Summary of Web Search Strategies for Research

00:00:00 - 00:15:00

In this video, Matt Cutts of Google's Quality group discusses how search works on the web and offers tips on how to use search engines to find reliable information. He explains that when you do a Google search, you're not actually searching the web—you're searching Google's index of the web, which is compiled with the help of spiders. He also discusses how to use quotes and other shortcuts to limit search results, and how to evaluate websites for reliability.

• 00:00:00 In this video, Matt Cutts from Google's Quality group discusses how search works on the web. He explains that when you do a Google search, you're not actually searching the web—you're searching Google's index of the web. This index is compiled with the help of spiders, which fetch web pages and follow the links on those pages. After fetching a big chunk of the web, Google uses a formula called PageRank to determine which few documents to return to the user. Along the right and at the top of the search results page, Matt also shows ads that Google takes seriously, striving to provide the best possible audience for advertisers.
• 00:05:00 Web search engines offer a number of shortcuts to help you find what you're looking for more quickly. For example, you can use quotes around words to limit the search results to the exact phrase you're looking for. You can also exclude words with a - or - sign. Other shortcuts include words that have multiple meanings, and options that can be used together. Finally, this video provides tips on how to use Wikipedia as a research resource.
• 00:10:00 This tutorial covers how to evaluate websites, with a focus on com, org, and blog sites. The first entry on a Google search is often Wikipedia, which can be a source of information with a dark side. The other entries are mini-com sites that offer kits for various topics.
• 00:15:00 This video discusses how to search for reliable information on the internet by looking for clues such as the site's connection to TV and radio, its reputation, and the author's authority.