How to research on Google more efficiently

With more complex texts, researching is vital to produce a good translation, especially if you’re not familiar with the subject matter. So mastering the art of efficient Google searching can save you a lot of time and frustration. In order to help you in your research, Ana Sofia Martins, who has been working at Unbabel as part of her master's thesis, has created some videos and a downloadable .pdf file (attached at the end of this article), which together form a comprehensive guide that will help you become a Google search ninja and find exactly what you're looking for in no time.

Watching these videos will enhance your use of basic search tools, search operators, and advanced search features, as well as assess the reliability of search results.

Basic Search Tools

When doing a Google search, you can use up to four tools to refine the scope of your research. After searching for something on Google, the "Tools" option will be shown under the right-hand corner of the search bar. If you select it, multiple additional choices will appear below the search bar 

• Any time - This filter gives you the option of selecting a time range for your search results 
• All results - By selecting “Verbatim”, you will bypass Google’s algorithm and be shown only pages that include the precise words you’ve looked for
• Any country - Gives you the option to investigate the translation of a certain word or phrase, in a specific country, which is helpful, especially when translating into a language that has multiple varieties
• Any language - If you are searching for information in the source language but also in the target language, you can pick the language in which you want your results to appear. 

Search Operators

Google Search operators are special characters or commands you can use to refine your search results. These can be extremely useful when it comes to identifying relevant resources for your work and increasing your translation speed.

• Exact Match - You can use it if you want to find information about a specific string of words

• Multiple Search - This will help you if you need to locate different terminology within the same text or even verify if a certain term has several designations 

• Exclude Content - This can be particularly useful when a word has multiple meanings or when a certain website clogs up your search

• Partial Search or Proximity Search - If you’re researching something very specific but can’t remember part of it or want to see what other options exist, you can use an asterisk (*) between the words you remember

• Domain Search - You can use it when researching something related to a particular client, and you want to check how the content is translated and described on their own website 

• Related Websites - This is helpful when you need information about a subject matter but can’t find it on the client's website, or want to see how something is translated or used in similar sources.

Advanced Search

Google’s Advanced Search is a feature that allows you to narrow your search by specifying a set of criteria. In opposition to Basic Search Tools or Search Operators, this is done through a particular Google subpage. By using This exact word or phrase,  you can narrow those results to the exact words you type. 

Click on the link below for a comprehensive written guide on using Google for research.