GLE 120 Digging in: A Dialogue about Sustainability: Google

We all use Google to search for information on a daily basis. Google is an amazingly powerful tool that makes our lives easier but what Google pulls up can be faulty or erroneous. Here are some tips on how to better use Google: 

• Google generates results based upon popularity.
• Google results are defaulted at 10 results per page.  
• Simple language works best.  Google is not a fan of sarcasm or slang. 
• Most users will only use these results and not look subsequent pages.  
• Use Google shortcuts in your search such as:
• [ site:.edu ] : add this to your search and it will only search websites of the domain .edu.
• [ define: ] : provides the defintion of a word. 
• [ ~ ] : place in front of a word to also search for synonyms. 
• [ - ] : place in front of a word and it will search for results without that word.
• [ " " ] : will search for the exact phrase. 

The first place you should check for articles on your topic would be on of the databases the library has subscriptions to.  By searching in the Library's databases you are guarenteed access to the article or a streamlined Interlibrary Loan request.  (You can find these under the "Library Databases" tab of this LibGuide.)  

If you can't seem to find any articles that would fit your research in the Library's Databases, you can try Google Scholar.  Here are some tips and tricks on how to best use Google Scholar.   

When in Google Scholar you should sign in.  On the right-hand side of the main page of Google Scholar you should click on "Sign In" and, well, sign in.  

Once you are signed into Google Scholar you need to click on the "Settings" option.  

From here you should click on "Library Links" and trpe in "Franklin Pierce University" and check all of the boxes that come up and click Save.  Now you will be able to see what the DiPietro Library hold from Google Scholar.