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Substance Abuse

Refer to this guide if you are enrolled in HES201 or if you are researching the topic of substance abuse.

Searching Google

Google is a great place to get a pulse on your topic. Always be mindful of the reliability and authority of the information you encounter. If you are trying to identify organizations, associations, academic institutions or government agencies related to your topic, try site searching.

Here's a search example of how to limit your search to include just websites with a .gov, .org, or .edu domain:

breast cancer site:.gov

breast cancer site:.org

breast cancer site:.edu

Here's a search example of how to limit your search to include just statistics posted on .gov websites:

breast cancer and statistics site:.gov

Google Web Search

Google Like a Pro!

Watch this quick video to learn about the searching tools you can use to get the best results when searching Google.

Video created by Epic Tutorials for iPhone, iPad and iOS

Web Searching Tips and Tricks

With billions of websites floating out on the open web, search results can be overwhelming! Here are a few tips and tricks to help you focus your search results:

Keep your searching simple

  • Use only the important keywords and phrases
  • For the search: Can a dog have a carbon footprint? Try: dog carbon footprint instead

​​Don't worry about case or punctuation

Spelling is optional (sort of)

  • Search engines will provide results for the appropriate spelling - but be mindful of how the search engine interprets your spelling errors

Give phrase searching a try

  • Use quotes around titles, song lyrics, popular quotes or sayings
    • "to be or not to be"
    • "Game of Thrones"

To narrow your search results - try advanced searching