Module 4 - Boolean Search Task

Knew vaguely Boolean was something to do with libraries... Interesting to apply it to internet searching.

First task - for the biggest number of hits for advanced internet users I used Google (basic) and added OR logic between each word i.e. at least (or only) one of my three terms had to be present in the results. This gave an outstanding 2,690,000,000 hits! Putting AND between the words, and putting nothing (space only) between the words yielded far fewer hits, 276,000,000 and 91,700,000 respectively.

Second task - skills-based information on advanced internet users. This was interesting. Decided to stick with Google (basic, i.e. not 'scholar' or 'advanced search' etc.) This is what I tried:

• (advanced internet users) AND skills (20,500,000 hits).
• (advanced AND internet AND users) AND skills (20,300,000 hits).
• (advanced + internet + users) + skills (6,920,000 hits).
• advanced + internet + users + skills -statistics (1,880,000 hits).
  

Just getting a little conceptual here, but the task asks for "how you would best search for...". Do we assume the less hits is the best, or the most hits, or something in between? Might assume that fewer results would have weeded out some rubbish, but sometimes, more hits may be better?

Third task - advanced internet users only from university sources. I tried, again using basic Google:

• advanced + internet + users + universities (1,170,000 hits)
• advanced + internet + users + universities + edu (905,000 hits)
• advanced + internet + users + universities + edu + databases (857,000 hits).

Someone on the Discussion Board (post 1622, January 11, 2007) recommended using "site:.edu" which did narrow it down slightly. Got 776,000 hits. Would be massively improved if I used Copernic Agent or any other smart search engine.