Many search engines provide some reasonably sophisticated options to make a better search. Hopefully answering these questions will lead you to looking at some of the possibilities. Due next week.

www.yahoo.com Look at the advanced search specifications and then answer the following questions. The answer should include a picture or an explanation of a test you made using that option.

1. What does a + in front of a word mean?
2. What does a in front of a word mean?
3. What does t: in front of the word mean? What does a u: in front of the word mean?
4. Explain what putting a phrase in quotes accomplishes?
5. Explain wildcard matching using the *.

www.altavista.com Look at the basic search specifications and then answer the following questions. The answer should include a picture or an explanation of a test you made using that option.

1. Explain how to find a specific domain name or a specific title or a specific URL.
2. Explain the difference between natural language queries and exact phrases.
3. Explain case considerations.

www.altavista.com Look at the advanced text search specifications and then answer the following questions. The answer should include a picture or an explanation of a test you made using that option.

1. Give the symbol and explain the action for the Boolean operator AND.
2. Give the symbol and explain the action for the Boolean operator OR.
3. Give the symbol and explain the action for the Boolean operator NOT.
4. Give the symbol and explain the action for the Boolean operator NEAR.
5. Explain how to use ( ) to group complex Boolean phrases. Explain how AND and OR are resolved and give examples of

• cond1 and cond2 required or cond3 required
• cond1 and either cond2 or cond3
• cond1 and cond2 required and either cond3 or cond4

1. Explain ranking in the advanced search.
2. Explain the use of dates in the advanced search.