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ECN 230 | Benefit Cost Analysis

Professor Choi.

What About Google?

Google (or Google Scholar) is not the very best place to find scholarly information in the economics field.

While both are good places to begin, but lousy places to end.

Why?

Did you know that Google's robots only have access to 4% of online information?  I bet you didn't.  The 96% of online information that is inaccessible by Google is locked up behind firewalls--information that can be found in.....library databases.  

So check Google, check Google Scholar.  But don't end there.  Make sure you search the 96%.  

Google Search Tips

Search Description
 Example
   "cost benefit analysis"

Exact phrase search 

  • Glues words together.
  • Searches words exactly as they appear within " ".

"wind energy"

"solar power"
                          +

Include words

  • Type a plus sign before the word or phrase to include.
  • A space must be placed before the plus sign but not after it.
  • Use this operator to include stop words in the results.

 

     propofol +"cost analysis"
                         -

Exclude words

  • Type a minus sign before the word or phrase to exclude.
  • A space must be placed before the minus sign but not after it.

 

    "shale gas"  -marcellus

   "tar sands"  -venezuelan 
                     site:

Restrict search to a domain or website

 

  • Search top level domains such as .edu, .org, .com, .gov, .net

 

Find  cost benefit information about Canadian tar sands:

"tar sands" and "cost  benefit" site:ca

Find government sites with cost benefit information about nuclear power:

"nuclear power" +"cost benefit" site:.gov