Phrase+Searching+A

__A Guide to Phrase Searching __

toc = What is Phrase Searching? =

Phrase searching is a technique in which you input a series of words that are not separated by and/but/or (i.e. Dakota State).

What you need to phrase search?

> This allows the search engine or the data base to find the whole phrase within context and avoid searching for any unnecessary or irrelevant words.
 * A full phrase (not separated), or a consecutive series of words.
 * Parentheses or Quotation Marks: or " "
 * The words within the phrase should be next to each other and placed with the parentheses or quotation marks.

Examples of Phrase Searching:
> Keyword searching example: “//Computer and/or/not literacy//" > > > Be aware that when you search for something, some databases are able to identify a phrase if you use quotation marks whilst others are able to identify such by the usage of quotation marks (University of Cape Town.) > >> >> > Keyword searching example: "Steve and/or/not Jobs" > > If you search for Steve Jobs using Google, 125,000,000 search results appear because google searches for the two words in any order and even when using the boolean method, it tries to seperate or combine the terms (Examples of Boolean Method: AND, OR, NOT.)(visit this site for more information on Boolean searching - http://websearch.about.com/od/internetresearch/a/boolean.htm) > > Conversely, when you search for "Steve Jobs" > 9,040,000 results appear thus, the findings are limited and specified to the phrase in quotation marks (Monash University.). These results are more exact and are more accurate, thanks to the nature of the phrase. > > Phrase searching records where the words are beside one another and in a specified sequence.
 * 1) Phrase searching example: "//Computer Literacy//" or/and (Computer literacy)
 * While most search engines use the same mechanisms for their databses, the 'help' function of each search engine can provide extra information regarding the specificities of that specific engine.
 * Not all databases use the system of phrase searching so in order to be efficient and accurate, find out how the database functions either through trial and error or clicking the 'help' function, as stated previously.(University of Cape Town)
 * 1) Phrase searching example: "//Steve Jobs//"

How does Phrase Searching help?
As the above examples illustrate, phrase searching is a useful and effective tool to use when in need of specific results. It is best used when searching for things such as quotes, excerpts, or lyrics. Phrase searching finds your exact words instead of putting an “and” in between them as seen below:

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The example below uses a phrase from the movie Inception:

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"//You should walk away from this//"

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">__Figure 1:__ Results generated when the phrase "You should walk away from this" is typed into google WITHOUT quotation marks or parentheses. <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Note that only one of the top results refers to the movie Inception, and all other results refer to a variety of topics. Thus, without quotation marks or parentheses, the search engine generates unrelated and perhaps unwanted results.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Figure 2 shows the same phrase, but this time kept together with quotation marks.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">__Figure 2:__ Results generated when phrase 'you should walk away from this' is typed into google WITH quotation marks <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">

As you can see, there are a greater number of results identifying the quote from the movie Inception, and the foremost result quickly finds the quote needed and the total number of results is much much less, there by increasing the effectiveness of your seach! <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Figure 2 clearly exemplifies how phrase searching narrows down search results and allows for users to navigate through less results if necessary.

The Table above shows the essential advantages and disadvantages of phrase searching. Remember to make sure that the phrase inserted is always exactly in that order with the exact words, or else the results will be incorrect.
 * = Advantages ||= Disadvantages ||
 * < * Specifies Results
 * Removes all unnecessary findings
 * Places phrases in the correct context ||< * Limits Results
 * Only shows results exactly to phrase
 * Results may not show what you are looking for depending on the phrase you enter ||

** Examples of Phrase Searching on Different Search Engines: **
<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Using Phrase Searching on Google

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">"By putting double quotes around a set of words, you are telling Google to consider the exact words in that exact order without any change. Google already uses the order and the fact that the words are together as a very strong signal and will stray from it only for a good reason, so quotes are usually unnecessary. When using phrase searching you might be miss out on good results. For example, a search for [ "Alexander Bell" ] (with quotes) will miss the pages that refer to Alexander G. Bell." (Google) This is an example of a disadvantage of phrase searching. <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">-Google's Search Basics Page

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Phrase Searching is best used in Google, because Google is a very reliable search engine. As the pictures in this page demonstrate, phrase searching works very will if you are looking for quotes from movies. However, Google can also find lyrics, quotes from books, or even conversations and speeches.

Using Phrase Searching on JSTOR

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Just like phrase searching on Google, quotation marks (" ") would need to be put at the beginning and end of search/quote. Once this is done, you will find search results that have exactly the quote you are looking for. Using the example from the book by Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God, searching for the quote from the book "they mocked everything human in death" would only show results directly from the book only if you search of it with quotation marks on both sides.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Using Phrase Searching on EBSCO

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Similar to the first two above, EBSCO is another effective resource. However, you may not find the same results by using the Zora Neale Hurston example above because EBSCO focuses more on articles written with a news/historical perspective as opposed to literary works. Also similar to other search engines are the downsides to phrase searching. For example, if one were to search "Plague Bananas" there would be many articles on the plague Bananas, and other related subjects. However if one was to search "Bananas Plague" there actually wouldn't be any results. So be careful about what phrases you search and with the order that you type in the words of your phrase!

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Using Phrase Searching on World Book The difference between World Book and other Search Engines is that World Book contains information similar to that of an encyclopedia. Therefore, lyrics, quotes, and excerpts will be hard to find. However, phrase searching still remains a helpful skill because it allows for users to find topics faster. For example, [Alexander Bel] will result in numerous pages, the first and foremost being about Alexander Graham Bell, and the next being about the telephone. However, ["Alexander Bell"] will only provide the first result, thus cutting down the number of results and presenting the essential page.

** How to use Phrase Searching: **
<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">__Step 1:__ Go to a search engine or a database (i.e. Google, EBSCO, JSTOR, World Book) <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">__Step 2:__ Put a phrase in parentheses or quotation marks. Ensure that the parentheses/quotes contain the exact phrase such as “You should walk away from this!” -- which is a quote from the movie, Inception or “They mocked everything human in death"- a quote from the novel- Their Eyes Were Watching God. Make sure that the words you enter are not separated by symbols (+/-) or ‘AND’ ‘NOT’ ‘OR’ [boolean technique] and that it only contains your phrase. <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">__Step 3:__ View your results!

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">

**<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Works Cited **
<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Dakota State University. Phrase Searching. 16 September 2010 <http://www.departments.dsu.edu/library/Tutorial/Module2/phrase.htm>.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Google. More search help : Google search basics - Web Search Help. 20 September 2010 <http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=136861>.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Monash University. Phrase Searching. 26 September 2003. 16 September 2010 <http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/vl/edb/edb11.htm>.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">University of Cape Town. Searching tool: Phrase searching. 16 September 2010 <http://www.lib.uct.ac.za/infolit/phrase.htm>.