How to: Relevance & Reliability from Google Searches

Yes, Google works. Yes, I'm a big Google fan. But there are still times when I just can't get a simple search to return less than a squillian results, many of them from questionable (and often out-dated) .com/~name web sites full of unsupported opinions. Those are definitely the times when I welcome the extra power available with Google's advanced search features.

Tracey Rich, a fellow law librarian, has written a great article describing some of Google's advanced search capabilities as well as a few specific databases that may help you in your quest for information.

Google U.S. Government
Google News
Google Patent Search
Google Books
Google Groups

In addition to actual search techniques, Rich provides tips we librarians have been using for years to critically evaluate a source of information. So, when you've finally found relevant resources, make sure they are reliable as well!