Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Sometimes the Search Center does not remember my last search term. What gives?
A: If you want the Search Center to remember your search term, you must make certain that you have cookies and JavaScript enabled. They are both enabled by default, so if you haven't disabled them, don't worry about it. They'll be enabled.
In order for the Search Center to remember the current search term, you must submit the search using the "Search" button. Clicking the search button submits the search to the search engine while at the same time it sets the cookie that remembers the search term. If you simply enter the search term and hit the Enter key, the search will be performed but not remembered.
Q: I often get swamped with loads of search results. How can I improve my search results?
A: Refine your search. There are several simple "tricks" to improve search results (see below). Although not all search engines allow all of the same syntax, almost all allow use of the most important:
Enclose the search phrase in quotations. Searching for
"George W. Bush"
is not the same as searching for
George W. Bush
If you are looking for info on the president, use the quotes.
Use the + sign to require a term. For example:
beauty pagent +cosmetics
Use the - sign to exclude a term. This will help eliminate lots of useless results. For instance, searching for:
bridges -lloyd -nash
would be usefull for searching for general info on bridges while avoiding links to sites about famous people named "Bridges".
Most of the search engines have advanced search features. You can access the advanced search page for the various search engines by clicking on either a search engine's logo in the Search Center's upper frame or a search engine's name in the lower frame. Experiment.
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