How to Write Effective Internet Search Queries

 

Searching for information on the internet can be overwhelming. Search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Duck, Duck Go source information from websites and there are more than 1.13 billion websites on a worldwide basis and a new one is created every three seconds (Haan & Bottorf, 2023). Search engines can produce millions of results in less than a second. Another interesting statistic is that most internet searches are conducted on smartphones.

Writing effective internet search queries is crucial for finding relevant information quickly and efficiently. To get the best results from an internet search, it is important to be specific in the language you use in your search query.

 

Tips to Craft Effective Search Queries

Simplify Your Searches

Remove unnecessary words, avoid conjunctions (and, or, but) and skip punctuation. For example, instead of asking “explain how many times most people search the world-wide-web in their lifetime, please?” you can say “number times people search internet.” It is not necessary to use complete sentences or be polite with a search engine (Indeed, 2023; Mind Tools, 2023).

Use Specific Keywords

Keywords are the terms you use to find information on the internet. Use keywords that accurately represent your topic of interest. Instead of generic terms, use specific and unique words related to your query (Indeed, 2023; Mind Tools, 2023).

Use the Simplest Form of Keywords

Use the most basic form of a keyword: service instead of services or servicing, finance instead of financed or financing, and describe instead of description. You can also write the root word with an asterik, such as “creat*”, and then any words that contain the root such as create, creative, creating, and recreate would be included in the search (Indeed, 2023; Mind Tools, 2023).

Use the Asterisk (*) as a Wildcard

You can also use an asterisk as a wildcard to fill in information you are uncertain about. For example, "The * of Cooking" will help you fill in the popular cookbook title, “The Joy of Cooking.” Depending on how common the words in your wildcard search are, you may have to sort through related results. For example, searching for “The * of Cooking” will bring up similar titles such as The Meaning of Cooking (Indeed, 2023; Mind Tools, 2023).

Experiment and Refine

If your initial search does not yield the desired results, don't hesitate to experiment with different keywords and combinations. Refine your search based on the results you receive. Persistence will produce useful results.

Check for Synonyms and Related Terms

Think of synonyms and related terms that might be used in the content you're looking for. Include these in your search query to broaden your results. If you are looking for information that could be represented by different terms, use "OR" between the terms. For example, "healthy eating OR nutrition" (Indeed, 2023; Mind Tools, 2023).

Avoid Words with Multiple Meanings

For example, the word “ship” can be a noun that describes a large boat or a verb, meaning to send a package. If you want to know how long it takes to send a package overseas and your search results are about yachts or fishing boats, you will need to be more specific in the next search.

Exclude Information from a Search

You can use the minus sign (-) before a word to exclude it from the search results. For example, if you are looking for information about jaguars, the animals but not sports cars, you can search for "jaguar -car." This will exclude websites about automobiles named jaguar (Indeed, 2023; Mind Tools, 2023).

Use Quotation Marks to Search for Specific Terms or Phrases

Use quotation marks to search for an exact phrase. For example, "climate change" will search for that specific term rather than individual occurrences of "climate" and "change." If you want information about a specific form of a word, quotation marks will prevent returns about variations of the word. For example, searching for “director” will return results solely about that form of the word and exclude directing, directorship, directive, etc (Indeed, 2023; Mind Tools, 2023).

Specify a Site or Domain

To narrow down your search to a specific website or domain, use the "site:" operator. For instance, "site:wikipedia.org space exploration" will only search for information about space exploration on Wikipedia (Indeed, 2023; Mind Tools, 2023).

Be Careful about Spelling

Ensure that your query is correctly spelled and that you use the correct word. Misspelled words and using an incorrect word can lead to irrelevant results. Fortunately, search engines will correct common word confusions. For example, if you type in “loose weight,” your search will be corrected to “lose weight,” but you will still have the option to search for the words you first used.

Use Voice Search

Many search engines include a voice search option, meaning you can speak your search engine phrase aloud rather than having to type it. This is very helpful when you are unsure about how words are spelled or have a condition that prevents you from typing. You can access the voice search feature on most of these search engines by pressing the microphone icon (Indeed, 2023).

Image Credit: Microsoft Stock Images

Typically, search results are organized, or ranked, by their relevance to the query. Therefore, what you are searching for may be located on the first page of results. However, it is also important to recognize that the first several results may be labelled as sponsored, meaning that they are really advertisements for a product or service, and may not be fully relevant.

 

Effective search engine searches can involve a combination of these techniques. By carefully crafting your queries, you can enhance the precision and relevance of your search results.

 

References

Haan, K. & Bottorff, C. (2023, February 14). Top website statistics for 2023. Forbes Advisor. Retrieved https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/website-statistics/#:~:text=There%20are%20about%201.13%20billion,are%20actively%20used%20and%20updated 

Indeed Editorial Team (2023, February 21). 22 Internet Search Tips on Finding what you need online. Indeed. Retrieved https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/internet-search-tips

 Mind Tools Content Team (2023). Seven ways to find what you want on the internet: Gathering what you need, discarding what you don't. Retrieved https://www.mindtools.com/abtmh5z/seven-ways-to-find-what-you-want-on-the-internet

 

Guidelines for Creating Visuals

 

Image credit: Antoni Shkraba/Pexels

By Lilian H. Hill

 

Visual content in social media and networks has become more important with the emphasis on storytelling using pictures. One reason is that the human brain processes visual images 60,000 times more quickly than written text. Visuals capture our attention and can lend clarity to written text. Additionally,

 

• On average, people spend more than 2 hours on social media daily, and during the COVID pandemic quarantine that time increased (Hernandez, 2021). 
• 63% of social media is made up of images.  
• Nearly half of all Internet users have reposted a photo or video they have found online.  
• 54% of Internet users have posted an original photo or video that they personally have created. 
• Content with relevant images gets 94% more views than content without (Lee, 2014).

 

There are many types of visuals you can choose to use or create including creative photography, video, screenshots, infographics, data visualization (charts and graphs), comics, memes, visual note-taking, and miscellaneous graphics (Lee, 2014). Additionally, PowerPoint and Prezi are commonly used to make presentations.

 

Marketing researchers have identified that what captures viewers’ attention best are visuals with low cognitive demand and high clarity, meaning that they can be quickly understood (Hernandez, 2021).

 

Therefore, we provide some brief guidelines to help readers become more effective in the visual images that they select, curate, and create.

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Use faces in your visuals.

• People have evolved to pay attention to human faces and what they are looking at (Hernandez, 2021).

 

Keep visual content clean.

• If your visual image is too complex or cluttered, it will increase cognitive demand and reduce clarity (Hernandez, 2021).

 

Create a center of attention.

• Usually, viewers will focus on the front and center of the visual image. This is where you want to place the most important visually idea (Hernandez, 2021).

 

Use high-quality graphics. 

• Resolution matters. Low-resolution images will look fuzzy, especially if you are projecting your visuals.

• Copyright also matters. It is tempting to copy images from the internet but can get you in legal trouble.

• Some sources provide high-resolution images that are no- or low-cost and copyright-free. You can begin with clip art provided with Microsoft products. Other sources include Flickr, Pexels, Unsplash, and Getty Images (Lee, 2014).

 

Use visual image-creation tools.

• These tools can help create effective visuals and are particularly useful for people without a graphic design background.

• Many people get good results using Presentation software such as PowerPoint.

• Canva, Remix, and Easel.ly are just a few examples (Lee, 2022).

• The following example was created in Canva using an Infographic Template.
  

Visuals should relate to the point(s) you are making.

• There are times when a picture really is worth 1000 words. However, remember that the purpose of visuals is to reinforce and augment your message, not to distract from it.

 

Reduce the amount of written text.

• If you have more text than can be comfortably fit on a page or slide in a reasonable point size, either divide it into a series of slides or convert the information to a handout.

• If you copy a chart or something similar, increase the size of the image so that it can be clearly seen, especially if you plan on projecting your visual image.

Use a minimum of 18 pt. type. Between 24 and 48 is even better.

• Look at your visuals from a distance to be sure the information can be clearly seen. For images such as chemical structures, it is crucial that fine details can be seen.

 

Choose fonts carefully. 

• Sans-serif fonts are often easier to read than serif fonts.

• Too many different fonts in a slide or a presentation can be distracting, so use no more than two fonts per page, and avoid fonts that are not easily understood such as Baquet Script or Curlz MT.

 

The use of color is helpful.

• Be judicious in your choice of colors. Too many colors can be distracting.

• There must be sufficient difference between the background color and the print or image. For example, red type of white background does not provide enough contrast and neither does pale blue on a dark blue background work well.

• Think carefully about color symbolism, the subjective meaning humans attach to various colors. Try to avoid colors and color combinations that might offend people.

 

Remember the needs of students who are color blind.

• There are many different types and degrees of colorblindness, instead, they are "color deficiencies" since few people are unable to perceive at least some colors.

• For some color deficient individuals, the names red, orange, yellow, and green are simply different names for the same color. The same can be true for violet, lavender, purple, and blue.

• Among the colors most often confused are pink/gray, orange/red, white/green, green/brown, blue green/gray, green/yellow, brown/maroon, and beige/green. Pastels and muted tones are also difficult to distinguish.

 

Do use some white space.

• A visual or a page that is too crowded can overwhelm, confuse, and discourage the reader.

 

References

 

Hernandez, S. (2021, October 25). How to get the most visual attention on your content. Retrieved https://www.socialmediatoday.com/spons/how-to-get-the-most-visual-attention-on-your-content/608678/

Lee, K. (2014, May 27). A complete guide to visual content: The science, tools and strategy of creating killer images. Retrieved https://buffer.com/resources/a-complete-guide-to-creating-awesome-visual-content/

Lee, K. (2021, October 31). 22 tools and resources to create images for social media. Retrieved https://buffer.com/library/tools-create-images-for-social-media/ 

Trafton, A. (2014, January 16). In the blink of an eye: MIT neuroscientists find the brain can identify images seen for as little as 13 milliseconds. MIT News, Retrieved https://news.mit.edu/2014/in-the-blink-of-an-eye-0116

Making Sense of Complexity: Typologies of Artificial Intelligence

 

Image Credit: Microsoft Stock Images

    

Artificial intelligence (AI) influences many aspects of modern life and has multiple applications. AI is the ability of machines or software to perform tasks that are commonly associated with human intelligence, such as recognizing patterns, making decisions, or learning from data. AI is designed to mimic human capabilities, including pattern recognition, data analysis, and decision-making, and to perform tasks rapidly and efficiently.

 

Algorithms are a set of problem-solving steps computer programs use to accomplish tasks. AI operationalizes the algorithmic steps in smart machines that perform tasks usually associated with human intelligence such as “learning, adapting, synthesizing, self-correction, and use of data for complex processing” (Popenici & Kerr, 2017, para. 3). Machine learning is an application of AI in which large data sets are analyzed, without direct instruction, to detect patterns that might elude human beings. Generative AI is an artificial intelligence technology that can produce various types of content, including text, imagery, audio, and synthetic data.

 

AI originated in the 20^th century, but only recently have computers had the computational power to make it practical and useful (Anyoha, 2017). Most people are using AI without recognition because AI powers internet search platforms, predictive text, grammar- and spell-check, GPS, social media curation, smart devices, streaming services, and patient portals. Many people conflate generative AI with large-language models such as those used within ChatGPT, but this is only one type of AI.

 

Typologies of AI

It is essential to recognize that AI is multifaceted and has multiple applications. Therefore, it can be categorized in multiple ways: based on capability, functionality, application, or degree of supervision vs. autonomy.

 

Capability

One capability-based categorization is weak and strong or general AI. Narrow or weak AI can perform single-specific tasks such as making Netflix recommendations, facial recognition, self-driving cars, searching the internet, or translating languages. General or Strong AI can perform tasks in a human-like manner (AVContent Team, 2023). Some descriptions differentiate general AI from strong AI, with the former referring to a computer that is as smart as a human in a general sense and the latter referring to computers that have achieved human consciousness. The latter category is still somewhat theoretical because AI has not yet achieved consciousness or self-awareness. This counteracts the idea that sentient robots will take over the world and enslave humans, as many science fiction novels and films would have people believe. Think of the Terminator or 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

 

Another capability-based typology characterizes four levels of AI: (a) reactive, (b) limited memory, (c) theory of mind, and (d) self-awareness. Consistent with the weak vs strong typology, this conceptualization indicates that AI has not yet achieved theory of mind, meaning the capacity “to understand and remember other entities' emotions and needs and adjust their behavior based on these. This capability is like humans in social interaction” (Arya, 2023, para. 13). Humans develop this capacity as they mature. They also develop self-awareness and emotional intelligence, while AI does not.

Four Levels of AI

Functionality

One functionality categorization scheme asserts three categories of AI: (a) large language models (LLM), (b) learning analytics in which personalized learning is tailored for individuals, and (c) big data, meaning using large data sets to conduct comparative analysis between groups of people. These can be expressed in input and output, instructor and student, or data and functions.

Another functionality schematic suggests the following categories:

·       Analytic AI scans large datasets to identify, interpret, and communicate meaningful patterns of data.

·       Functional AI scans huge amounts of data to take actions.

·       Interactive AI automates communication without compromising on interactivity.

·       Text AI uses semantic search and natural language processing to build semantic maps and recognize synonyms to understand the context of user’s question.

·       Visual AI identifies, recognizes, classifies, and sorts objects or converts images and videos into insights. (Sarker et al., 2022).

Application

Yet another way of categorizing AI is by applications in which it is used. For example, expert systems use information collected from recognized domain experts to facilitate fast decision-making. Natural language processing (NLP) enables AI to use language in a human-like manner in chatbots, language translation, and sentiment analysis, which is used to determine whether the emotional tone of a message is positive, negative, or neutral. Sentiment analysis has become an important business function used to improve customer service, market research, and to monitor brand performance. It can distinguish the positive from the negative of a seemingly contradictory sentence such as: “While I liked this product, I was disappointed with the color.”

Supervision vs. Autonomy

This typology is often used to describe the process of machine learning, in which:

·       Supervised learning—all data are labeled.

·       Semi-supervised—some input data are labeled, while some are not.

·       Unsupervised—all input data are unlabeled (Alloghani et al., 2020).

 

These terms can also be used to describe AI. Examples of supervised processing include virtual assistants such as Siri and Alexa, while an example of unsupervised or autonomous processing is self-driving cars.

You may notice overlaps between the different typologies, as the following concept map clarifies.

No matter how you conceptualize it, the field of AI is complex, growing, and rapidly being integrated into multiple fields of professional practice. These typologies highlight the diverse nature of AI, and the various systems designed for specific purposes and possessing different levels of capabilities. The field of AI continues to advance and new typologies may be developed as its capacities evolve.

 

References

Alloghani, M., Al-Jumeily, D., Mustafina, J., Hussain, A., Aljaaf, A.J. (2020). A systematic review on supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms for data science. In M. Berry, A. Mohamed, & B. Yap (Eds.), Supervised and unsupervised learning for data science. Unsupervised and Semi-Supervised Learning. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22475-2_1

 Anyoha, R. (2017, August 28). The history of artificial intelligence. Harvard University. Retrieved https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/history-artificial-intelligence/

 Arya, N. (2023, November 16). Theory of mind AI in artificial intelligence. Ejable. Retrieved from https://www.ejable.com/tech-corner/ai-machine-learning-and-deep-learning/theory-of-mind-ai-in-artificial-intelligence/#:~:text=Theory%20of%20Mind%3A%20This%20is,like%20humans%20in%20social%20interaction.

AVContent Team (2023, September 14). Weak AI vs strong AI: Exploring key differences and future potential of AI. Analytics Vidhya. Retrieved https://www.analyticsvidhya.com/blog/2023/04/weak-ai-vs-strong-ai/

 Popenici, S. A. D., & Kerr, S. (2017). Exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on teaching and learning in higher education. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning,12, 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41039-017-0062-8

 Sarker, I.H.  (2022). AI-based modeling: Techniques, applications and research issues towards automation, intelligent and smart systems. SN Computer Science,. 3, 158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-022-01043-x