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It's Ok to Google!

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There are lots of times that Google is really helpful for research. Here are a few.

  • For pre-reading before picking a topic.
  • To verify information that you've found on websites.
  • To verify credibility of an author or source.
  • To use credible sites for information (if your instructor allows website).
  • To access online scholarly articles through Google Scholar or available from publishers' websites (if your instructor allows).
  • To find bibliographies of websites like Wikipedia (sources in bibliographies can be credible even if the website isn't).
  • To find abstracts in indexes such as PubMed and then search for the article in the Library's databases.

Many times sources found in Google are just as credible as sources in the Library's databases. It's up to YOU to verify credibility when you Google. However, always follow your instructor's directions on the types of sources allowed for assignments.

Basic Search Tips

Listed below are several search tips that can be used to retrieve information, e.g., population of a particular country, climate change, car prices, nutrition recipes, etc.  By following any of the search tips below, you will be given information that relates to the specific search of choice.

  • population United States            words are automatically ANDED
  • "climate change"                         use quotes for phrases
  • ~ car prices                                   use ~ for synonyms
  • nutrition -recipes                         use - to remove terms; a space before-
  • mother-in-law                               hyphens, equal signs, & apostrophes search as phrases
  • Louis +IV                                        use + to included the exact form of the word
  • Pakistan or Kashmir                  use OR to include either word
  • define: fort                                    use define: for definitions
  • weather:  Lima                            use weather: to find weather conditions
  • time:  Venice                                use time: to find local times around the world
  • stocks:  goog                               use stocks: to find stock quotes
  • movies:  28081                            use movies: + zip code or name of movie & zip
  • phonebook:                                  use as a phone directory --no cell numbers
  • bphonebok:                                  use as a business directory
  • 704-376-9876                              type in a phone # and get name/address of caller
  • Joyce * Oates                             use the asterisk * to replace a word or an initial
  • gas prices 08540                       get current gas prices in your neighborhood

Get facts fast:

  • "Golden Gate Bridge" is ft long

Travel/Flight tips:

  • ewr airport                             find current conditions at an airport
  • "airline seats"                      link to seatguru.com for plane seats
  • Continental 23                      get info on your flight-from FlightSeats.com

Google Currency Converter:

  • 500 yen in US Dollars
  • Currency Kenya
  • 5 USD in euros

Google Measurement Conversions:

  • 5 degrees C in f                      5 degrees Celsius = Fahrenheit
  • 40 m in k                                40 miles = kilometers
  • 8 Liters to quarts                  8 Liters = ? Quarts
  • 32 feet to meters

Google Calculator:
For quick arithmetic calculations, use the Google search box. Use +, -, * and ^

  • - (subtraction)                      88-39
  • * (multiplication)                  88 * 39
  • |/ (division)                            88/39
  • % of (percentage of)          40% of 275

 

 

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