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Internet Search Tips: Difference between revisions
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#Be aware of what is being searched. You may want to search at a higher or lower level (e.g., IGI extracted only vs. “all resources”). Usually, restricting your search to one single database gives you more or different search options. It may also effectively narrow your search down to something more manageable. | #Be aware of what is being searched. You may want to search at a higher or lower level (e.g., IGI extracted only vs. “all resources”). Usually, restricting your search to one single database gives you more or different search options. It may also effectively narrow your search down to something more manageable. | ||
#Check out search help—it often actually helps. This may be hidden in a link to “advanced search.” There may be options that look appealing but which you shouldn’t use—like exact spelling in FamilySearch. | #Check out search help—it often actually helps. This may be hidden in a link to “advanced search.” There may be options that look appealing but which you shouldn’t use—like exact spelling in FamilySearch. | ||
#Find out what options you have in searching. You may be able to use partial, truncated, or wildcard searches. When using wildcards, ALWAYS read the search tips to find out which wildcards are permitted and how they work on that particular website. | #Find out what options you have in searching. You may be able to use partial, truncated, or wildcard searches. When using wildcards, ALWAYS read the search tips to find out which wildcards are permitted and how they work on that particular website. | ||
#One important tip is the simplest. '''READ THE SCREEN'''. If you take time to do that, you can avoid many rookie mistakes. | #One important tip is the simplest. '''READ THE SCREEN'''. If you take time to do that, you can avoid many rookie mistakes. | ||
#Consider searching for uncommon names first. If John Smith married Hortense Frinzwilter, don’t search for John Smith—search for Hortense Frinzwilter. If David Brown had a brother Eliphalet Brown, search for Eliphalet. David may appear on the same page or in the same source. | #Consider searching for uncommon names first. If John Smith married Hortense Frinzwilter, don’t search for John Smith—search for Hortense Frinzwilter. If David Brown had a brother Eliphalet Brown, search for Eliphalet. David may appear on the same page or in the same source. | ||
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#Alter your search approach to find information not just by name, but also by places your ancestors lived, topic (e.g., ethnicity, religion, society), time period, event (e.g., war, famine), characteristic, record type needed, or keyword. Altering your approach may give you additional information. | #Alter your search approach to find information not just by name, but also by places your ancestors lived, topic (e.g., ethnicity, religion, society), time period, event (e.g., war, famine), characteristic, record type needed, or keyword. Altering your approach may give you additional information. | ||
#The Internet is dynamic. If you don’t find it today, try again later. If you find something today, you may be able to find yet more later. This means that our searches may need to be repeated from time to time to locate new information or newly indexed or categorized information. | #The Internet is dynamic. If you don’t find it today, try again later. If you find something today, you may be able to find yet more later. This means that our searches may need to be repeated from time to time to locate new information or newly indexed or categorized information. | ||
#Did you know you can use site: or inurl: to focus on the best results? For example, I want to see if any of my STUBBS family living in Iron county, Utah appear on the USGenweb page for Iron county, but that USGenWeb page doesn’t have a search tool. So, I just type site:rootsweb.com inurl:utiron stubbs into my Google search, and I’ve cut hours of searching to just seconds. | #Did you know you can use site: or inurl: to focus on the best results? For example, I want to see if any of my STUBBS family living in Iron county, Utah appear on the USGenweb page for Iron county, but that USGenWeb page doesn’t have a search tool. So, I just type '''''site:rootsweb.com inurl:utiron stubbs''''' into my Google search, and I’ve cut hours of searching to just seconds. | ||