What is the difference between a question and a query?
![]() |
When you ask a question you have the beginnings of a query. Although some search engines such as Ask Jeeves, encourage you to use a natural language question format, all search engines ignore the question mark and focus on the key terms in your request. If you ask, 'How do you track satellites?' A search engine will focus on the words track and satellites, filtering out 'how do you?' as irrelevant to the search. (See the IMSA Micro Module: Using Keywords Effectively for more on why search engines use 'Stop Words'). |
A query then is the distilled essence of your questions. To form a query you extract the keywords from your question and add new terms that more precisely describe your search goal. By directly crafting combinations of keywords and syntax, you form your query in the most meaningful and effective manner.
