Module 4: Conducting research using a search engine

Introduction: Search engines are used to conduct broad searches on various topics. They pull information from a variety of sources (databases). There are many search engines on the web (ex: Yahoo!, Excite) and each works a little differently. Just as there are many different ways for you to get from your house to the grocery store, search engines provide many different ways to access information.

Word of warning before you begin: Although searches are quick, they may not always be efficient. For example, you may type in a topic and receive a long list of sites, but some of them may not be related to what you are actually looking for.

Objectives:

• To become familiar with how search engines are similar and different from each other.
• To use different search engines to find information on one topic.
• To learn tips for doing a specific search.
• To explore a career using a variety of search engines.

Activities: Print out this page.

1.Click on "File" in the toolbar on the top left of this screen (a drop-down menu will appear).
2. Click "Print" in the drop-down menu.
3. Click "OK" at the bottom right of the print box.

Using your printed worksheets as a guide, complete the following steps.

• Search engines can be accessed in a number of ways. The easiest way is to click on the "Search" button on your browser (in the top middle of your screen). This button will randomly choose a search engine for you to search with.
• Click on the "Search" button on you web browser.
• Look at the web site. What search engine are you in? (Hint: the engine may be highlighted in gray). Look for common engines names such as WebCrawler, Lycos, Excite, Infoseek or Yahoo!
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Find the space to search for topics. You may need to use the scroll bar on the right side of the page. (This should be a white rectangular area with the title "Search" or "Search the Web"). We'll come back to this shortly.

First, we will get general tips on using the various search engines. Click: http://home.netscape.com/escapes/search/tips_general.html Print out this web site.

1. Click on "File" in the toolbar on the top left of this screen (a drop-down menu will appear).
2. Click "Print" in the drop-down menu.
3. Click "OK" at the bottom right of the print box.

Using your printed worksheets as a guide, complete the following steps.
This site includes information on how to use quotation marks, plus and minus signs, parentheses and the words AND, OR, and NOT in your search process.

1.To find information about computer technician careers in Minnesota, what could you type?
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2. What would you type to get information on security officer jobs in Chicago, IL?
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Now we will do a search for dental assistant positions. Type: http://www.altavista.com in the location bar on your browser.
Find the search area and type: dental+assistant+jobs. Then click "Enter"

1. How many web sites did AltaVista find?
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Information is updated constantly. Some of the information will be directly related to what you are looking for. Other information will not. This is research. Click on the first site that AltaVista found for you.

1. What is its location (URL)?
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2. Who owns this site? (ex: JC Penny)
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3. Identify two pieces of information you learned at this site:
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After searching with various engines, over time you may find one or two you enjoy more than others. Each search engine has different features and is designed to find information in different ways. AltaVista, for example offers a link to specific companies/organizations so it is an excellent search engine for locating business information.

Search engines can be accessed directly by typing in their URL (web site address) and hitting the enter key. (ex: To locate AltaVista, type in: http://www.altavista.com to search within its site). You may also find a variety of search engines provided by your browser in the "search" button on your browser. You also have the option to save favorite search engines in your "bookmarks" at any time.

Here are some common search engines. Find another search engine on your own and complete the last table row. (Ex: WebCrawler, Lycos, Netscape, Snap)

Now choose a career topic that you wish to explore. What is it?
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Click the SEARCH button on your browser.

1. What search engine are you in?
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Refer to the search tip sheet you printed earlier. Use this as a guide to conduct the following search.

1. What would you like to type in your search space?
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2. Enter this and see how many web site ("hits") you received. How many?
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3. How might you change this to reduce the number of hits you just received?
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4. Try it! What were the results? (How many hits do you have now?)
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Do this as many times as you need to narrow your search. If you're not having any luck, try a different search engine. Use the table below to record your steps and results.

Complete the table below. Find answers to as many of these questions as you can.