why should you use databases?
because you need ARTICLES for a research paper.

because your teacher told you to use only SCHOLARLY material.
because you want FREE ACCESS to articles & e-books.

because the guides include car repair, consumer reports, legal forms,
music & much more!
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Internet:
  • can have unreliable information.
  • valuable content (like magazine or newspaper articles) is not free.
  • has annoying pop-up ads, flashing banners, and advertisements.
  • Anyone can create information (even the kid sitting next to you)


<key>Databases/Journals can be hard to navigate so be patient and ready the instructions.  Some of those are links to MORE journals!

​Some of these sites can be quite tricky to navigate but are some of the best for detailed information.

Get educated on Search engines!
<key>In case you ever want to learn about search engines os social engineering or your big tech people - here are some books we have!

Multiple Perspectives
<key>Point and CounterPoints and Pro/Con or social issue links. The more PC phrase is Opposing Viewpoints - That way YOU can decide if it is Pro or Con!

Books we have in our Library -

Primary Sources


​<key>Primary Sources:
​​Documents or experiences created at or near the time of the event.  Some of the links on the left may go you college sites and we may not have access.

Books -
Search for your topic. We have many "War" and government Primary Sources.

More Search Engine pages
<key>Here you will find lists to even MORE search engine list, much like this page.

Biography links


<key>We have a lot of Biography books. Too many to give you a list of so do search for your person on our library site.
  • 920's Specific people
  • 921's Groups of people.

Biography Collection of search Engines. (Same links are on the left!)

The Deep Web

​<key>A have noticed that a lot of these Deep Web, Invisible, Web
search engines are going away...Or maybe just getting harder to find!
Books on technology
  • Social Engineering
  • Going Beyond Google
  • The filter Bubble.
No.  I do not have any Dark Web links or ideas.

Google Searches

<key>I try to get you to stay away from basic google.  But here are specific Google links that take you to less popular search engines provided by Google.

Government Sites
<key>
The Government keeps A LOT of data and has many offices.  None are searchable by Google.  Many you must know or have the link to them.  Here they are!

History / Social Studies

Propaganda Posters

Politics?
<key>History is going to have many subsections as there is quite a lot of informantion and sources on it.

Books.
The whole 900's is History.   Search for your topic!

Human Rights Links

Pictures & Graphics

Search USING a picture!
<key>
Look for pictures and yes you can upload or link to a picture and search for similar pictures.  I make no promises as to what pictures will be found on these outside links.

If searching Google for pics you can specify size, type, color... If you're using a picture you found on Google be sure to View image.  Then "Download" or link to to the URL

MetaSearch Engines
<key>
​These search engines search OTHER search engines!

Social Searches
<key>
Most of the ones I found cost money!
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Science

<key>
Please note that many government agencies are also science related.
​
Science books are generally in the 500's and and technology is in the 600's.  

News / Newspapers
<Key>
Get your news from news outlets.  These are both old (archived) and new.  

Learn about "Fake News" here

Cool sites to neard out on!
<key>
Some "fun" places to browse that you might not normally go to.