Power Searching on the Web

Top 10 Tips

Christian Veillette M.D., M.Sc., FRCSCAssistant Professor, University of TorontoShoulder & Elbow Reconstructive Surgery

University Health Network

Deputy Editor, Information and Communication TechnologyClinical Orthopaedics and Related Research

Email: orthonet@gmail.com

Objectives

• Understand common search syntax• Use the advanced search functionality of the

major search engines• Compare different Internet search tools and

determine which tool is better for a certain search

Power Searching on the Web• Jargon terms• Multiple keywords• Quotation marks• OR • Parentheses• Limit by site• Limit by filetype• + (plus sign)• - (minus sign)• ~ (tilde sign)

Power Searching on the Web• Jargon terms = Technical terms• Multiple keywords = Avoid simple search• Quotation marks = Exact phrase searching• OR = Concept groupings• Parentheses = Multiple concept groups• Limit by site/title• Limit by filetype• + (plus sign) = Stopword searching• - (minus sign) = Exclude• ~ (tilde sign) = Thesaurus or synonym searching

Tip 1: Use Jargon Terms

• Specialized or technical terminology• If the sites we wish to avoid are patient

oriented

Use language patients wouldn’t understand

Tip 2: Multiple Keyword Search• Avoid simple keyword search– Use at least 3 terms

- http://www.keyworddiscovery.com/kd-manual13.html

Tip 3: Quotation Marks for Exact Phrase Searching

• Most useful when – the words to be searched are not very specific– the words have different meanings in various

subject areas– having the words adjacent to each other changes

the meaning– it is important that the same word is repeated

Tip 3: Phrase Searching

Results have fewer false positives.

Tip 4: Boolean OR

• Use this when you want ANY of the terms, not ALL of the terms– with at least one of the words

• Be sure to capitalize the word “OR” so Google does not ignore it

• Concept grouping– “hip osteonecrosis” OR “hip avascular necrosis”

OR “hip AVN” OR “osteonecrosis femoral head”

Tip 4: Boolean OR

Results have fewer false negatives.

Tip 5: Concept Group Searching with Parentheses

• Group terms that should be processed together, at the same time and in the same way in the search

• Want to combine with another concept or term• Question: Do steroid injections improve shoulder

pain?– Concept 1 = “steroid injections”– Concept 2 = “shoulder pain”– Concept 3 = “improve”

Tip 5: Concept Group Searching with Parentheses

• (“steroid injection" OR cortisone OR depomedrol OR triamcinolone) (improve OR help OR placebo) (“shoulder pain” OR “subacromial impingement” OR “rotator cuff tear”)

Tip 6: Limit by site• When you want to control the quality of the search

results– Want government reports on total hip replacement?

• “total hip replacement" site:fda.gov• When you know a site that is likely to have what you

need– Want CME on topic from the AAOS, but without using their

site search engine?• CME ("shoulder replacement" OR “shoulder arthroplasty"”)

site:aaos.org• When you want to locate a known document– Remember a patient guide but not what organization

released it?• (acute back pain OR “acute back pain”) site:.org

Tip 6: Limit by site• (“total hip replacement" OR "total hip

arthroplasty") site:clinicaltrials.gov

Tip 7: Limit by filetype

• When you have reason to suspect that the answer you need will be in a certain format– white papers, presentations, reprint

• Find a presentation – ((osteonecrosis OR AVN) (hip OR femur OR

“femoral head”)) filetype:ppt• Find a reprint– ((osteonecrosis OR AVN) (hip OR femur OR

“femoral head”)) filetype:pdf

Tip 7: Limit by filetype– ((osteonecrosis OR AVN) (hip OR femur OR

“femoral head”)) filetype:ppt

Tip 8: + (plus sign)

• Google ignores common words and characters such as where, the, how, and other digits and letters

• If a common word is essential to getting the results you want, include it by putting a "+" sign in front of it

• Be sure to include a space before the "+" sign– ACJ separation type +III

Tip 8: + (plus sign)• ACJ separation type +III

Tip 9: - (minus sign)

• Use the minus sign to exclude terms from results when there is a clustering of irrelevant results

• Help refine a search– bone-grafting in the treatment of ununited

femoral shaft fractures – nonunion femoral (shaft OR diaphysis) "bone-

grafting“ -supracondylar –hip -neck

Tip 9: - (minus sign) • nonunion femoral (shaft OR diaphysis) "bone-

grafting“ -supracondylar –hip -neck

Tip 10: Use Advanced Search

nonunion femoral shaft OR diaphysis "bone grafting" -supracondylar -neck -hip

If creating this search string comes naturally, you don’t

need Advanced Search