Tips for Effective Online Research

In university, I learned some very helpful tips to find optimal results in a search engine in a course I took on research skills. I understand the frustration of not finding what you're looking for or having to search through irrelevant results. It's bound to happen because search engines can't read your mind. They'll look up whatever you type, but the results may not always be what you want.

For Particular Phrases

Don't you hate it when you search for a phrase or a first and last name of a person, only to come up with results that show the phrase or name broken up?

Example:

Instead of finding the keyword sequence you want: "Terrence May is at it again," you get search results like this: "May 25 - Sylvia meets Terrence")

There is an easy way to avoid this. Put quotation marks around the phrase you want to search for: "Terrence May"

This is an important tip for phrases that search engines will easily confuse, like the month May for the last name May and also for phrases that a search engine will have difficulty picking up for whatever reason. But it's also a good tip for any search as you won't have to sift through any broken up phrases as you skim your results.

For Multiple Phrases or Words

If you type multiple phrases in one search, you will find that the words in each phrase often will not appear in the order you want them to. Words may show up in topics you were not searching for.

You want to find search results on carpet bags and parakeets but get results on how to clean parakeet urine out of a carpet.

Solution? Separate your search terms with brackets.

Example: (carpet bags) (parakeets)

Type AND to break up phrases if you want the search engine to show results for the phrase as it appears and to show the results of all the phrases or words you search. This is especially important for search results that would otherwise not necessarily include everything that you type into the search field. Remember to separate the search terms with brackets.

For example: (popcorn) AND (hamster dance)

Type OR when you are typing multiple search terms in one search to find what you are looking for. This is a good tip for finding results on the same topic or meaning under different synonyms, abbreviations or acronyms to find results. Use the brackets!

 Example: (canine) OR (dog)

I hope these tips will help you as much as they've helped me. There are millions and millions -- well, probably even more websites.  Why not make your searching more efficient? It will probably save you from having to search through page after page of results and sifting through irrelevant stuff to find what you're looking for. Happy searching!

Intern, No More.

Check out my last post for my Communications intern blog for the Association of Ontario Health Centres! I interviewed the Community Health Promoter for Planned Parenthood Toronto about a workshop she was planning for the international community health centre conference in Toronto.

Lady Gaga, Let's Dance... I Mean Let's Talk

Toronto is aflutter with activities downtown this weekend. Taste of Italy food festival, Luminato arts festival, Much Music Video Awards featuring ... Lady Gaga. I watched Lady Gaga's performance of her new single "Edge of Glory" and as usual, was unamused. What a terrible song. Seriously.

The thing I don't get about Lady Gaga is that her brand of eccentricity is what sells people on her, yet there's nothing eccentric about her. Her music is just stale pop, nothing unique or complex about it. She just masquerades as an eccentric with her crazy make up, hair and costumes.

People seem to identify with her because she is the voice of the weirdo, the alienated teen who nobody understands. But it's just so... contrived. The probable irony is that Lady Gaga's brand is manufactured, or at least pushed constantly, despite little substance or quality to back it up, but her brand is also about fighting against norms and being yourself. Ha!

Look, I like some Lady Gaga songs and I don't have a problem with her fans. I just can't stand people masquerading as something they aren't, especially to make money, perpetuating misunderstandings about what unique artistry is. Just take it for what it is: cheesy pop music with a a flamboyant shell.

I've heard people compare Lady Gaga to Bjork, a true original and a musical genius, and I laugh and puke a little inside.

Beauty Narrowly Defined

In this Fashables post, the male author says that a skin care clerk at a major department store asked him “Do you need something to help with the dark circles under your eyes?”
The author asked his women readers if we were okay with this sort of question. I think we are. How many women dye their grey hair or try to prevent or conceal their wrinkles with cream? Age is a demon. We desperately try to escape from it.

I believe the aesthetics industry has cultivated a strategy to encourage women to buy products by defining natural qualities as ugly or unhealthy. We see it in commercials. Check out this Oil of Olay commercial in which the model encourages women to "stop the battle against aging."



Maybe this is radical, but I think the media has conditioned women to feel ugly or inadequate. Beauty is narrowly defined, but something women must have.

I'm sure there's more to it than that, but this Fashables post really got me thinking. The author seemed to understand that we women are okay with insults. We're okay with people treating us like we have imperfections that need to be improved. Most people don't seem to react negatively to commercials like the Oil of Olay one I just showed you.

I am not okay with it and not just because I find it very offensive and harmful to women's confidence; I find qualities that come with aging attractive. I look forward to getting wrinkles. They will show I've laughed a lot in my life. I already have about five grey hairs and I love them. I am not against women trying to hide the signs of aging; I just think we need to re-examine our perception about what is beautiful and healthy. I am not okay with the insults, with this idea that my skin needs a hero or a doctor.

I suppose this would be easier if age discrimination didn't exist or if traditional beauty didn't afford such great privilege.

Katy Perry: Last Friday Night

Katy Perry performing with Kenny G and Hanson? Yep. Check out her new music video! Look for Rebecca Black of "Friday" Youtube fame, eighties icons Debbie Gibson and Corey Feldman and a dude from Glee making appearances also. It's a fun, catchy song! Do I sense a summer hit?

Katy Perry's Last Friday Night Music Video from Katy Perry

Celebrating Community Health with Buffy Sainte Marie

I'm here at the international community health centre conference: Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow as the social media central help table/internet cafe supervisor. We have had a live Spout feed displaying on a large screen Tweets people have shared with the official conference Twitter hashtag: #CHC2011 This Spout feed and other efforts of the social media team has interested many attendees who had never used Twitter or didn't know much about it. Lots of people come to my table where I give them training on the basics of Twitter and inform them about the hashtags and usernames associated with the conference and community health centres in general.

I keep searching #CHC2011 on Twitter to check out the many Tweets that continue to pop up there, Tweeted by conference attendees and staff. I urge you check them out too.

The conference video team, seated in the table beside mine, have conducted interviews of conference attendees who are doing great things for community health, including winners of awards given by the Association of Ontario Health Centres, where I have recently my communications internship. (I have stayed on to help the Assocation put on the conference.) My grades are in and I am a graduate of the Corporate Communications and Public Relations Post-Grad certificate program at Centennial College!

And I celebrated completing my program and working at a successful conference when Buffy Sainte Marie performed at the conference last night! She was amazing!!!



Then my colleagues and I danced the night away. Oh, and we had a great four course meal too...

The conference ends tomorrow. Then I seek employment as a communications and public relations professional.

New Bjork Song!

A teaser from Bjork driving her car and playing her first song off her new album.


björk - road to crystalline from Björk on Vimeo.

I am such a big fan. So excited. This kind of sounds like some of her older stuff. It reminds me of her Homogenic album for some reason... What do you think?

PS I want her coat.