Typical questions

• • The link to this government document is broken. How can I find where it has gone?

• • Do you have any tips on limiting my search?

Starting points

• • While students may have wide experience of using the internet, they often benefit from training in using academic tools such as Google Scholar. Basic tips include: demonstrating advanced search screens, which often have features for limiting searches by file type (.pdf is good for finding full text and .xls for spreadsheets containing data) and domain name (e.g. .ac or .edu for educational materials). Another good tip is to use a country version of Google to give priority to local content.

• • Recent concerns about the spread of fake news have also raised the issue of the need for students to learn to evaluate the quality of what they find online. The Information Literacy chapter has suggestions on resources for this.

• • Another problem are ‘disappearing items’. Good starting points for tracing these are the Wayback Machine (archive.org/web) and any national government web archives such as the UK Web Archive (www.webarchive.org.uk).

Recommended resources

These can be relied upon to offer researchers and information skills teachers tips on using common search engines effectively.

Karen Blakeman, RBA Information Services

www.rba.co.uk

Long-established consultant and trainer whose website offers free access to PowerPoint slides with tips on advanced search techniques.

Search Engine Land [Specialist]

searchengineland.com

Free access to news, tips and resources from this tech website. Includes sections on Google and social media covering effective use by end users as well as design and marketing issues.