|
Search Engine Savvy - Tips
for your Genealogy Search
You will find soon enough that search engines on
the internet can be a powerful tool in your search for family
history. Because most of them have such an enormous index of
information, searches for surnames and family names can result in
useful information. You see, search engines get their indexes from
"spiders" that explore websites and index words that are
in the pages. They are doing this constantly and thus will be able
to help you find the information about your family you are looking
for, hopefully.
There are drawbacks to using a search engine for your search. The
same thing that makes them great can also make them a source of a
lot of frustration for you as you trace your family's genealogy.
There are so many results that are possible when using a search
engine that there is no way you can figure out which sites are
good ones for what you need and which are not. So unless you enjoy
having to search on hundreds of thousands of links yourself, you
can find search engines to be as frustrating as anything. Here are
a few tips, though, to making your search engine search a positive
experience as you put together a family tree.
The first step in using a search engine to its fullest potential
with your genealogical search is to know your search engine math.
The math refers to the use of two operators: add (+) and subtract
(-). Proper use of these symbols in a search engine can make your
search much easier. Most search engines support them and they are
much easier for most people to learn or keep track of than the
traditional "Boolean" operators, like AND, NOT, and OR.
When you use the + symbol you are telling the search engine to
find sites or pages that include each word connected by the
symbol. If you use the - symbol, you will be telling the engine to
look for sites with the first word, but not for sites with any
words following the symbol
Another valuable search engine technique is the
use of wild card searches. Wild card searches are those that allow
you to enter a certain character (can be a % or * in many cases)
in order to expand your search to plurals and spelling variations
of the word. Many names are spelled a number of ways, and in fact
many families were very loose with how they spelled their names if
you go back a few generations. If you are able to effectively use
wild card searches then you will be able to include these
variations and find everything you need. You will also save
yourself time by not having to search each and every spelling of
every surname for which you are searching.
Once you have wild card and search engine math down pat, then you
can start to narrow your searches other ways. First, consider
including given names with surnames in order to get more specific
hits. Looking up Fred Murray is bound to get you more pertinent
sites than just searching Murray. Also, try looking at searching
for names in your family that are not as common. This will help
you to narrow your search even further. In addition to using given
names with surnames, try including place names. If you look for
your family name, a given name, and then where that person was
born you are much more likely to have a return on your search that
will help you than you are if you do not specify. You may find a
number of returns that are not of the person you are looking for,
whereas if you use a place you are much more likely to find out
what that person did in that area and thus have more information.
Using search engines can be a great way to get your genealogy
search going. The massive amount of information available through
websites, though, can make using them somewhat daunting. To make
them more useable and focused, try centering your searches with
some of the tips above. Learn your search engine math and
understand how to narrow a search when you use it. Before you know
it, you will be a search engine wiz.
|
