One thing students struggle with is finding too much irrelevant information in the databases. This is because of one very specific problem: computers are literal. They will search for your words wherever they can, which means you might get a result that uses your words in a different context.
One way you can help them understand you is to use quotation marks in your search to ensure the database or search engine looks for those words together as a phrase. Be on the lookout for words that provide a specific meaning the word it comes before to after.
This table provides examples of words with multiple contexts and how you can use that information to change your search.
Words with Multiple Contexts |
Words that Describe Previous Word |
Type in search box, In quotes |
school |
high, elementary, charter |
"charter school" |
games |
Olympic, video, board |
"video games" |
tiger |
cat, Woods, king, Detroit |
"Tiger Woods" |