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01 My Digital World - Lesson 2

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34 views5 pages

01 My Digital World - Lesson 2

Uploaded by

ladejosamira
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Computer Science UK Key Stage 3 Computing

My Digital World – Smart Searching


Introduction
Considering that there are billions of webpages on the world wide web, have you ever
wondered how search engines can produce a list of relevant webpages, within
milliseconds, when you carry out a web search? Let’s find out how they work!

How Search Engines Work


Search engines, such as Google, have a big database (index) containing millions of
webpage addresses. This database is constantly being updated and developed by
software bots called ‘spiders’, which crawl from webpage to webpage, scanning page
content and sending back details such as the different words that the pages contain and
how many times they appear. These details are then added to the database alongside
the relevant webpage’s address
When you type a search term into a search engine, the system doesn’t actually try to visit
all the websites of the web, sifting through them to see which ones best match your
search term, as quickly as it can. Instead, the system actually searches the search
engine’s humungous database, for all webpage addresses that contain your search term
and the results are then listed for you, a few milliseconds later.
The selected webpages are then ranked so that the pages which contain information
most related to your search term, are placed towards the top of the list.

Advanced Searching Tips – Boolean Operators


When we search the web, we can use some special ‘operators’ to help either open up or
narrow down our search, for the information that we need.

A Normal Google Search


If we type in the search term Cheddar Cheese, the search engine will find all webpages
which contain the words CHEDDER and CHEESE (but not necessarily together), and
ignores pages that have the word CHEDDAR (but not CHEESE) and ignores pages that
have the word CHEESE (but not
CHEDDAR).

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Advanced Google Search – The OR Operator

If we type in the search term Cheddar OR Cheese, the search engine will find all
webpages which contain the words CHEDDER and CHEESE (but not necessarily together),
and also the pages that have the word CHEDDAR (but not CHEESE) and also the pages
that have the word
CHEESE (but not
CHEDDAR). This operator
therefore helps us open up
our search.

Advanced Google Search – The Minus Sign Operator


If we type in the search term Cheddar -Cheese, the search engine will find all webpages
which have the word CHEDDAR (but not CHEESE). It will ignore all pages which contain
the words CHEDDER and
CHEESE and ignore the
pages that have the word
CHEESE. This operator can
therefore help us narrow
down a search.

Advanced Google Search


– Quotes
If we type in the search term “Cheddar Cheese”, using quotes, the search engine will find
all webpages which have the word CHEDDAR and CHEESE together as a phrase. This is
often really helpful to narrowing down search results.

TASKS
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1: In your own words, explain how search engines work.

2: Complete the table below by doing the following tasks for each row of the table:

1) Go onto www.google.com and type in the search term exactly as it is written.


2) Write down your findings.

Search Term Write down your findings

River Otter

River OR Otter

River -Otter

“River Otter”

3: Extension

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The following database is from a Google search engine.


Candid Name Surnam Address Town Country Postcod Tutor Tutor Year
ate e e Group Name Group
Number
0001 Fred Smith 23 The Basings Hampshir RG22 SJR Mrs 6th Form
road toke e 3FG Robson
0002 Sally Jones 32 Basings Hampshir RG23 SLH Mrs Year 9
Plesant toke e 4SD Robson
Street
0003 George Dotts 345 Readin Berkshire RG1 SLH Miss Year 10
Boundry g 4CV Hickson
Street
0004 Joyce Handel 2 Pickle Berkshire RG2 SLH Mrs 6th Form
Avenue 8NM Robson
0005 Mabel Pickles The Old Gilford Surrey GU8 SJR Mrs 6th Form
Post 5GT Robson
Code
0006 Harry Simpson 45 Basings Hampshir RG24 PJT Mr Year 11
Foundry toke e 6YU Tompso
Road n
0007 Xander Erikson Flat 3 Readin Berkshire RG23 SLH Miss Year 10
Box Row g 2SD Hickson
0008 Arnold Holland 45 Guildfo Surrey GU1 5TY PJT Mr Year 11
Reading rd Tompso
Road n
0009 Lester Jakes 567 Basings Hampshir RG23 JKS Mr Patel Year 10
Tower toke e 4WQ
Street
0010 Jasmin Flood 3a The Basings Hampshir RG24 JKS Mr Patel Year 11
Cottage toke e 7BN

You are going to write a Google search using more than one Boolean operators ( NOT,
AND, OR).
Examples:
CandidateNumber = “0010”

Will select the details for that specific candidate

(Country =”Hamshire”) AND (TutorGroup = “SJR”)

Will select students who live in Hampshire and are in turor group SJR

Write the search to find students from tutor group SJR who also live in Hampshire and all
the students in tutor group JLH

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Write the search to find students who are in SJR and JLH and who also live in Hampshire.

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