Slideshow describing how to search for health information using Google or another search engine. Part of a LibGuide.

1. Searching with Google / Other Search Engines
In this section, we will explore how to search
for health information using Google or a search
engine of your choice.
We will explore when to use Google, how to
construct a search, and how to select the
results that will be the most useful to you.

2. When to Use a Search Engine
In general, it is best to use a search engine when you
have failed to find relevant results using a trusted
website.
Often times, it is necessary to use a search engine
when looking for fairly specific information that may
not be covered by a general overview of the topic.
Google’s search algorithm is more nuanced than what
you’ll find on most websites, which may help you find
more relevant results.

3. Drawbacks of Search Engines
Searching with Google has a number of disadvantages
over finding information directly on a trusted website.
• Sponsored content is often included in results
• Not all results will be from reputable sources
• It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the quantity of results
Because of these drawbacks, it is especially important to
critically evaluate the sources that you find and that you
develop a keen eye for spotting relevant results.

4. Steps for Searching Google
To perform a successful Google search for health
information, follow the steps listed below.
1. Select your keywords
2. Connect terms using Boolean operators
3. Search and select relevant results
4. Carefully evaluate the sources and information you
find
5. Use the tips for improving your results if you are
unhappy with what you’ve found

5. Step 1: Selecting Keywords
Unlike some medical websites, Google responds well to
specific keywords. It is usually not necessary to start with
a broad search.
When selecting search terms, consider how a medical
professional would describe each concept.
Be sure to include keywords that cover each aspect of your
question: condition, age group, gender, etc.
When searching a keyword phrase, put all parts of the
phrase in quotation marks so that they are searched as
one unit.

6. THINK!
Which keywords would you use to search for
information to answer the following question?
How do women know if they have a UTI?

7. THINK!
Which keywords would you use to search for
information to answer the following question?
How do women know if they have a UTI?
ANSWER: Your search should include “UTI” or “urinary
tract infection” to make sure you get the correct UTI
acronym. You should also include “women” or
“female” to get the correct population, and “signs” to
target the specific information that you want.

8. Step 2: Connect Keywords with Booleans
Boolean operators are words that connect keyword terms in a
search. The most commonly used Boolean operators are AND,
OR, and NOT.
AND will tell the search engine to only display results that
contain both of the terms you connect.
▫ Note: Google searches all terms by default, so the AND operator
is only necessary when conducting searches that combine
multiple operators.
OR will tell the search engine to display results that contain
either of the connected terms
NOT will tell the search engine to exclude results that contain
the specified keyword.

9. Boolean Operators: AND
Searching “A AND B” will give results that contain both A and B.

10. Boolean Operators: OR
Searching “A OR B” will give results that contain either A or B, or
both of these terms.

11. Boolean Operators: NOT
Searching “A NOT B” will give results that contain A but not B.
Only results with A only will be displayed.

12. Combining Boolean Operators
If you are using more than one Boolean operator in a
single search, you should separate the components of
your search with parentheses so that the search
engine knows how to combine them.
For example, if I wanted to search for tetanus or
lockjaw and signs or symptoms, I would type the
following into Google:
(tetanus OR lockjaw) AND (signs OR symptoms)

13. THINK!
In response to the question about UTIs in females, we
identified the following keywords: UTI, urinary tract
infection, women, female, and signs. How can you
combine these terms using Boolean operators?

14. THINK!
In response to the question about UTIs in females, we
identified the following keywords: UTI, urinary tract
infection, women, female, and signs. How can you
combine these terms using Boolean operators?
ANSWER: Try the following to get results that cover all
aspects of our search. Related terms are in
parentheses, and sets of terms are combined with
operators.
(UTI OR “urinary tract infection”) AND (women OR
female) AND signs

15. Step 3: Search and Select Results
Because Google searches millions of websites for each of
your queries, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount
of results you receive.
You need not look at all of the results you obtain. If Google
does its job correctly, the most relevant results will be
near the top of the page.
Keep the following in mind to select the best results:
• Avoid sponsored content to avoid biased information.
• Check the web address as one measure of credibility.
• Check the description to get an idea of whether or not
the information will be relevant.

16. Selecting Results: Example
The image below shows an example of a results page when
searching for information about pneumonia. On the next few
slides, we’ll take a closer look at what these results are telling us.

17. Selecting Results: Advertisements
Sometimes, Google
results will contain
advertisements.
They can be hard to spot,
as they appear alongside
other results.
Check for the small green
box that says, “Ad,” or a
small heading that says
“sponsored content” to
avoid these biased
sources.

18. Selecting Results: Web Address
The web address, located
in green underneath a
site’s title, can help you
select only the best
sources. The name of the
company or organization
responsible is often
included as well.
Remember that .gov,
.edu, and .org sites are
generally the most
reliable, but some .com
sites are credible as well.

19. Selecting Results: Description
The description of each result can help you determine
if a site’s content will answer your question.
These descriptions are not always current and not
always accurate, so you should always click through to
the website and evaluate the information you find
there.

20. Selecting Results: Sidebar
For some searches, Google
provides and interactive
widget on the right side of
the results screen.
Sidebar information is not
always accurate, so you
should check for a source on
the information found there
and verify that the
information is correct.
Do not use information on
the results page alone to
make a decision or draw a
conclusion. Check the original
source!

21. THINK!
An excerpt of the results page from our search about
UTI signs in women is displayed on the right.
Which of these
results looks the
most promising?

22. THINK!
An excerpt of the results page from our search about
UTI signs in women is displayed on the right.
Which of these
results looks the
most promising?
ANSWER: While all 3
results could be useful,
Result 2 from the Mayo
Clinic is the most
reliable, given the
organization’s
reputation.

23. Step 4: Evaluate Results
Always remember to evaluate the results that you find
from Google. Sometimes, a site in the results list may
look credible, but a quick source evaluation could give
rise to serious doubts about the source’s authority.
Use the information you learned about evaluating
sources and evaluating information to make sure that
you don’t end up drawing conclusions from a site that
is not trustworthy.

24. Step 5: Improving Results
If you are dissatisfied with the results of your search, try
incorporating some of the following tips to improve your
results.
• Add a date range to eliminate outdated results
▫ Add YEAR..YEAR to your search to narrow the timeframe
(replacing YEAR with the appropriate years)
• Search by type of domain to avoid .com sites
▫ Add site:.gov or site:.edu or site:.org to the beginning of
your search to only search these domains
• Use different search terms
▫ If results are too broad, add additional terms to clarify your
search
▫ Consider using alternate terms to describe concepts in
your search