Finding Better Keywords

Part Four of a Five-part series

Carl Heine, Ph.D.

Consider for a moment this Internet Search Challenge: What toy models a construction principle that can reduce damage from earthquakes?

What keywords would you use to find the answer?

Recalling the Question to Query Checklist from Part One of this series, there are two types of words that require special attention: words that can be used “as is” in queries and words that represent important concepts for which there are probably better keywords. Proper nouns and numbers are typically good “as is.” In the Earthquake Toy Challenge, when given no proper nouns or numbers, the problem is deciding which words are “good enough” to keep and which ones are prime candidates for replacement.

If you give a class of high schoolers the question above, only a handful will replace any of these words with better ones. Similar Search Challenges conducted at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy reveal that, on average, only 14% of sophomores use one or more alternate keywords when searching. In a replication study at a different school, only 7% of junior honors students searched with an alternate keyword. Whatever the reasons, students tend to white-knuckle the words they are given, rarely letting them go and trying something different.

The problem is not starting with the wrong words, the problem is not finding better keywords during the search. As such, this is a specific instance of the third thing today’s digital generation cannot do: recognize relevant information.

So what keywords would you start with?

What you can do to help

The biggest secret to Internet Search Challenge success boils down to finding the right combination of keywords as you search. You are pretty lucky if you can start a search with the right words. The odds that you will use the same word as another person are one in five. The “1 in 5 rule,” as we call it, helps explain why problems arise when attempting to match words with others on the Web. If the search calls for subject-matter expertise and the words are unfamiliar, the odds decrease significantly.

The “Hot or Cold” approach to searching

Searching is a lot like the game of “Hot or Cold” played by children. You start out knowing virtually nothing and you end up touching the target by responding to prompts.

1. In the game, you start where you are. For digital searching, you start with what you are given. With a question in hand, identify the important “as is” terms and “good enough” words. For example:

‘Earthquake’ and ‘toy’ are “good enough.” Neither word needs to be more specific. If a type of earthquake was substituted, it would overly constrict the focus of the search. Since the answer to the question is a specific toy, it remains unknown.
‘Construction,’ ‘principle,’ and ‘reduce’ are important ideas that need to be kept in mind. They can be used “as is” for now, but it is likely there may be better words.
Additional words are bound to complicate the search or be redundant. For example, the verb ‘model’ will also return all the nouns with the same spelling, including all the ‘model toys’ which is too specific. ‘Damage’ is redundant—any description of earthquake is bound to include a reference to damage.

For more information on this step, refer to Query Checklist.

2. The second step is watch for clues that will improve your search. Unlike the verbal clues in "Hot or Cold," clues that move you closer to the goal are contained in snippets and web pages. It may be helpful to keep a search history log to track important finds. Note your discoveries--including new keywords--and use them to revise your search.

Another place to start—prior to searching—is to consult a thesaurus or dictionary. You cannot escape needing other words, whether you find them in an offline reference or in online search results.

Close to 95% of searchers never examine more than the first page of results. That practice may be considered satisfactory if clues are found in the results.

The query, earthquake toy construction principle reduce, produces about 196,000 Google results and 1,420 Yahoo results. The name of the toy in question is not found on either first page of results.

Every page of results contains important clues. Using Google, here’s my search history log with expanded descriptions:

The first 5 results don’t even mention ‘toy,’ which is a clue that the other keywords may be too dominant. The order of the words doesn’t make a difference; ‘construction principles’ appears several times in the top results.
Removed ‘principle’ to see what happens. Now ‘toys’ appears at the top, but the snippets are about distributing toys to earthquake victims. Found a reference in the fourth snippet to a new set of words: earthquake-resistant structure.
New query: earthquake-resistant toy construction. The first snippet in the results seems like it might lead to an answer:
The page describes how Frank Lloyd Wright’s son got the idea for Lincoln Logs from his father’s earthquake resistant building techniques during the construction of the Imperial Hotel in Japan.

I knew I was cold when the word ‘toy’ was not in the top results. I felt I was getting warmer when I discovered the term ‘earthquake-resistant.’ The snippet for Architectoys.com was a promising sign that I was getting hot.

Think like an expert

Another helpful strategy is to put oneself in the frame of mind of the person who knows the answer to the question. What words would that person use? Detecting professional vocabulary as you search is an excellent way to pick up powerful search terms. Many times, professional vocabulary is embedded in snippets, just waiting to be recognized. Unfamiliar words are often well worth taking the time to check.

A number of practical applications to help students think more like an expert are included in this Resource Kit:

Three interactive tutorials, Snippet Sleuth, provide students with experience in finding better keywords in snippets. An accompanying guide for Using Snippet Sleuth is also included.
The Earthquake Search Challenge, described above, may be used to underscore the importance of finding better terms while searching. The Earthquake Keyword Challenge serves as a companion to the live Search Challenge and provides feedback on finding better words while searching.
An introduction to Search History tools is included in this edition of Web Resources. From pencil and paper to Nestor, there are numerous ways to create search history logs for improving searching. Instructions for Using Search Logs, in the Assessment section, contains instructional ideas that may be used to ignite discussions of what makes an optimal search. The same resource may be used to assess students' ability to find better keywords while searching.
Finally, for easy ways to incorporate vocabulary building into your lessons, consider playing Apples to Apples, or a variation of the game. See The Personal Side of Searching for background and lesson ideas.