Module 4: Some Common Mistakes with Keyword Truncation

Module 4:

Some Common Mistakes with Keyword Truncation

You've learned that keyword truncation is very powerful... agricultur* agriculture agricultural agriculturist etc., .... econom* economy economic economists etc., .... financ* finance financed financial etc., .... politic* politics political politiccian etc., .... relation* relation relations relationship etc., ....

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... and you know how to avoid searching like in the examples below (since you will retrieve many useless results): a* de* cat* anti* geo*

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But here's something else to think about. A search like:

fingerprinting*

Will only retrieve fingerprinting, and nothing else!

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Of course,

fingerprinting*

would retrieve a word like:

fingerprintingness

But alas, such a word doesn't exist!

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On the other hand

fingerprint*

will retrieve helpful variants like:

fingerprint
fingerprints
fingerprinted
fingerprinting

and is a sensible use of truncation. Screen6

Similarly

history*

is ineffectual since it will only retrieve ... history!

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But changing the search to

histor*

retrieves

history
historian
historical
historically

etc., and is likewise a sensible use of truncation.

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Fine and good. There is, however, one other way that some people misuse truncation...

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They will type a search like the one below, filled as it is with unecessary or (potentially) search-wrecking words like what and be ...

What should be done about the trade conflicts

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And then they stick asterisks* ... at the end of EACH word!

What should be done about the trade conflicts What* should be done about the trade conflicts What* should* be done about the trade conflicts What* should* be* done about the trade conflicts What* should* be* done* about the trade conflicts What* should* be* done* about* the trade conflicts What* should* be* done* about* the* trade conflicts What* should* be* done* about* the* trade* conflicts What* should* be* done* about* the* trade* conflicts*

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People who do this are on the right track... they understand that truncation can increase search results.

What* should* be* done* about* the* trade* conflicts*

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Unfortunately, they are using truncation in an exaggerated way that might not retrieve helpful information, if any.

What* should* be* done* about* the* trade* conflicts*

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So in conclusion: keyword truncation is powerful as long as it is used well. agricultur* agriculture agricultural agriculturist etc., .... econom* economy economic economists etc., .... financ* finance financed financial etc., .... politic* politics political politiccian etc., .... relation* relation relations relationship etc., .... Module finished!

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