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Search For Unique Identifiers
Searching
for a unique identifier is the fastest way to find what you want on the Internet
-- a unique string of characters likely to be on the pages you are
interested
in, and likely not to be on pages you aren't
interested in. Phrases are a type of unique
identifier, which is why they work so well.
Start any search by looking for
any unique strings of characters that can exactly identify the content you
are looking for. A few common unique identifiers
are listed below:
- Names. Are there any people with unusual
names associated with the content you are searching for? Unusual place names?
Organization names, acronyms?
Giovanni
Bellini
- Titles. Are there any titles associated
with the content you are looking for, such as book titles, music songs, research
papers, etc., that you can enter as a phrase?
"Codex
Leicester"
- Numbers. Is there a unique
number associated with the
content you are searching for? A document number such as an ISBN number, part
number, telephone number, unusual street number? (If the number has punctuation
in it, then put it in quotes.)
0517003937
- Quotations. Do you know an exact
quotation associated with the content you are searching for? A unique string
of ordinary words many letters long can precisely retrieve
topic related content.
"You
have been in Afghanistan, I perceive"
- Other strings. Are there any other kinds of unique
identifying characters or numbers associated with the content
you
are
searching
for?
If
you
can find any portion of text at all from a document you are looking
for, a phrase of five to seven words is usually sufficient to hook the larger
text
while winnowing out all the chaff.
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