What This Document Is
This document is a record of a web search activity completed for ILR 260 (Information Literacy) at National University in January 2014. It details the results of various Google and Google News searches, exploring how search terms and operators (like quotation marks and “OR”) affect the number and type of results returned. It also includes observations about website caching, domain-specific searches (using “site:edu”), and the Internet Archive.
Why This Document Matters
This activity is valuable for students in information literacy courses, or anyone seeking to improve their online research skills. It demonstrates practical applications of search techniques and highlights the importance of understanding how search engines work. It’s likely used as a component of a larger course focused on effective information retrieval and evaluation.
Common Limitations or Challenges
This document presents *results* of searches, not a comprehensive guide to search engine optimization or advanced search strategies. It’s a snapshot of search results from a specific time (2014) and those results will naturally change over time. It doesn’t offer in-depth analysis of search algorithms or information evaluation techniques.
What This Document Provides
The full document includes: examples of search queries with and without quotation marks, demonstrating the impact on result precision; explorations of using “OR” operators; a link to a recipe website; notes on website caching and its usefulness; comparisons of Google and Google News searches; examples of using “site:” to limit searches to specific domains; observations about social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace; and a discussion of the Internet Archive’s purpose. This preview does *not* include the full search results, the complete reflections on MySpace, or the specific point total from a grading rubric.