The following has a lot of pointers on searching for internet material. It is from a Bulletin by Ancestry.com today. WEEKLY DIGEST FOR 1 JULY 2000. I thought it might help some people. Betty Pace USING SEARCH ENGINES All search engines were not created equal, and the one you choose to use for a specific search should depend on the capabilities you require. A basic search may require only a keyword, and in these cases any search engine will probably do the job. The simplest to use are those that only offer three choices: 1) Search for any of the words (a search for "Minnesota naturalization records" will turn up any site it finds with "Minnesota" or "naturalization" or "records"). 2) Search for all of the words (a search for "Minnesota naturalization records" will turn up any site it finds with all three terms in any order). 3) Search for the exact phrase (a search for "Minnesota naturalization records" will turn up any site it finds with the phrase "Minnesota naturalization records"). There are other things to keep in mind though as you enter your criteria. For example, I did a search for "Minnesota naturalizations" and "Minnesota naturalization records" using a popular metasearch engine (a search engine that searches several other search engines and lists the top results). Of the top ten results for each, only two URLs came up in both searches. By trying variations of the same terms, you can often find other resources that may have be otherwise overlooked. Check also for abbreviations. Another search in this same search engine, this time using the abbreviation for Minnesota ("MN naturalization records") turned up some of the same URLs as before, but also one for the Fourth Judicial Court of Minnesota, Records Center that revealed what records were available there for Hennepin County and that duplicates could also be found at the Minnesota Historical Society. Some searches may require a more precise search using Boolean operators. For articles on Boolean searches, see: "The Basics of Boolean Logic for the Genealogist," by Michael John Neill ("Ancestry Daily News," 1/19/1999) http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/news/articles/1416.asp "Searching for Peter Bieger's Pickled Pepper Web Page: Using Boolean Searches," by Michael John Neill ("Ancestry Daily News," 1/21/1999) http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/news/articles/1495.asp "Search Engine Searching--Update," by Michael John Neill ("Ancestry Daily News," 6/06/2000) http://www.ancestry.com/library/view/news/articles/1497.asp An alternative to Boolean searches is also accepted on many search engines that uses plus signs (+), minus signs (-), and quotation marks (" "). An easy-to-follow tutorial on this is at: http://searchenginewatch.com/facts/math.html WHAT CAN WE FIND? One of the most common uses of search engines by family historians is the search for a surname. In this instance, you may be able to weed out non-genealogical sites by adding a keyword. For example, if you were searching for Dooner, you might try searches for: "Dooner genealogy," "Dooner ancestry," "Dooner descendants," "Dooner family," or "Dooner GEDCOM." If you are still getting too many hits, adding a location can help (e.g., "Dooner NY," "Dooner Kings County NY," or "Dooner Brooklyn NY"). Adding a first name can also narrow down the search for a particular ancestor, but be wary of names that have variations (e.g., Harold, Harry, Hal). Dont restrict your searches only to surnames, though. A wealth of background information can be found for various time periods, ancestral towns or neighborhoods, regimental histories and military engagements, institutions, churches, migration routes and patterns, geographical boundaries, and more. This type of search has brought much to my own family history. I have located ancestral towns in Europe on maps and even found photographs from my ancestral towns in Slovakia that someone took on a trip and posted to a Web site. I have found a social history of Rochester, where another ancestor lived, that revealed a lot about the times in which he lived. I've seen photographs of the church that some of my ancestors are supposed to have helped build. And the Internet has helped me to trace some of the movements of my grand-uncle in World War I. Another very important use of search engines is in the location of original records. If you are unfamiliar with resources for a particular region, there are a number of sites that may list the records that are available for that area, and these can be a good starting point in your search. They can lead to the Web sites of societies, archives, libraries, and government agencies that may have catalogs and/or detailed descriptions of holdings. Even if I find reference to a repository online, I always try to find the Web site of the actual repository because it will often have the most current information when it comes to rates, restrictions, information on accessibility, and hours of operation. WHERE TO FIND THEM A great place to find information on various search engines is SearchEngineWatch at http://searchenginewatch.com. This site provides a number of tutorials on searching the Internet and reviews of various search engines that are available. The Internet Directories page at http://www.theinternetdirectories.com/search.htm also has a list of search engines, and more comprehensive tutorials will be found on the Web pages of each search engine. By taking the time to read these lessons, you will find it much easier to navigate the Internet and perhaps even locate some ancestors in the process. ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! 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