Hint: Get more credible websites/information...Google.com > Advanced Search > Search within a site or domain > .edu, .gov

Note: An “updated date” on a web page does not necessarily mean the information was created or updated on that date…it could just reflect a corrected typo.

Be specific...and help you bring the most relevant results to the top.

Search only for pages within a particular domain (site:)...limit results to a particular top-level domain (e.g. site:edu or site:gov).

Use quotation marks for phrases...if some or all of the words you type in belong together to constitute a phrase, put them in quotation marks. (If you don’t, Google will look for those words anywhere in the webpage, and not necessarily together.)

Word order matters...altering the order of your words can alter the number of results you get and the order in which they appear.

Search with the tilde (~)...allows you to automatically search for synonyms (for example, sustainability ~landscape finds words like garden and nature as well).

YouTube is a fantastic reference tool.  All types of video content is available on YouTube and online video can be used is as a reference tool. 

See NYT article: At First, Funny Videos. Now, a Reference Tool.

General Search Engines and Databases

These databases and search engines for databases will provide information from places on the Internet most typical search engines cannot.

• DeepDyve. One of the newest search engines specifically targeted at exploring the deep web, this one is available after you sign up for a free membership.
• OAIster. Search for digital items with this tool that provides 12 million resources from over 800 repositories.
• direct search. Search through all the direct search databases or select a specific one with this tool.
• CloserLook Search. Search for information on health, drugs and medicine, city guides, company profiles, and Canadian airfares with this customized search engine that specializes in the deep web.
• Northern Light Search. Find information with the quick search or browse through other search tools here.
• CompletePlanet. With over 70,000 databases and search engines at its disposal, this is an excellent resource for searching the deep web.
• The Scout Archives. This database is the culmination of nine years’ worth of compiling the best of the Internet.
• Daylife. Find news with this site that offers some of the best global news stories along with photos, articles, quotes, and more.
• Silobreaker. This tool shows how news and people in the news impacts the global culture with current news stories, corresponding maps, graphs of trends, networks of related people or topics, fact sheets, and more.
• spock. Find anyone on the web who might not normally show up on the surface web through blogs, pictures, social networks, and websites here.
• The WWW Virtual Library. One of the oldest databases of information available on the web, this site allows you to search by keyword or category.
• pipl. Specifically designed for searching the deep web for people, this search engine claims to be the most powerful for finding someone.