BARE BONES 101:

"Trends, like horses, are easier to ride in the direction they are going. "
             --Anonymous

A BASIC TUTORIAL ON SEARCHING THE WEB

INTRODUCTION

So, you're still getting those 1,670,000+ responses to your search queries on the Web, and you're still too busy to do anything about it, like reading the lengthy, and sometimes confusing, "help" screens to find out how to improve your searching techniques.
Look no further! Real help is here, in the USCB Library's BARE BONES Tutorial.
You can zip through these lessons in no time, any time. They are very short and succinct; each can be read in a few minutes. Feel free to jump in wherever you like, skip what you don't want to read, and come back whenever you need to.
The information contained in the following lessons is truly "bare bones," designed to get you started in the right direction with a minimum of time and effort. For more comprehensive and detailed help on searching the Web, consult our recommended list of sites in Lesson 20 at the end of this tutorial.

NOTE: If you just want some quick SEARCH TIPS,
skip everything else and go directly to Lesson 7.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lesson 1: Search Engines: a Definition
Lesson 2: Metasearchers: a Definition
Lesson 3: Subject Directories: a Definition
Lesson 4: Library Gateways and Specialized Databases: a Definition
Lesson 5: Evaluating Web Pages
Lesson 6: Creating a Search Strategy
Lesson 7: Basic Search Tips
Lesson 8: Searching with Boolean Logic and Proximity Operators
Lesson 9: Field Searching
Lesson 10: Troubleshooting
Lesson 11: Alta Vista: A Closer Look
Lesson 12: Excite: A Closer Look
Lesson 13: Fast Search: A Closer Look
Lesson 14: Google: A Closer Look
Lesson 15: HotBot: A Closer Look
Lesson 16: Ixquick Metasearch: A Closer Look
Lesson 17: Northern Light: A Closer Look
Lesson 18: Yahoo!: A Closer Look
Lesson 19: Final Exam
Lesson 20: Beyond "Bare Bones"
 
 
User Agreement
 
 

"Bare Bones 101" has been created by Ellen Chamberlain, Head Librarian and Full Professor at the University of South Carolina Beaufort campus. Ms. Chamberlain holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan and an MLS from Western Michigan University. She is the co-author of BCK2SKOL ("Back to School"), an introductory Internet course for librarians and other serious searchers, initially offered on the Net in 1995 as a listserv, with lessons delivered to over 6,000 subscribers in 62 countries around the world.

Library Home Page                           Search Engines

[Search Engines] [Metasearchers] [Subject Directories] [Gateways & Databases] [Evaluating Web Pages]
[Search Strategies] [Search Tips] [Boolean Operators] [Field Searching] [Troubleshooting] [Alta Vista]
[Excite] [Fast] [Google] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [Northern Light] [Yahoo!] [Final Exam] [Beyond Bones]
[User Agreement]

This page updated 05 January 2001 by Ellen Chamberlain, library webweaver (ellenc@sc.edu).
Copyright © the Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina.
URL: http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/bones.html