#referencelibrarian

[that-librarian-geek]

Advanced Searching

It’s been one week since I started this blog and I have already received so much support and encouragement. Thank you to everyone who has liked or reblogged a post and those who follow me!

The topic today will be about advanced search features, specifically Boolean operators and search modifiers. I will start by explaining what an advanced search is, how Boolean operators work, and how search modifiers change how words and phrases are searched. The resources at the bottom of the page include visual aids that might be helpful.

Advanced Searches

A typical search includes 1-3 keyword. This is generally called “keyword searching.”  An advanced search builds on this by specifying what the search engine should be doing with those keywords. On most websites, there will be a link to the advanced search page near the search bar. Google’s advanced search page is under the “settings” tab on the search result page.

The great thing about advanced search pages is that it will do a lot of the work for you. However, they can’t do everything. Understanding Boolean operators and search modifiers will enable you to conduct targeted and effective searches.

Search Modifiers

Search modifiers tell the search engine how it should interpret the words in the search. For instance, it can be used to group a phrase together or search for multiple words at once. The 3 most common modifiers are: “_”,*, and ( ).

Let’s say my cat ate chewed on a tiger lily flower in my house. I now need to know if I should take her to the vet or if tiger lily is a safe flower for cats. If I look at the keywords in that query, I would search for “cat tiger lily veterinarian.” This is a bad query because this search could result in results about tigers, flowers, or vets. Search engines have improved but are not perfect. The only way to guarantee the search engine performs the right search is to explicitly instruct it to.

“”

Quotations are used to group multiple words together as one phrase. If I want to specifically search for tiger lilies, I need to put “tiger lily” in quotations.

*

The asterisk informs the search engine to include all words that start with the word typed in. This process is called “truncation.” I could search for “tiger lil*” in order to include both the singular and plural form of the word.

()

Parentheses are similar to quotations but have some significant differences. It groups the keywords together. However, it does not limit them to being a phrase. They are primarily used with Boolean operators so I’ll explain this more later.

This instructs the search engine on how the words should be interpreted but not how they should interact.

Boolean Operators

Boolean operators are used to clarify the relationship between keywords in a search. There are 4 operators: AND, OR, and NOT. Most search engines exclude these words when typed into the search bar. Using all-caps informs the search engine that these words are operators.

AND:

The database should search for websites that have all of the keywords. It is the more targeted search. Cat AND “tiger lil*” will ensure that results will be limited to pages that have both.

OR:

The search results will be websites that have at least one of the keywords and is the default setting for most search engines. It is useful for searching multiple synonyms at once. The search query Cat OR feline will search for websites that have at least one of these two words.

This is where the parenthesis come into play. If I searched “tiger lil*” AND (cat OR feline), I would be given results for anything that uses the word “cat” or “feline,” in addition to “tiger lil*.” Other examples would be (“tiger lil* AND cat) OR (tiger lil* AND feline). That is a bit clunky but would technically work.

NOT:

This excludes any search results that contain that word. For example, I might want to exclude the word “cougar” if there is a popular article about a cougar needing to be hospitalized after eating plants. So that search might be cat AND “tiger lil*” NOT cougar.

The links at the bottom give more visual aids to understand how to use these and are handy to keep around for quick reference.

FURTHER READING

MIT Search Guide

Boolean Operators: A Cheat Sheet

Boolean operators - YouTube Video

[that-librarian-geek]

Search Strategies - Keywords

Last week I wrote about conducting advanced searches with search modifiers and Boolean operators. This week, I am taking a step back and writing about developing search strategies. A search strategy, simply defined, is the method used to find resources relevant to your topic. Search strategies have 4 steps: 1 - discovering what interests you; 2 -  writing search queries; 3 -  evaluating the results, and 4 - reformulating the search queries. This post will cover the first 2 steps. I will cover the basics of step 3 next week.

Step 1: Discovering what interests you

Finding a topic to research can sometimes be the most difficult step in the research process. Sometimes you know exactly what you are interested in but oftentimes, you don’t. Even if you know the general topic, narrowing it down to a specific focus can be a struggle. My suggestion for people stuck at the very first step is to read through some Wikipedia articles. They are generally succinct, provide a decent overview, and link to similar or intersecting topics. 

Let’s say I am interested in Spanish cuisine. This is a giant topic that can be viewed from social science, gastronomical, or psychological lenses. Am I interested in historical or contemporary dishes? Am I interested in the regional variants - and if so, which ones? The more narrow the focus, the more precise and interesting the research.

There are many ways to develop a research focus.

Research forms (x,x,x,x)

Concept maps/mental mapping (x,x)

Event maps/5 W’s: who, what, when, where, why (x,x)

Step 2: Writing the search queries

Once you know what your specific topic and research focus is, I always suggest writing questions. These will automatically give you some keywords to start with. Let’s say I am trying to find some history about Spanish cuisine. The question then would be, “What is the history of Spanish cuisine?” Right there I have three keywords to start with: “history,” “Spanish,” and “cuisine.” These are the words I would then want to use in the search engine. 

I might find everything I am looking for with that first search. Most likely, however, I won’t. I might become interested in a specific dish, region, era, etc. I would then create additional questions. One of the best ways is to take the original keywords and find similar words or synonyms that might provide different results. Thesaurus.com is a great resource for finding more words.

Instead of “cuisine,” I might search diet, food, or dishes. Alternatively, I might search for specific dishes: paella, chorizo, salmorejo, etc.

Instead of “history,” I might search “origin” or a specific era.

Instead of “Spanish,” I might search “Iberian.” 

Each variation will lead to different results. 

Once you have those keywords, you can start constructing search queries using the strategies covered in the Advanced Searching post.

FURTHER READING

Search Term Generator

Picking a Research Topic Guide

Research Tutorial

[that-librarian-geek]

What’s the best way for me to find articles/books on the intersections of LGBTQ+ identity and Jewishness - including articles talking about religiousness and LGBTQ+ theory?

Hi @homotorah,  thanks for asking me a question! This question is definitely an in-depth one. Jewish Studies and Sexuality/Queer Studies  are two disciplines that are chronically underfunded. These are topics that are not generally combined into one. I suggest searching Open Educational Resources (OER), which are academic resources that have free content. In this case, I am specifically interested in Open Access Journals (OAJ) that might have some cross-over. Here are a few websites that have comprehensive lists of journals:

Directory of Open Access Journals

Digital Commons Network

Taylor and Francis Online Open Access Journals

Open Access Queer Studies Resources

Wiley Open Access Journals

There are more OAJs but these are good starting points.

Not all of these have effective advanced search features. Since there is not a Queer Jewish Studies journal, I tried a different search method. I searched Google for “Jewish studies open access journals” and then went through the results. I searched “LGBT” in the Jewish Studies journals to find articles that intersect the two topics.  are a list of journals that included overlap:

Journal of Modern Jewish Studies

Journal of Jewish Identities

This method is cumbersome and only really useful for someone who loves the search as much as the finding. I suggest using Google Scholar to find articles.  While I plan to write about this great resource later, here is a library guide made by the University of Pittsburgh that is very comprehensive.

Finally, I suggest seeking out a subject specialist. This can be a rabbi or a librarian who has knowledge of both. Check out the library if you live near a state school. All state schools must grant some access to their resources to community members. It varies by person but some librarians are willing to help community members. Don’t be afraid to ask! Librarians love getting to work with people on their research.

There are two LGBTQ synagogues: Beit Simchat Torah in New York and Beth Chayim Chadashim in Los Angeles. The rabbis in those institutions would likely have some resources for you. But, really, your Google Drive is the best Jewish resource I’ve seen. Congrats on all the great research!

This did not address books because, frankly, I was unable to find any that you do not already have. I hope these will help. Feel free to ask more questions.

[that-librarian-geek]

Search Engines 2.0

We use search engines every day. Generally, we are using keyword searches to find websites that provide information on a specific topic. However, search engines can do far more than basic searches. They have expanded their services through the years and can now conduct much more focused searches with a few tricks.

Modern search engines want to provide more than website links. They want to be so useful that you don’t even need to go to other websites. The information is on the search results page. In addition to displaying search results, most search engines include a box on the right side of the screen that gives basic information about the search terms. Each search engine will provide different information.

Location: Typing a location into a search engine will bring up information about the area such as a brief summary, weather, local times, and even flight and hotel costs.

Food: Search engines will provide basic information about an ingredient or recipe if you type the name into the search bar. While the kind of information will vary, it will typically give you the nutritional value, suggest recipes, provide relevant videos, and link to similar searches.

Math:Type a math question into the search bar and it will give you the answer. Typing “calculator” will bring up a scientific calculator for more complex math problems.

Unit conversion: Search engines can convert one unit to another, ex: oz to lb, inch to foot, etc. Simply type in the units you want to convert. Ex: 16 oz to lb = 1 lb

Define: typing in a single word will bring up a definition and offer synonyms or antonyms.

Hopefully these new tricks will make it even easier to find relevant information. Send me an ask if you have any further questions.

FURTHER READING

Google Advanced Search Operators Cheat Sheet

Boolean Operators

Search Engine Strategies

Best Search Engines of 2019 (because Google is not the only useful search engine!)

[that-librarian-geek]

Hi! Can you help me find free sewing resources for learning how to do pattern-making and alterations?

Hi @avital-mi-beit​, thanks for asking me a question today! I can certainly help you find some free resources for pattern-making and alterations. Here are a list of books and websites that can help you develop your sewing skills.

Books

It sounds like you might be experienced with sewing. However, it is always a good idea to have some of the basics on hand. These are also helpful for anyone who is just starting out:

Encyclopedia of Sewing by Adele P Margolis

This book was originally published in 1987 but Margolis just published a new edition that has received many good reviews.

Debbie Shore’s Sewing Room Secrets: Machine Sewing by Debbie Shore

Debbie Shore has published over 40 books about sewing. This one is a good starting point for someone who is just starting to use sewing machines.

Beginners Guide to Mastering the Art of Sewing: A Visual Step By Step Guide to Using Sewing Machine for Kids & Grownups by Joyce Bowers

I chose to include this book in the list because it is the only one that is meant to be accessible to both adults and children.

Here are some books specifically about patterns and alteration:

Fit for Real People: Sew Great Clothes Using ANY Patternby Pati Palmer

This book details how to alter tissue paper patterns. It takes into account how to make clothing more flattering on a variety of body types.

Design-It-Yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplifiedby Cal Patch

This book will teach you how to create patterns from scratch. Since coming out in 2009, it has over 400 reviews on Good Reads with an average of 3.97.

And, please, do yourself a favor and get these from the library. You typically only need these for a short while and some of these books cost over $50. Copyright laws allow library patrons to scan book pages so long as they are for personal reference. This is much more cost-effective and efficient.

Websites

Pattern Review Sewing Forum and Message Board

I am a strong believer that forums can be the best places to learn new skills, share ideas, and find community resources.

So Sew Easy

This website is run by a life-long sewing enthusiast. It includes tutorials, patterns, blog posts, and many other interesting articles about all-things sewing.

Sew Daily

This is the website for the Sew News magazine, which has been publishing articles for more than 35 years.

I hope these help! Feel free to ask follow-up questions.

[that-librarian-geek]

How do I find reliable and accurate medical information on the web? There’s so much misinformation.

Hi @chibi-oneiros, thank you for asking me a question today! Finding free medical resources that are both reliable and accurate can be tricky. There are many websites that seem to be reputable but are actually full of falsehoods and misinformation. First, I am going to explain my method of evaluating a health website, list some websites that you can trust, and then some resources that will empower you to evaluate a website for yourself.

There are three things to keep in mind when looking at a website:

Bias - How is this website generating income? Is there a conflict of interest? Check the website's “about” page to see if the website is sponsored by a company that might influence what information is displayed and from which angles. A reputable website will be very transparent about its funding, sponsorship, and credentials. It is a huge red flag if there is not an “about” page, or if the page is vague.

Authority - What is the author’s background? Do they hold degrees that are relevant to the topic? Searching their name in a search engine can be a great way to find information about people. Many professionals, for example, use LinkedIn. This website is designed to act as a resume so it often includes employment and educational history.

Research - What studies are the author referring to when they are discussing health issues? If the studies are more than 3 years old, it might already be out of date information. Are the research studies discussed published in academic journals? Typing the name of an article into a search engine can be very illuminating. Sometimes studies are misrepresented and very occasionally, do not exist at all.

These three considerations are great starting points to evaluating any website, but especially one that is medical in nature.

Websites

MedlinePlusThis website is operated by the National Institute of Health. This is a government agency that is funded entirely by tax dollars. It only shares information that has been scientifically-proven and published in a journal that put all articles through a strict evaluation process before publishing. This a great site for general health information. Articles are grouped by bodily function, disorders and conditions, diagnosis and treatment, and health concerns specific to certain populations. All of the pages are available in English and Spanish.

Office of Dietary SupplementsThis office is part of the National Institute of Health. The reason I promote this website is that it covers a topic that is not well-researched. There are very few regulations about how dietary supplements are developed, produced, and sold. Certain supplements have dangerous side effects and can be out-right poisonous. The website has fact sheets on hundreds of common supplements so will likely be useful for anyone who uses or is interested in using dietary supplements. Again, this site is available in English and Spanish.

Johns Hopkins HealthJohns Hopkins is one of the most respected medical research universities in the country. It has been conducting medical research for over 100 years and it credited with many of the medical advances that defined the 20th century. Therefore, any information on their website has been closely examined by some of the best trained professionals in the field. This website covers all of the general health information expected but also includes a section about being a caregiver for people with chronic illnesses. Unfortunately, the website is only available in English.

FURTHER READING

These resources provide more in-depth suggestions about evaluating health information found online.

How to find the Best Medical Information Online

Evaluating Health Information

Finding Reliable Health Information Online

Please let me know if you have further questions.

[that-librarian-geek]

Hey can you show me how to find reliable sources for how to identify local plants, especially for purposes of finding edible plants in the wild? Also, how to safely harvest them without harming the environment or wildlife?

Hi @avital-mi-beit, thank you for asking me a question today! Urban foraging -  the practice of harvesting edible plants within cities and towns - is a popular practice for those who seek to reduce their dependence on buying food from grocery stores and want to have a deeper connection to the local environment. There are some hazards to this practice that should be avoided. Misidentification can lead to food poisoning, over harvesting can damage the local environment, and plants might have been sprayed with pesticides that should not be consumed. Thankfully, there are many resources to help negate these risks.

Resources under the cut:

Websites

Ethical Harvesting 101

This is a great starting point for people who are just starting out. It includes safety tips, tips on harvesting in environmentally-safe ways, and general information about harvesting. This is a good source if you are curious about urban harvesting.

Urban Foraging: The Ultimate in Local Eating

This guide is more comprehensive than the one listed above. It would be a great starting point for people who would like to start urban harvesting immediately. It also has articles on similar topics.

Ultimate Foraging Guide - Edible Wild Plants and Food, Benefits, and Dangers

I am including this link because in addition to providing basic information, it also includes a comprehensive list of edible plants.

Foraging Subreddit

This is a popular forum with over 41,000 members. I highly recommend it for anyone who is urban foraging as a way to connect with a larger community and find valuable tips and advice.

Apps

Plantsnap

This is an app that is available for other iPhones and Android phones. Simply take a picture of a plant and the app will search its database of over 500,000 plants to identify about the plant in question. There are other similar apps but this one has the biggest database. I tried it and found that it was fairly accurate.

Wild Food Map

This app is available through Android and iPhone. It also has a website that you can use. The app describes itself as a “community-based resource to discover, identify and engage with the plants around us.” In addition to identifying plants, it also allows you to note the spot on a public map. This seems to be US-based but I am sure there are other such apps for other countries.

Books

Dandelion Hunter: Foraging the Urban Wildernessby Rebecca Lerner

The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer

Backyard Foraging: 65 Familiar Plants You Didn’t Know You Could Eat by Ellen Zachos

For more reading, refer to the Popular Foraging Books list on Goodreads.

[that-librarian-geek]

I've noticed a lot of essential oil posts and home remedy posts going around tumblr and I wanted to know: what's the best way to find medically accurate, safe information on these topics? Because playing around with some of these can be very dangerous!

Hi, anon! Thank you for sending me this question.

Essential oils can be great for many things. However, they are often touted as safe for consumption and medicinal uses. They can be true in many cases. However, used incorrectly, they can be fatal to both humans and pets. Finding reliable resources is vital to ensure that the oils are being used properly.

Resources listed under the cut:

Generally speaking, blogs are a great place to find new ideas but are not always as authoritative on a topic as they may seem. There are two tricks that will instantly indicate how authoritative a website is. The most telling indicator is that the other articles linked are click bait.Click bait is an instant marker of a website that has the goal of increasing visits rather than disseminating accurate information. The other is the author. If no author is listed, this is an immediate red flag. If there is an author, their authority on the subject can be determined by searching their name and seeing if they have any credentials.

For instance, an article on lifehack.org claims that new scientific studies show that essential oils might cure cancer. There are a few instant indicators that this article might not be trustworthy. It relies on testimonials rather than citing scientific studies. It also references doctors who died over 40 years ago and did not research cancer. For the record, the author of the article linked above is a content writer with no medical training.

Here are sources that can be trusted:

WebMD

WebMD is an independent company that does not take funding from pharmaceutical or medical companies. This enables them to provide  information from a more neutral position. Furthermore, WebMD is transparent about their policies on advertisements, editing, corrections, and is transparent about any sponsored content on their “about” page. The title link leads to a list of over 4,000 articles about essential oils.

WebAroma

This website has founded and led by Wendy Robbins. She holds a degree from American College of Healthcare Sciences, which is accredited both the Department of Education and  Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). She is also a member of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) and Alliance of International Aromatherapists (AIA). Both of those non-profit organizations seek to establish standards for the use and research of essential oils.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

This institute is a part of the National Institutes of Health, which is one of the largest medical research agencies in the US. It is backed by the Department of Health and Human Services.

These three resources take funding from different sources and have very different missions. This can help triangulate information and together can provide a comprehensive understanding of essential oils.