Conducting Electronic Research

A simple search is keyword driven. Google, Yahoo!, MSN Search and Ask.com are four popular search engine Web sites designed especially for this purpose. Each is a database with a primary search field and a search button located on its home page to lead you to a display of results.

The following demonstration illustrates a simple search for source material on the subject of tolerance for a composition class. A preliminary list of keywords might include the following words and phrases:

• tolerance
• teaching tolerance
• acceptance
• tolerance-based education
• open-mindedness
• conflict-resolution training

Note: When entering a phrase, enclosing it in quotation marks will tell the search engine to look only for those results containing that exact phrase. This comes in handy when you want to narrow your search. If you prefer a wider initial search, do not use the quotation marks.

View a demonstration of a simple search using Google