Google Tools: Start Here

Top 10   Tips

10. Get specific with quotes (""). Quotes create a phrase search

9. Search  website (site:)
Search for particular a website, or web domain. Use site:gov or edu...

8. Subtract terms you want to exclude (-) Subtract terms you do not want to appear in your results: surfing -hawaii

7. Add terms you want to include (+) The opposite of - would be to use +

6. Use the Advanced Search Page
Get advanced!

5. The OR operator
Using the Or operator between words allows you to search for synonyms and spelling variations.  The following example will search for "Eddie Aikau or surfing."

4. Specific Document Types:
You can limit your results to certain file types. These file types include PDF, PowerPoint, Word Document and Excel Spreadsheet.

3. Get specific by searching within a url. Use - inurl: or allinurl:

2. Get specific by searching within a title. Use - intitle: or allintitle:

1. Find similar words with tilde (~). If you would like your results to contain similar words or synonyms use the "~" in front of the word.  Example: "Surfing " ~professional

POWER Search WORDS

• To show both sides search➔ type debate, issue, controversy, problem, disadvantage, advantage  opinion
• To show research done by experts➔ type studies, research, report, plan, policy, models
• For currency-- Add a date➔ type in 2010 (you can even type in month!)
• For national info➔ type national, name of state
• For international info➔ global, international, worldwide, country name
• For opinions--> op ed, opinions (other strategies: look at blogs or op ed, find an expert and google an opinion from them.)
• For evidence--> statistics, longitudinal studies, diagrams, tables, expert testimony

If you have a question, please email library@iolani.org