Understanding Internet Searching
One of the most helpful tools for searching the internet for academic purposes is Google’s Advanced Search option. It has options for how you want your words to relate to each other and the type of information that you find. Everything that this page does can be achieved through the standard search bar, but it’s much easier to do it here! See this video for a demo of how this works:
YouTube video player
Watch on YouTubeOne of the options shown was “site or domain”. Some domains are restricted or closed, so that only certain types of organisations can use them. Traditionally, .org is used by non-profit organisations and .com or .co by companies. However, there are no restrictions on the use of these. While anyone can have a .com, .org or .co.uk address, others can be used only in specific circumstances. This can be really useful to know when searching, as it can help you narrow your search results to particular types of site. Some examples include:
| .ac.uk | UK academic institutions, including universities and learned societies. |
| .edu | Educational institutions, mostly higher education from the USA. |
| .gov.uk |
UK government, including national government departments and local councils. Many countries have a .gov domain in use, eg .gov.au is for Australian government sites. |
| .mil | US military. The USA is the only country to have a .mil domain in use. |
| .nhs.uk | NHS websites, including sites for specific hospitals, trusts and initiatives. |