How to Search on the Internet

Level of difficulty: Easy

The Internet is one of the quickest ways to get extensive data when searching for information. It can save you time and energy if used effectively. There are several ways of narrowing down searches and maximizing efficiency and they will be discussed in this article.

Materials Needed:
- A computer
- Internet connection
- Web browser
Step 1
Organize your thoughts and the particular information you need on a topic before beginning your search. Write down the scope and limitations of your topic.
Step 2
Open your Web browser and type 'Search Engine' in the search bar on the top part of your browser. This will lead you to several search engines like Google, Dogpile, Yahoo, etc. Choose one of them to begin your search.
Step 3
Each search engine may vary in the way they require the user to make their queries. It is therefore advisable that you first go to the 'Help' function in a search engine to find out what these are.
Step 4
Type your query on the search field of the search engine. Make your search as specific as possible by putting in all the important keywords. This will help narrow down your search. Most search engines do not consider articles or capitalizations so you do not have to worry about these.
Step 5
There are particular ways of typing your queries that may help in making your search more efficient. Most of the search engines share common rules but again, consider referring to the 'Help' function in a search engine to find out if there are variations.
Step 6
Entering a phrase within quotation marks 'car accessories' will find documents containing these words in the exact order in which you typed them.
Step 7
Entering AND in between phrases and in between quotation marks means that all key words in your phrases must be found in the documents before they are listed in the search engine results.
Step 8
Enter OR in between the phrases in quotation mark if you want results that will exhibit any of the key words in your query.
Step 9
Key in AND or NOT if you want to limit your search further. For example, typing 'car accessories' AND 'interior' NOT 'seat cover' will give you a list of documents containing interior car accessories but do not have seat covers in them.
Step 10
Press 'Enter' or the 'search' button beside the search field to begin producing the list of results.
Step 11
Most search engines display the title of the article or document and a few lines containing the key words that are part of your search. Sort through these and visit the websites that you feel will help you get the information you want and need.


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