How to Find Information Online

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Experiment with different search engines.

   For the most part, everybody knows Google, but there are several other great search engines to work with.
   
   These include Bing, Yahoo, Lycos, and Ask.com.
   
   Rather than always relying on Google, experiment with a variety of search engines.
   
   Each one may return different results.
2. 2

   Step 2: Begin with simple search queries.

   When you use search engines, it is best to limit your query to a few concise words.
   
   Try to think of the simplest way to describe what you're looking for.
   
   You don't need to use complete sentences, rather simply type a few important terms.
   
   For example, if you were trying to find information on the actor John Wayne, but you couldn't recall his name, you might try searching "cowboy actor."
   
   Anytime you are looking for a specific phrase, type the phrase inside the quotes ("the phrase") and search it.
   
   The quotation marks tell your search engine to look for any place those specific words appear.
   
   This will help streamline your search, and weed out things that are not relevant to you. , Whenever you search for something, try searching a few different ways.
   
   Use synonyms and/or put your query in a different form.
   
   This will cause your search engine to return different results, helping you locate what you need. , Whenever you conduct research online, it is easy to move quickly and lose track of places you’ve visited.
   
   Use the bookmark function on your web browser to record useful websites as you go.
3. 3

   Step 3: Search with quotation marks.

4. 4

   Step 4: Try alternative words.

5. 5

   Step 5: Bookmark useful results.

Detailed Guide

About the Author