PHAR 516: Presentations for the Health Professional: Searching Tips

1. Search engines and databases use indexes to organize information by terms and concepts. In order for your search to be successful, think about the following:
   1. What is in the image, the place, time period, event, techniques, methodology, and who invented, found, or first described what you are looking for
   2. Words you might use in conversations with peers about the topic including jargon or buzzwords
   3. Words related to essential ideas of your topic such as treatments, cures, or side-effects
   4. Avoid words that are too general or broad in scope
   5. Think of synonyms and related words for the keywords as you are brainstorming
   6. Some databases use specific terms to describe content. This is called a controlled vocabulary. Look at the controlled vocabularies of the database you are using (if it has one) and add those terms to your search.
2. Consider your topic and who may have a digital collection within that area, their images may not be indexed in Google.

1. Image quality, high resolution images are best for projecting for presentations or enlarging for posters
2. Not all information needed for citing the image or crediting the author may be on the source webpage
3. Images can to too generic

Note: When using Google Images reverse searching features (searching with an image instead of text) any image that you upload is stored in Google.