KYVL: Information Skills Tutorial, Unit 1: Capitalization
Using Search Engines
Information Skills Tutorial
Unit 1: Web Basics
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Topic: Capitalization

Overview
Lesson
Example
Quiz


Overview

Using upper or lower case letters in your search can make a difference to what you find.
Lesson

Some search engines are case sensitive. AltaVista, Hotbot, Infoseek and Snap are case sensitive. Northernlight, Excite, Google, Lycos and Webcrawler are not. A good rule is to get used to using appropriate capitalization when you need to focus your search precisely.
If your aim is to find everything you possibly can on your topic, then use lower case, even for proper nouns. This will broaden your search.

In addition, it is advisable to use a variety of different search engines.


Example

    Where capitalization is appropriate:
  • "John Kerry"
  • "Brady Bill"
  • OK Corral
  • National Rifle Association
  • AK47 OR Glock
    These are specific proper names. By using capitalization (as well as quotation marks, etc.) you may achieve greater precision in your search.

    Where lower case is more useful:
  • "gun clubs" colorado
  • mcdonalds shootings
  • doberman pinscher
    These are more generalized subject searches where capitalization is not necessary. They will allow a broader search with a higher retrieval rate.

Quiz

  • If you want to find the most Web sites which would be the best search? Put these in order from the one that would find the MOST sites to the one that would find the LEAST.




    Unit 1: 9 of 15


    • Last Updated: 05/11/2000
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