Quiz: How to Search the Internet Effectively Online

1. What is a search engine?

A tool for searching the entire Internet.

A tool to find information on your computer.

A fast browser.

A tool for searching a specific website.

A computer program that retrieves documents or files or data from a database or from a computer network (especially from the internet)
Worldnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Explanation

A computer program that retrieves documents or files or data from a database or from a computer network (especially from the internet)
Worldnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

2. Boolean term ________ searches for all the key terms included in your search string.

Connecting search terms with AND tells the search engine to retrieve web pages containing ALL the keywords.

Explanation

Connecting search terms with AND tells the search engine to retrieve web pages containing ALL the keywords.

Submit

3. When searching the Internet, you can add words to the search terms. How do you do this?

You can add a word from your search by putting a plus sign ("+") immediately in front of the term you want to include

You can add a word from your search by capitalizing it in the search string.

You can add a word from your search by putting a plus sign ("+") anywhere in the search string.

You can add a word from your search by putting a plus sign ("+") immediately behind the term you want to include

In many search engines, the plus and minus symbols can be used as alternatives to full Boolean AND and AND NOT. The plus sign (“+”) is the equivalent of AND, and the minus sign (“-“) is the equivalent of AND NOT. There is no space between the plus or minus sign and the keyword.

Explanation

In many search engines, the plus and minus symbols can be used as alternatives to full Boolean AND and AND NOT. The plus sign (“+”) is the equivalent of AND, and the minus sign (“-“) is the equivalent of AND NOT. There is no space between the plus or minus sign and the keyword.

4. When searching the Internet, you can exclude words from the search terms. How do you do this?

You can exclude a word from your search by putting a minus sign ("-") immediately behind the term you want to exclude

You can exclude a word from your search by putting a minus sign ("-") anywhere in the search string.

You can exclude a word from your search by not typing it in the search string.

You can exclude a word from your search by putting a minus sign ("-") immediately in front of the term you want to exclude.

You can exclude a word from your search by putting a minus sign (“-“) immediately in front of the term you want to exclude. Make sure you include a space before the minus sign.
For example, the search : bass –music
Will return pages about bass that does not contain the word “music”.

Explanation

You can exclude a word from your search by putting a minus sign (“-“) immediately in front of the term you want to exclude. Make sure you include a space before the minus sign.
For example, the search : bass –music
Will return pages about bass that does not contain the word “music”.

5. Boolean term ________ searches for all the terms included in your search string.

Linking search terms with OR tells the correct way to retrieve web pages containing ANY and ALL keywords.

Explanation

Linking search terms with OR tells the correct way to retrieve web pages containing ANY and ALL keywords.

Submit

6. Which of these is the correct way to search for a phrase?

How do I use a search engine?

“How do I use a search engine?”

How do I, “Use a search engine?"

Search engines, "How do I use one?"

Surrounding a group of words with double quotes tells the search engine to only retrieve documents in which those words appear side-by-side. Phrase searching is a powerful search technique for significantly narrowing your search results, and it should be used as often as possible.

Explanation

Surrounding a group of words with double quotes tells the search engine to only retrieve documents in which those words appear side-by-side. Phrase searching is a powerful search technique for significantly narrowing your search results, and it should be used as often as possible.

Submit

8. Within Google, you can search specific sites. These include education, countries, government etcetera. Which format would you use to search for finding government sites for silly laws?

Silly laws .gov

Silly government laws

Silly laws site gov

Silly laws site:gov

Go to this site, http://google.about.com/od/googlepowersearches/qt/sitesearchqt.htm to learn more.

Explanation

Go to this site, http://google.about.com/od/googlepowersearches/qt/sitesearchqt.htm to learn more.

9. When you search the internet, it is possible to get tens of thousands of results. You should think about refining your search after looking through _____ to _____ sites.

Of you have not found what you are looking for in the first 20 to 50 sites, give it up and go no further. Either reformulate your search or try another search tool. Creativity is often the key to reformulating or rephrasing a search. http://hanlib.sou.edu/searchtools/searchtips.html

Explanation

Of you have not found what you are looking for in the first 20 to 50 sites, give it up and go no further. Either reformulate your search or try another search tool. Creativity is often the key to reformulating or rephrasing a search. http://hanlib.sou.edu/searchtools/searchtips.html

Submit

Search Engine Skills Quiz – Smart Internet Searching