June 2, 2010 – Google controls a significant amount of the search engine “market.” Whether good or bad, the search engine giant is the first stop for many Internet users. Google clearly recognizes the importance of maintaining this dominance and incorporates numerous services to enhance a user’s experience.
In the Feb. 9, 2009, edition of InsideTrack, Bonnie Shucha reminded readers of a few specialized search tools available via Google (Google Alerts, News, Blog Search, Scholar, Books, and U.S. Government Search). As a continuation of that article, this article highlights a few Google services.
Google Translate
Google translates text from English into more than 50 different languages. While I would not use this as an official translation, it does provide users with a general interpretation. Using the translation tool is quite easy. Individuals either enter text or upload a document into the translation box and select a language. Google then supplies their translation and includes an audio button to hear the information spoken in the chosen language. For those fluent in a particular language, Google encourages you to contribute a better translation if you are dissatisfied with the result.
A more common use of Google Translate is when running a research query. You may discover some results are in another language. Users can either select the “Translate this page” link found next to the result or enter the Web page’s URL into the translation box. A new Web site appears with a version in English. I recently used this functionality when looking for the Mexican Civil Code and found it beneficial in locating the sections I needed for my research.
Google Encrypted Search
Two weeks ago Google introduced its encrypted Web search option. Google has offered this service for GMail and Google Docs, but has just released it as an option to make general searching more secure. The URL to search in an encrypted environment is https://www.google.com. (Note the “s” after the http.) You will see the following modified logo:
Per Google, “[t]his secured channel helps protect your search terms and your search results pages from being intercepted by a third party on your network.” The SSL help link provides additional information.
Google Patent Search
Many researchers know that patent results can be obtained when using Google Scholar. However, patents can be searched independently using Google Patents. I recommend using the Advanced Patent Search option. The advantage of starting on this page is the ability to build a more precise search. Results can immediately be narrowed by patent number, title, inventor, assignee, international classification, status (issued vs. application), and date.
Google Patents allows you to search the USPTO using Google search technology. It “covers the entire collection of issued patents and millions of patent application made available by the USPTO from patents issued in the 1790s through those most recently issued in the past few months.” It hopes to include international patents in the future.
Bev Butula is the manager of library of services at Davis & Kuelthau, Milwaukee. She is a past president of the Law Librarians Association of Wisconsin. Bev has written articles and spoken to numerous groups on issues such as effective Internet research, evaluation of Web sites and legal research. Prior to obtaining her Master's Degree in Library Science from UWM, Bev was a litigation paralegal.
