-a type of search that uses word with specific meanings
-A combination of more than one search engine
-Use this type of searching if you find nothing with a simple search
http://hanlib.sou.edu/searchtools/howto.html
and
http://www.google.com/search?q=crossword+dictionary&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGLL_en___US379
and maybe http://www.webopedia.com/
The type of search that uses words with specific meanings is called a "Boolean search." Here's how you can perform a Boolean search:
1. Use specific keywords: Start by selecting the most relevant keywords related to your search topic. For example, if you are looking for information about renewable energy, you might use keywords such as "renewable energy," "solar power," or "wind turbines."
2. Use Boolean operators: Boolean operators are words or symbols you can use to combine or exclude keywords to refine your search. There are three primary Boolean operators:
a) AND: Use the "AND" operator to include multiple keywords in your search. For example, searching for "renewable energy AND solar power" will yield results that include both renewable energy and solar power.
b) OR: Use the "OR" operator to include either of the keywords in your search. For example, searching for "renewable energy OR wind turbines" will yield results that include either renewable energy or wind turbines.
c) NOT: Use the "NOT" operator to exclude specific keywords from your search. For example, searching for "renewable energy NOT solar power" will exclude results related to solar power from your search.
3. Use parentheses for complex searches: If you want to combine multiple Boolean operators, it's useful to use parentheses to group your search terms. For example, searching for "(renewable energy OR wind turbines) AND sustainable" will yield results that include either renewable energy or wind turbines, but must also include the term "sustainable."
A combination of more than one search engine is referred to as a "metasearch engine." A metasearch engine gathers results from multiple search engines simultaneously and presents them in a consolidated format. Examples of metasearch engines include Dogpile, MetaCrawler, and Yippy.
If you find nothing with a simple search, you can try advanced search techniques. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Use quotation marks: If you are looking for a specific phrase, enclose it in quotation marks. This ensures that the search engine will return results with that exact phrase.
2. Use specific operators: Depending on the search engine, you may have access to additional search operators, such as "site:" to search within a specific website or "filetype:" to search for a particular file type.
3. Refine your keywords: Try using different variations of your keywords or related terms to expand or narrow down your search.
4. Use advanced search options: Most search engines offer advanced search options that allow you to specify criteria such as date range, location, or language.
Remember that search engines constantly update their algorithms, so staying up-to-date with the latest search techniques can improve your search results.