For those who shy away from using advanced search syntax AND for those who may be "overusing" it:

Let's explore "Plain English" search and some cases when it produces even better results than advanced Boolean search.

If you have a job description or a long email from someone defining what they want to find - you cannot paste the long description into Google and get the right profiles. (Google is not there yet!) However, if you can describe the information you are looking for in a short sentence, chances are, you can find just what you need using keyword-only searching - without X-Raying or any such techniques.

Case 1. Finding definitions and facts

By now, Google has become smart enough to interpret and answer many short questions. If you have one, you can try searching like this (the question mark is optional):

• what is cloud computing?
• what are most common names in the us
• where is Intuit HQ

Sometimes, you can just reduce the question to naming the category you want to learn about. The results may impress you:

• banks in montreal
• unemployed in europe

Case 2. Finding the sites to explore

You can find the majority of professional sites such, as sites for associations and conferences, just as quickly. Then, collect their member and attendee directoriesif they provide those to outsiders - which is sometimes the case. Here are example searches:

• association sawing drilling
• british columbia Wastewater Association
• Engineering and Construction project manager attendees conference

Case 3. Name three objects (such as company names) to find more "like" them. As an example, name three competing companies to find more:

• McKinsey BCG Deloitte

Case 4. Find email lists by naming email domains (and perhaps adding a few keywords). Examples:

• "gmail.com" "yahoo.com" orthopedic surgeon kansas
• "astrazeneca.com" "merck.com" "lilly.com" "research scientist"

These are just a few of the many ways, or patterns, for sourcing, using simple searches in plain English.