1. Effective and Efficient
Google Searching
~Jaclyn Lee Parrott

2. GOOGLE: Focus on the
user and all else will follow
MISSION: Organize the world’s
information and make it
universally accessible and useful
https://www.google.com/

3. Click on the link below to form an
impression of all the different
products Google offers you.
http://www.google.com/intl/en/about/produ

4. Keep in mind that Google is a business, and they
profit by profiling you through your searching so
advertisers can target you through their products.
Their products are also never guaranteed to stick
around. As innovative as they are, be careful of
your investment into their resources. Check out
these articles at your leisure if your curiosity is
piqued:
Library Babel Fish Blog
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/library-babel-fish/reading-end-google-reader
“Content Farming, Quick Creation, and Declining
Information Quality”
http://web.ebscohost.com.eres.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=b822e758-d4aa
“Dirty Little Secrets of Search”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/business/13search.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

5. Let's start searching!
Keep in mind Google automatically
searches with a Boolean AND, finding all
the terms you list somewhere (in text of
pages, links), stems some words, ranks,
etc.

6. these links:
•How Search Works
http://www.google.com/insidesearch/howsearch
•Web Search:
http://support.google.com/?hl=en
•Basic Search Help:
http://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answe
First, check out

7. Basic Google Search Example
(Try out in the basic search box):
https://www.google.com/
“The developing field of
cyberpsychology encompasses all
psychological phenomena that are
associated with or affected by
emerging technology”
define: cyberpsychology

8. More Examples:
•time: hawaii
•review: argo
•link: library.manoa.hawaii.edu/
•convert units into measurements
(e.g. 5 km in miles)
•convert units of currency

9. and more...
•ZIP code for current weather
(e.g. weather: 96822)
•forecast for the current weather
(e.g. forecast: honolulu)
•weather: hawaii

10. Cyberpsychology Discussions and Blogs

11. Recipes?
Shopping?

12. IMAGES

15. Google Advanced Search Help
•Let's go to the Google Advanced Search screen:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search
(FYI, you can also click on the gear icon on the right side of
the Google basic search page to access Advanced
Search)
•Google Advanced Help
(look here for more insight):
http://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&ans
•Google Advanced Search Operator Guide (more
tips and tricks):

16. Example Advanced Search: Try it out yourself!

17. Results from search:

18. Try using "Search Tools" after you run your initial search

21. Evaluating Web Resources Criteria
Rating scale to base evaluation on:
https://docs.google.com/a/hawaii.edu/document/d/1UcLMl__YKt-NSCkPDKwd
•Objectivity
•Authority
•Accuracy
•Currency
•Usability
•Relevancy
Also, read notes below for more clarification

22. Avoid Plagiarism!
Cite Sources.
•Plagiarism is using someone else’s words or
ideas without their permission
•Research-based writing has rules- we rely on
experts, and give credit to previous researchers
whether using direct quotes or general ideas
To learn more:
•APA (American Psychological Association)
•http://www.apastyle.org/
•APA Citation Style Guide
•
https://docs.google.com/a/hawaii.edu/document/d/1sRbX

23. Assess Yourself
An information literate individual:
•“Determines extent of information needed
•Accesses needed information effectively and
efficiently
•Evaluates information and its sources critically
•Incorporates selected information into one’s
knowledge base
•Uses information effectively to accomplish a
specific purpose
•Understands the economic, legal, and social
issues surrounding the use of information, and
accesses and uses information ethically and

24. Advanced Google Exercise
Now it is time to practice on your own!
Here is the link to get you started:
https://docs.google.com/a/hawaii.edu/spreadshe

25. Bibliography
• Badke, William. "InfoLit Land How Stupid Is Google Making Us?." Online 34, no. 6 (2010): 51.
• Bodemer, Brett B. "They CAN and They SHOULD: Undergraduates Providing Peer Reference and
Instruction." http://crl.acrl.org/content/early/2012/11/08/crl12-411.full.pdf+html?sid=45910f87-0409-
417f-8096-7cfe9fb019bd
• Brier, David. "Library Essentials (CRAAP Test)."
http://manoa.hawaii.edu/libraryessentials/handouts/CRAPTESTS13.pdf
• Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google making us stupid?." Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of
Education 107, no. 2 (2008): 89-94.
• Goldsborough, Reid. "Effective Google Searching Means Making Use of All Available Tools."
Community College Week (2011): 13.
• Hamada, Jennifer and Philip Whitford. "Instructional Unit Collaboration: PSY409a: Searching
Google." http://www2.hawaii.edu/~nahl/students/665_instunit_HamadaWhitford.pdf
• Hillyer, Nora, Marvel Maring, and Dorianne Richards. "Assessment in Small Bytes." Using
technology to teach information literacy (2008): 165.
• Miller, Todd. "Commentary-BACKTALK-In Defense of Stupid Users." Library Journal 130, no. 5
(2005): 58-59.
• Pagell, Ruth. "LIS 663: Basic Database Searching: Web Search." Presentation, Fall 2012.
• Radcliff, Carolyn J. A practical guide to information literacy assessment for academic librarians.
Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007.
• Randeree, Ebrahim, and Lorri Mon. "Searching for Answers in a Google World." The Reference
Librarian 52, no. 4 (2011): 342-351.
• RBA. "Search Tools Summary and Comparison." http://www.rba.co.uk/search/compare.shtml
• Rosen, Larry D. "Teaching the iGeneration." Educational Leadership 68, no. 5 (2011): 10-15.
• The Teaching Library. "Googling to the Max - Exercises." http://docweb.khk.be/alex
%20wuyts/googling.pdf