{"id":9866,"date":"2021-09-07T02:00:36","date_gmt":"2021-09-07T00:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hatrabbits.com\/?p=9866"},"modified":"2021-09-07T15:33:06","modified_gmt":"2021-09-07T13:33:06","slug":"google-like-innovator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hatrabbits.com\/en\/google-like-innovator\/","title":{"rendered":"The right way to do desk research: use search operators"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you want to solve complex problems, desk research is a necessary evil. After all, before designing a solution, you first have to fully understand the problem. But how do you find the information you seek when there are well over a billion websites<\/strong> to consult? What\u2019s the right way to do desk research? The answer: search operators. With search operators, you\u2019ll find exactly what you\u2019re looking for.<\/em><\/p>\n

It all starts with proper research<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Proper research is the basis of almost any good solution. It\u2019s nearly impossible to solve complex problems if you don\u2019t understand the situation you\u2019re trying to improve.<\/p>\n

While researching the problem situation, you generally go through different phases: interviewing, observing, experiencing and desk research. Not necessarily in that order.<\/p>\n

1. Interview<\/strong>ing<\/strong><\/p>\n

To understand what\u2019s going on, it\u2019s always a good idea to talk<\/a><\/u> to many different people; experts, stakeholders and other people who know what\u2019s going on. What can they teach you about the problem, the causes and possible solutions?<\/p>\n

2. Observ<\/strong>ing<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t just ask around. Go to the scene to have a look yourself<\/a><\/u>. Observing what\u2019s going on will generally give you insights you would never have gotten from just talking to people. Details that you will find eye-opening might be obvious to those who see it every day. Chances are they consider these details unimportant and would never have mentioned them.<\/p>\n

3. Experiencing<\/strong><\/p>\n

Whenever possible, try to experience<\/a><\/u> what your target group experiences. Follow the customer journey to uncover new insights. What grabs your attention when following the steps? You\u2019ll be surprised by what you\u2019ll discover by taking the place of the people who have to deal with the problem on a regular basis.<\/p>\n

4. Desk research<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last, but not least; what can you uncover from behind your desk? When exploring a problem, desk research is essential. Books and reports offer a wealth of information, and there is little information that can\u2019t be found online. What can you uncover about the problem and about what\u2019s causing it? What positive exceptions<\/a><\/u> can you find? Are there situations where the problem doesn\u2019t occur? And what might explain this? Don\u2019t forget to look for solutions that have already been tried. How do people in other countries, regions or professional fields solve similar problems?<\/p>\n

Desk research is extremely important to collect a lot of useful information and insights. And it seems so easy<\/em>. But appearances deceive. Simply entering some \u2018logical\u2019 keywords in your search bar won\u2019t lead to the best results. If you aren\u2019t using the available tools properly, you will certainly miss important information. To find truly useful insights, you\u2019ll have to find a better way to do desk research.<\/p>\n

The problem with<\/strong> desk research<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The main problem with searching online is that there is simply too much data. Most people drown in the endless stream of, mostly irrelevant, information they find. The right way to do desk research is a skill that, even now, few people have mastered. Knowing how to properly do desk research will give you a great advantage over most other people doing research.<\/p>\n

How do you make sure you don\u2019t have to go through a jungle of useless information in order to find something that\u2019s helpful? Well, by making use of the free online tools at your disposal. By using \u2018search operators\u2019 when doing your desk research you\u2019ll be able to search much more precisely.<\/p>\n

T<\/strong>he right way to do desk research<\/strong>:<\/strong> s<\/strong>earch operators<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Search operators<\/em> are advanced search commands; simple formulas to filter the results of a search. The right search operators allow you to proactively dismiss any information that\u2019s irrelevant for your cause. This way, you\u2019ll end up with much more precise results, meaning you\u2019ll find what you\u2019re looking for in a fraction of the time.<\/p>\n

Below, I\u2019ve listed some of the most useful search operators out there. Personally, I use Google to find what I\u2019m looking for, but the commands below also work in other search engines like Bing or Yahoo!<\/p>\n

The most useful search operators in a handy list<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Imagine, you\u2019re researching the decline of wild bees. You\u2019re wondering what the causes of the problem are and what solutions have already been tried. The following operators will help you find the answers you seek:<\/p>\n

Caution<\/em>! <\/em>Don\u2019t use spaces between the operator and the corresponding keyword.<\/em><\/p>\n

For example, use<\/em> site:hatrabbits.com<\/em><\/span> instead of<\/em> site: hatrabbits.com<\/em><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Combin<\/strong>e for better results<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Experiment with the search operators above. You\u2019ll be surprised by how specific your search results suddenly will be. And the great thing is; you can combine<\/em> several search operators in your search bar. This way, you\u2019ll have even more spectacular results.<\/p>\n

Surprise! If you use many search operators in a row, you might be confronted with a <\/em>captcha<\/a><\/em>. Nothing to worry about, just prove you aren\u2019t a robot by following the simple instructions, like checking a box, and you\u2019re on your way again.<\/em><\/p>\n

Pro-tip: <\/strong>search in other languages<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t limit yourself to one language. In fact, don\u2019t even limit yourself to the languages you speak<\/em>!<\/p>\n

Use Google Translate<\/a><\/u> (or any other translation program) to translate your keywords from English to any other language. Pick a language that is spoken in a region of the world where people might have very different insights or unusual ways to solve your problem. For instance, translate your keywords into Japanese. Use the translated terms to search for information. The foreign websites you\u2019ll find can easily be translated back to English. Google offers you this option with the button \u2018translate this page<\/em>\u2019 that you\u2019ll find next to each foreign result. The translation won\u2019t be perfect, but it will usually be good enough to understand.<\/p>\n

Desk research is <\/strong>just the first step<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Sure, now you know the right way to do desk research, but what do you do with all the information you\u2019ll find? Solving complex problems is about more than just uncovering causes and opportunities. To find creative solutions, you\u2019ll need some other skills as well. Would you like to know how we might be able to help you develop a creative solution to solve your (social) problem? Send an email to hello@hatrabbits.com<\/a><\/u> or give us a call on 0031 10 3070 534. We\u2019ll gladly help you solve your problem!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Desk research is invaluable to any innovator. But what is the right way to do desk research? ‘Search operators’ are crucial.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9871,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,315,64],"tags":[752,340,2101,751,2098,1517,2102,750,2100,2099,2103],"class_list":["post-9866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-preparation","category-problem-solving","category-tools","tag-desk-research","tag-google","tag-keywords","tag-online","tag-operators","tag-research","tag-researching","tag-search","tag-search-engine","tag-search-operator","tag-search-operators-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe right way to do desk research: use search operators - HatRabbits<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Desk research is invaluable to any innovator. 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