Searching for keywords - establishing rules
 

When searching with keywords, you need to use a very specific way of writing these keywords. This exercise will help you to understand a set of simple rules that you can apply when using a keyword search engine.

Search engine language rules

Copy this table to your word processor. Complete the right hand column by referring to the screens below the table.

   

How many pages were found?

1

taxi violence  
2
taxi violence Umtata  
 3
 "taxi violence"  
 4
 "taxi violence" Umtata  
 5
 "taxi violence" Umtata -police  
6
table mountain  
 7
Table Mountain  

When you type in taxi violence you get the following results (circled):

Write 59 432 in the column next to taxi violence in the table

When you type in +taxi +violence you get the following results (circled below). Note that there is not difference; in other words the + signs are not necessary.

When you type in taxi violence Umtata you get the following results (circled below):

When you type in "taxi violence" you get the following results (circled below):

When you type in "taxi violence" Umtata you get the following results (circled below):

When you type in "taxi violence" Umtata -police you get the following results (circled below):

When you type in table mountain you get the following results (circled below):

Answer the following questions using the numbering provided:

  1. Compare the results of 1 and 2 in the table. Why has 2 received a better result? In other words, what rule has been applied to 2?
  2. Compare the results of 1 and 3. Why has 3 received a better result? What advice would you give based on that result?
  3. Compare the results of 4 and 2. What is the difference between the search language used? Why have quotation marks been used? When should we use quotation marks?
  4. Compare the results of 3 and 4. What has made 4 a better search?
  5. Compare the results of 4 and 5. What do you notice in 6 that you have not seem before? What does this mean? Does the advice that you gave in answer 2 hold for this case as well? How would you rephrase that advice now.
  6. Compare the results of 6 and 7. What observation do you make?

Click here to see some suggested responses to the questions