Google Search

Using Google search with your class...

There are images on Google labeled for reuse...free of copyright! How does one find them? Go to Google.com, click on images at the top, then on advanced search. At the bottom of the window you will see a drop-down menu next to Usage Rights. Open the menu and choose labeled for reuse. Even though these photos are labeled for reuse under Creative Common License or GNU Free documentation, one should give credit to the photographer if possible. The same process can be used for presentations or videos.

Have you ever wished search results could be displayed differently? Perhaps even graphically? No problem, Google has created the Wonder Wheel. In order to access this tool, go ahead and type in your search words and let Google search. To the left of the search results click on the show search tools link, then under Standard View you will see Wonder Wheel listed. A web will open in the center of the window. All the spokes on the wheel are clickable and lead to further, more specific search results.

Looking for something happening now? Google launched Realtime only last week!  http://www.google.com/realtime will provide up to the minute results. In fact, if a new source is found while you are still on the search results page, Google automatically adds it to the top of the list! Imagine doing a real time search for earthquakes, population growth, new books, catastrophic events, and then watching the latest information appear. It doesn't get any more real-world than this!

Perhaps you prefer to view your search results in a timeline. Type your search word(s) into Google Search.  To the left of the search results click on the show search tools link, then under Standard View you will see timeline. After clicking on timeline the search results will show the specified information on a timeline and a list in chronological order.

Looking for professional articles or want to search the U.S. Patents? Are you taking courses that require you to cite research? Are you conducting action research and simply wish to read what others have found? Try going to Google Scholar. Located within the Google Scholar search page. Like other Google searches, go ahead and type in your search key words. To the right of the key word box, there will be two options; advanced scholar search and scholar preferences. Click on scholar preferences. Here there are many options, one of which is to choose a school, such as Harvard, to search. Other options include language and my favorite, a citation choice! All you do is choose which citation site to import the information into and voila...your citation! I wish there had been something like this when I was writing so many papers for my classes.