SEARCH STRATEGIES

• Be as specific as possible. If you want information on the migration of grey whales along the coast of California, use a search engine that allows the use of boolean operators and enter as many keywords as possible.

• Use multiple search engines. You will develop a preference for a certain engine and it may work well for you. Don't forget the other search engines and, from time to time, try another engine or a meta engine to ensure that you have achieved good coverage of the Internet.

• Read the "tips" files provided by most engines. You'll be surprised to find out little things that make life easier. For instance, AltaVista allows you to use the "+" symbol instead of writing out the word "AND" when you use boolean operators.