Search 1: Vanity Search
Exercise Instructions: (There are 4 parts to this assignment.)
Part 1. Go to Google (www.google.com) and do the following:
1. Search on your first name (or a variation of it) and record the total number of hits in the Table in your Word document (see below). Look at the first 30 results. How many of them are about you? How many other people with the same name did you find in the first 30 results?
2. Search on your last name and record the number of hits that you get in the Table in your Word document (see below). How many of them are about you? How many other people with the same name did you find in the first 30 results?
3. Search on your full name and record the number of hits in the Table in your Word document (see below). How many of them are about you? How many other people with the same name did you find in the first 30 results?
4. Search on your full name within quotation marks, and record the number of hits in the Table in your Word document (see below). How many of the 'hits' are about you? How many other people with the same name did you find in the first 30 results?
5. If there is a middle initial in your name, repeat the search for the full name with your middle initial, within quotation marks, and record the number of hits in the Table in your Word document (see below). How many of them are about you? How many other people with the same name did you find in the first 30 results?
6. Refine the search on yourself using Boolean operators, keywords, and/or phrasing to improve your search results (as covered in the lecture and readings).
7. Record your observations in a Table using Word (shown below). Tip: Copy-and-paste this table into a Word document.
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Search Engine: |
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Date and Time of Search: |
(enter date/time of first day) |
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Search Query |
Total # of hits(all pages) |
# about you (on first 3 pages) |
# of other people with same name (on first 3 pages) |
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Firstname(e.g., John) |
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Lastname(e.g., Smith) |
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First Last(e.g., John Smith) |
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First Last (in quotes)(e.g., “John Smith”) |
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(Add other search queries here from Step 6 above) |
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Part 2. Repeat the same steps using a different search engine of your choosing on the same date/time (see: The Best Search Engines of 2016 and select ONE of the search engines listed – be sure to scroll down to view the summary/highlights of each search engine on each 'slide'). Prepare a similar table using Word (shown below). Tip: Copy-and-paste this table into the same Word document.
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Search Engine: |
(put name of 2nd search engine) |
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Date and Time of Search: |
(enter date/time of first day) |
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Search Query |
Total # of hits(all pages) |
# about you (on first 3 pages) |
# of other people with same name (on first 3 pages) |
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Firstname(e.g., John) |
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Lastname(e.g., Smith) |
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First Last(e.g., John Smith) |
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First Last (in quotes)(e.g., "John Smith") |
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(Add other search queries here from Step 6 above) |
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Part 3. Copy the Tables again and DO PARTS 1 AND 2 again TWO DAYS AFTER THE FIRST SET OF SEARCHES using the SAME two search engines as the first time. Note: As results, you will have 4 tables in your Word document (2 tables in the first set of your searches, and 2 tables in the second set of your searches).
Part 4. Answer the following questions briefly (all answers together should fit on a single page in Word; please insert the tables you have created after this single page in the same Word document and then submit to the Dropbox by the due date):
Note: Besides submitting your paper to this Canvas Assignment, you will also respond to these questions in the upcoming Discussion and discuss your findings with your classmates. Tip: Copy-and-paste these questions at the top of the same Word document and respond to them. Be sure to include the proper 'heading' at the top of the paper as found in the Course Policies.
1. What two search engines did you use to conduct the "Vanity Search"?
2. Based on your knowledge of the world, is your name a common one? How do you know this? Based only on the results of your search, is your name a common one? Did your search results produce any information (or 'hits') about yourself? If yes, what search queries produced the best results? Did you make any changes in your search queries using Boolean operators, keywords, and/or phrasing to your name to try to return at least one result about you (or more results about you) within the first 30 results? If yes, did your results improve? Please explain.
3. Did you see any difference between the the first set and second set of search results when conducted on different days? What might account for any differences that you observed? Make reference to the reading(s), lecture, and/or video in your response to support your view, as appropriate.
4. What do you think accounts for any changes in the search results between the two search engines you used? What is the value, if any, in using two search engines to conduct a search? Make reference to the reading(s), lecture, and/or video in your response to support your view, as appropriate.
5. What have you learned about using different search engines thus far in terms of their functionality (similarities and differences) and their ability to retrieve information to satisfy a user's (i.e., your) search needs (i.e., the original intent of the queries – to find information about yourself on the Internet)? Refer to the reading(s), lecture, and/or video to support your views in your response, as appropriate.
