Pharmacy Technology

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Google Search Tips & Tricks

Get better results from Google by using these search techniques:

Use a "phrase search" to find an exact term by using quotation marks

Example: "sustainable business"

Limit results to one type of website, such as governmental or educational

Example 1: 

small business development site:.gc.ca (typing "site:.gc.ca" after the search term will limit results to government of Canada websites)

Example 2: 

sustainable development studies site:.edu (typing "site:.edu" after the search term will limit results to educational institutions)

Search for words in the website title to ensure the information is relevant

Example:

allintitle: sustainable business (typing "allintitle:" before the search term will limit results to those that have all those terms in the web page title, such as "World Business Council for Sustainable Development," "The New Metrics of Sustainable Business Conference," and so on)

Use the minus sign (-) to remove unwanted words from search results

Example: 

sustainable -development (search results will include sites with the term "sustainable" and exclude sites with the word "development")

Use the "advanced search" option to limit your results by language, Internet domain, date of publication, country, and where on the web page the words appear, such as address or text.

Follow these links for more help and information on searching Google and similar Internet search engines:

What's in an URL? Top-Level Domains & Types of Websites

Every web page has its own address called a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Much like the mailing address on an envelope with a name, street address, city, province, and postal code, each part of a URL provides information about the web page.

Top-level domains (TLDs) are an important clue of a website's publisher and purpose. Watch the video above or click below to learn about common types of TLDs:

.com websites

.org websites

.ca and other country code top-level domains (ccTLD)

.gc.ca

.gov

.travel

Use the CRAAP Test to Evaluate Information

All information, especially online content, requires critical scrutiny. Use the CRAAP test to determine the credibility and reliability of a source:

CURRENCY
  • The timeliness (i.e. publication date, revision history) of the information.
  • Broken links or old dates indicate a site has not been updated recently.
RELEVANCY
  • The importance of the information for your needs.
  • Consider your audience and compare with a variety of sources.
AUTHORITY
  • The originating source (author, publisher, sponsor) of the information.
  • Check for contact information and the credentials of the author.
ACCURACY
  • The reliability (source, evidence, truthfulness) of the information.
  • Think about the source and look for evidence of bias or error.
PURPOSE
  • The reason (teach, sell, entertain) the information exists.
  • Identify the type of information (fact or opinion) and the intent of the author.

 

Need help? Use the RGO Library's online webchat service to ask for assistance from a friendly library assistant! Or contact us by phone or email:

  • Email: circulation@bowvalleycollege.ca 
  • Phone: 403-410-1647 or 403-410-1756