If you choose to use Google to conduct advanced research, you should be using Google's advanced search page. This allows you much greater control over what appears in your results and makes things much easier to sort through.
Additionally, there are some shortcuts that might be useful when Googling. These shortcuts are huge timesavers and also work across most websites and many of the library's electronic resources.
| Use | Syntax | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Phrase searching: look for these words in this order | Put the phrase in quotation marks | "Purdue Pharma" |
| Truncation: Search for root words | Put an asterisk at the end of the root word | advertis* |
| Site search: Search a url for a word or phrase | site:[url] [keywords] | site:variety.com "harvey weinstein" |
Google Trends can track the usage of various keywords or topics over a specified amount of time. This can be helpful when trying to gauge the popularity of a person or concept.
Additionally, the site creates an array of visual aids that can be shared or embedded across websites.
