You can search for information using a search engine by typing in a key word or phrase such as diabetes, pregnancy or heart
disease.
But sometimes a simple word or phrase may not be enough to describe the concept or thing you’re trying to learn about. When
that’s the case, you can use some easy Advanced Search techniques.
Searching for Multiple Words
Use a plus (+) sign so you can search for a few different words at the same time. When you add the plus (+) sign to a string
of words, a search engine will search for web sites that include all the words you’ve typed into the Search box, in no specific
order.
For example, if you want to learn more about eating well and exercising safely during pregnancy you might search for the words
diet, exercise and pregnancy. To do this, you’d type these three words into the Search box on a search engine (such as
www.google.com) like this:
Searching for an Exact Phrase or Sentence
If you are looking for information on a topic that is best described by a phrase, you can use quotation marks (" ") in your
search.
When should you use quotation marks to get better results for your search? Here are a few examples:
When you are looking for information on a person, such as "T. Berry Brazelton" (a well-known expert on childcare).
Searching for information best described by words that must appear in a specific order, such as "food poisoning" or "food
allergies" or "family day care."
Here’s an example of what a search using quotation marks might look like:
If you forget to use quotation marks, many search engines now add them for you, especially if you’re searching for a well-known
person or phrase. But you can save time and make sure the search engine gets your request right the first time by using quotation
marks yourself.
For help determining if a site is trustworthy or not,
click here.
For more information about Health On The Web training programs,
click here.
