Savvy Searching

Page Contents Click on the links below to get there faster

Search Tools Search Tutorials

Search Related Documents Resource Evaluation

Searching Guidelines Search Engine Savvy

	PAHS Home
	PAHS Library Homepage
	Senior Culminating Project
	Social Studies CBAs
	PAHS Research Model--Big6™
	PAHS Moodle -- open source e-learning platform
	RESEARCH RESOURCES
	Bibliographic Citation (citing your work) Citation Machine OSLIS Citation Maker Easy Bib -- export to Word MLA Style Guide - downloadable Word Document Online Citation Style Guide - from Bedford St. Martin's Press MLA Citation Examples -- Peninsula College
	Fast Choices for Successful Searching Internet Public Library Librarians' Index to the Internet WWW Virtual Library ---- subject guides mostly academic, on many subjects, not annotated or evaluated but many excellent BUBL -- Selected Internet resources covering all academic subject areas CIA-World Fact Book up-to-date political maps and info about countries, societies, and economies throughout the world Citizendium -- expert driven, wiki-based on-line encyclopedic source Google Scholar -- broad search for scholarly literature - an invisible Web resource Internet Search Engines -- annotated PDF doc listing current engines and what they do Inter Press Service News -- stories and analyses explaining how events and global processes affect individuals and communities National Geographic source for maps and geographical information Online Newspapers -- Thousands of newspapers, search by country Vivisimo -- document clustering web search AltaVista Text Search Mzinfo's Reference Desk - list of links for general reference questions Complete Web -- a deep web search engine searches documents in PDF and other formats that don't normally show up in a standard search OAIster -- a deep web search engine searches documents in PDF and other formats that don't normally show up in a standard search Turbo 10 -- a deep web search engine searches documents in PDF and other formats that don't normally show up in a standard search Veropedia -- vetted and uneditable Wikipedia content Virtual Learning Resources Center -- index thousands of the best academic information websites
	Professional Tools Adobe Reader Download Bartleby.com -- Great books, verse, drama...online freely downloadable EdSelect -- collection of links addressing educational issues Edsitement -- The Best of the Humanities on the Web from the National Endowment for the Humanities Education World - a free resource for all things education Discover Zone -- support site for the student planners and Advisory Gutenberg Project -- world's largest collection of freely downloadable books in the public domain InfoPeople - help with search tools and other tech questions related to library information services Intute -- access to the very best Web resources for education and research created by a network of UK universities and partners Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators Lexile Framework for Reading -- measuring reader ability to material difficulty Literacy Web -- best practices in literacy instruction LOC Wise Guide - Library of Congress Portal. Media Web -- booking with the IMC at OESD114 Noodle Tools -- suite of interactive tools designed to aid students and professionals with their online research and teaching OSPI School Report Card -- Homepage School District Demographics Homepage Teaching that Makes Sense -- teaching technique, curriculum delivery and Six Trait™ Teaching Tools and Utilities -- graphic organizers, on-line bookmark storage, rubric templates, etc. United Streaming -- Educational Video Library
	Student Links General Browsing High School Hub Homework Spot Learning Express Library -- practice SAT, ACT, ASVAB, GED tests and skills improvement coursework -- requires a NOLS library card to access Peninsula College Student Services -- link to college info regardless of location Study Buddy -- Free search engine built just for homework help, leveled by grade
	Affiliated Libraries NOLS. -- North Olympic Library System KCLS -- King County Library System
	Teacher-Librarian Links WLMA -- Washington Library Media Association - info for school libraries and librarians across the state OEMA -- Oregon's sister org. to WLMA ALA -- American Library Association AASL -- American Association of School Librarians Baldwin Online Children's Literature Project -- public Domain children's lit
	Library/Media Coordinators' Corner -- Tech Learning's link for teacher-librarians
	PASD Home

Search Tools -- Check out this PDF document for an annotated list of current Directories, Engines, Metasearch Engines, FTP, Deep Search Sites . . .

Search Directories: Got a BIG question but no real key words. Choose a search directory. They have a number of broad categories for you to choose from, i.e. entertainment, sports, cities, automotive
Note: As a convenience, some subject directories offer search engines that search their own directory of links. Some search engines offer directories as a convenience for those who need to browse.

Search Engines: Once you've got a topic and some key words a search engine will help you narrow your search.

Metasearch Engines: Metasearch engines allow you to search several engines at the same time. Some organize results and rank them. Use metasearch engines if your search concepts are clear. They can be efficient and save you the trouble of several single engine searches. However, they may be slower and they may not be as precise.

Gateway or Portal Sites: Gateway sites are special directories that allow you to search for Web pages in a specific area of knowledge, Like the Library of Congress Wise Guide. The compilers of these tools are often experts who have done much of the legwork for you by selecting the best available sites.

Ask an Expert Sites: The web makes people accessible as an information source. Unlike a book or magazine article, the Web is interactive. You may e-mail Webmasters of informative sites for further information. There are experts sites available as well.

Search Related Docs

	Choosing The Right Tool for the Search -- match needs/queries with search sources, (PDF doc from PAHS Library Information Services)
	If you are on line, Debbie Abilock, from Noodle Tools™ has a handy Q&A chart -- Choose the Best Search for your Information Needs.
	Specialty Search Sites -- an annotated list of gateway/portal sites and ask expert sites, homework help and current events sites. (PDF doc from PAHS Library Information Services)
	Select List of Specialty Academic Sites -- from Joe Barker at UC Berkeley Library (annotations are very helpful)
	Pre-research Analysis Worksheet -- a PDF document from Joe Barker which is designed to help generate key words, stings of words or phrases, possible resources, and things that should be excluded from the search -- click on the icon to go to the download page

Searching Guidelines

A successful search begins with a good Query. (This is a PDF Document)

	Every search engine has a clickable guide to help you do searches -- use it! Be as specific as possible about what you're looking for
	Put the most relevant term first
	If you have a phrase as a search term (e.g. accident prevention), use quotation marks (e.g. "accident prevention") to ensure that they are found as a phrase rather than as individual words
	If you have more than one term for your search, and you need those words in the same document but not next to one another, (e.g. Buddhism, teachings, Tibet) use +Buddhism +teachings +Tibet NOTICE that there are no spaces between the plus sign and the word.
	Use Boolean operators to focus the search (e.g. Pennsylvania AND eagles OR raptors NOT football NOT basketball

Formulating Queries Graphic Organizer (PDF Doc)	Effective Search Strategies (PDF Doc)	Best Search Tools Chart (Infopeople Project -- there is a link to a two page PDF there as well)
Four NETS for Better Searching Webquest by Bernie Dodge	The Never-ending Search Page Tips by Joyce Kasman Valenza

Search Tutorials

The following links provide tutorials in several areas.

	Finding it Online -- Web Search Strategies -- content provided by Deb Flanagan -- check here for her credentials
	Finding Information on the Internet -- content provided by Joe Baker at UC Berkeley Library

QUESTION EVERYTHING -- Resource Evaluation
Just because it's got the search terms doesn't mean it's reliable.

Evaluation Resources -- These are from Kent School District tech pages -- lots of other search-related goodies here	Web Page Evaluation -- making sure the information is the best once you've found it. (PDF Doc)
Literacy in the Ways of the Web -- From NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) many detailed resources concerning evaluation and using the web well

Search Engine Savvy
The following sites detail how search engines determine rankings for hits, talk about the sizes of the engines, their search power, some troubleshooting tips for engines that don't search the way they say they should and offer some tutorial info as well.

Search Engine Showdown
http://www.searchengineshowdown.com/
Greg Notess is a search expert who does surveys on search engine sizes and dead links, as well as providing tutorials and noting search "inconsistencies" for some search engines -- when they don't operate the way they are supposed to.

Search Engine Optimization and Web Search Strategies
http://websearch.about.com/
Wendy Boswell is a knowledgeable voice in the relatively new field of search engine optimization and effective web search strategies.

ResearchBuzz
http://www.researchbuzz.com/
Another on the must include list, Tara Calishain's site provides great coverage of news and opinion on search and research tools.

Search Engine Watch
http://searchenginewatch.com/
Search Engine Watch provides coverage, tips, resources and information about search engines.

Mr. Peabody and
Sherman set the
Wayback Machine for HOME
© Jay Ward Productions
©9/2004 PASD 121
Updated 05/14/08
contact mzinfo with questions or comments
If you find errors or dead links, I'd like to know.

	PAHS Library Savvy Searching

Not All Search Tools Are Equal Make your job easier by using the correct tool for the search. Depending upon how much information you have to start with, you'll want different types of search tools. Based on the short descriptions below, choose the tool that will be of the most help to you.