Bender Helper Impact

As I complete my final semester of college, I have taken time to reflect upon what I have gained from my six-figure education at Loyola Marymount University. There are great memories, friendships and Facebook updates, of course. But wait! There’s more!

Graduating with a degree in history, I will proudly leave the campus I have made my second home with practical research skills that have helped me learn not only about past events, but have also helped me better understand the world in which we live today.  

Another way I’m learning about our ever-changing world is here at Bender/Helper Impact, where I am currently an intern in the Digital Entertainment division.

As part of my internship I conduct a lot of online research, and proper web browsing tools help me quickly navigate the Internet.  In the fast-paced world of PR we must be sure to maintain credibility with the messages and news we broadcast, yet it is also vital to work quickly and efficiently.

With that said, here are a few key things I’ve learned about online research; in particular for use with Google.

1. Every. Word. Matters.  capitalization does not. 
This is most likely because Google realized that we have become too lazy to take our pinky and press shift to switch to activate the uppercase function.  And, honestly, if Google does not have the intuition to just KNOW that you capitalize “I,” then how good is their product, really?

2. If you mean it, quote it.
This is perfect for people, places, and nouns in general.  I tend to use quotation marks when looking for a specific title or term.  Or when I’m Googling a person I met on a Friday night at The Brig (a bar in Venice).  This search tool will give you the exact words in the exact order you put them in.
• Be aware that using quotations can remove relevant searches from your query, so use them with caution!

3. +/-
I’ve been having a lot of problems recently conducting searches on Britney Spears and what bloggers fondly refer to as her “cheetolings.” 

I want Google to understand my search query, but how do I explain to it vocabulary created by Spears’ 6-year emotional rollercoaster ride via the tabloid superhighway?
For this search, words you want to exclude will get a (-) marked immediately before the search term.  Ex: [Britney Spears cheetolings -cheetos]

Words you want searched exactly as you typed them, and not their synonyms, should be searched with (+) immediately preceding the word. Ex: [Britney Spears +cheetolings]

4. OR
This should be clear.  I’ve been looking for digital cameras online.  I want a Nikon OR a Canon SLR. Not both.

5. BONUS!
Put a * where you have omitted a word from your search and Google will magically insert what it believes to be relevant to your search topic. 

E.g.: [Oscars best * 1988] will return a search on best actress, actor, documentary... you get the idea. 

Remember: When using Web sites or blogs as references, always search for the author and when the site was updated as this can be a good indicator of the site’s credibility. 

Search on.