More Keyword Search Techniques

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More Keyword Search Techniques
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Eliminate Web Garbage

• Most keyword search boxes let you add NOT to
  your search
• Use NOT to get rid of sites you dont want to
  see
• Use NOT when you first search, or to narrow your
  first search, once you see the sites it retrieves

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Eliminate Web Garbage

• smythe NOT george NOT village
• Retrieves
• Biography of Nathan Smythe
• Smythe Family Members SMYTHE, Martha
• Smythe genealogy page
• Doesnt retrieve
• The Village Smythe in Colonial America
• SMYTHE, George
• Biography of George Smythe Arthur

4
Search for Word Variations

• Many keyword search boxes let you add an asterisk
  () at the end of a full or partial word
• This type of search will retrieve variants of
  words
• It can save you both time and the keystrokes

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Search for Word Variations

• smythe
• smyth
• smyth NOT smythi
• smth
• smth
• Retrieves
• smythe, smythes, smytheson
• smyth, smythe, smythie, smything
• smyth, smythe (not smythie, smything)
• smith, smyth, smuth
• smith, smithing, smyth, smythe, smything,
  smuth

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Do More Than One Search

• Placing words in parentheses ( ) lets you to set
  up searches for multiple word combinations
• Use nests to locate variations of your search
• It can save you time and keystrokes

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Do More Than One Search

• Harrisburg AND (Pennsylvania OR PA OR Penn OR
  Penna)
• Nathan AND (Smith OR Smithe OR Smyth OR Smyth 
• Retrieves
• Harrisburg, Penn.
• A short history of Harrisburg PA
• The capital of Pennsylvania is Harrisburg
• Penna. cities Harrisburg
• Nathan Smith
• Smithe, N. (aka Nathan)
• SMITHE, Nathan Charles
• Smythe Family Members Smyth, Nathan

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Do More Than One Search

• Nathan AND Smyth AND (Chas OR Ch OR Charles
• Genealog AND ((Berks County) OR Philadelphia OR
  York)
• Retrieves
• Nathan Charles Smythe
• Ch. Smythson Nathan
• Smything a book by Chas. Nathan
• Berks County Genealogy Website Genealogical
  Research Collections in Philadelphia
  Genealogies of the Dukes of York