Google Guide: Answers (2024)

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Having trouble creating a query to find the information you seek? Don't have time to research the topic yourself? Consider asking a reference librarian, an experienced online researcher, or Google Answers, which, for a fee of your choosing, provides assistance from researchers with expertise in online searching.

If your query returns few results or none, there may be a link toGoogle Answers on the results page. Otherwise, visit answers.google.com.

Reluctant to use Google Answers? Think you can find the informationyou want if you search a bit longer? If you feel that way, you're notalone. Nevertheless, many people who have asked questions of GoogleAnswers are now fans of the service. Not only does it save them time,but the answers they get are packed with useful information and links.It's a wonderful service that's well worth your checking out, whetheryou're a novice or an experienced searcher.

Here's how it works:

Enter a question.
Specify an amount between US$2 and US$200 that you're willing to pay for an answer. Google adds on a US$.50 listing fee, which you are charged regardless of whether your question is answered or not.
A Google Answers researcher will search for the information you want and post an answer. The researchers are screened and approved independent contractors who get paid for posting "answers" to the site.
You will be notified via email when any responses are posted to your question, unless you specify in your Google Answers' Profile that you would rather not receive status information on your questions.

Before posting your first question, check out Google's tips forgetting a better answer to your question, which can be found onthe web at answers.google.com/answers/help.html.

You'll need a Google Answers Account to ask a question.(You can search previous questions and answers without an account.)Provide your email address, a password, and a nickname. (If youalready have aGoogle Account — to use withGoogle Alerts, for instance —you'll still need to choose a nickname, specify when Google Answersshould send you email, and agree to the Terms of Service forGoogle Answers.)Yournickname will be shown on every Google Answers question, answer, orcomment that you post.

Then enter the topic of your question, yourquestion, the amount between US$2 and US$200 you're willing to pay for an answer, and thecategory most appropriate for your question. For example:

Subject: Enter the topic of your question for our researchers(e.g. "Hiking in New Mexico").
Nina Totenberg, NPR legal affairs correspondent, birthday, education, and degree
Question: The more details you provide, the better the results you'll receive.
When was Nina Totenberg, National Public Radio's (NPR) legalaffairs correspondent, born, where was she educated, and what degreesdoes she have? Did she attend law school?
Price: Set a price between $2.00 and $200.00.
$2.00 (Google Answers bills your credit card this amount after a researcheranswers your question.)
See Also
Find, add, or hide your Google Contacts on the map - Computer
Category: Select the category most appropriate for yourquestion.
Reference, Education and News > General Reference

The more you're willingto spend on an answer, the more likely a researcher will answer it andthe more likely the answer will be comprehensive.

When a Google Answers researcher or anyone else writes a response toyour question, the answer and/or comments will be posted to GoogleAnswers. You may request in your Google Answers' Profile to benotified by email either once a day or whenever there is new activitywith any of your questions.

After a researcher has answered your question, you are given anopportunity to rate the answer from one star (very poor answer) tofive stars (great answer), provide comments that anyone who usesGoogle Answers can access, and tip the researcher between US$1 andUS$100, if you feel that you have received an exceptional answer.

Click on a researcher's handle to see the ratings and comments thatresearcher has received from users who have posted questions. You mayspecify which researcher(s) should deal with your question when yousubmit it.

You can search or browse previously asked questions, both those thathave been answered and those that haven't. At the bottom of the Google Answers homepage, find questions (some with answers) by either:

Entering search terms.
Clicking on one of the topic headings.
Selecting a link to a recently asked question.
Clicking on the view all the questions link.

By default, Google Answers displays questions, their associatedcomments, and their answers in reverse chronological order (mostrecently asked question is listed first). Click on either the Date orPrice links just above all the questions to sort on that field. Whenyou sort by date, a triangular icon indicates whether the field issorted with the most recent listed first (triangle points down) or issorted with the oldest listed first (triangle points up). Click onthe triangle to reverse the order.

You'll find answers there to many already asked questions, including

Answers to many questions can be found on theweb. Users also seek and obtain answers to questions of a more personal nature,

Some of the answers are indexed by Google and then searchable throughGoogle's web search.

For more information on Google Answers visitanswers.google.com/answers/help.htmland answers.google.com/answers/faq.html.To see what users are saying about the service and how they are using it, visit answers.google.com/answers/testimonials.html.

Postscript by Jerry:Nancy has been a big fan of Google Answers.(She wrote most of this page.)She told me recently that Google Answers doesn't seem to be asactive as it used to be: there are fewer answers active or beinganswered.Before you ask a question, consider doing a little research yourself.Look at the questions, which questions are being answered, and how muchquestioners are willing to pay.

Exercises

These problems give you practice in asking questions andin browsing those that have been posted to Google Answers.For hints and answers to selected problems, see the Solutions page in the Appendix.

View a recently asked question.
View a recently answered question.
Click on the "view all questions" link in the lower rightcorner of the Google Answers home page and browse some of thequestions that have been answered.
Look up the answer to the question "How can I rid my apartmentof ants?"
Look up in Google Answers whether clicking on an unsubscribe orremove link in a spam message does what it's advertised to do.
Look up in Google Answers the recommended gratuity to give to theserver when purchasing take-out food.
Review tips for great answers, which you can access by clickingon the "Tips for great results" link that appears in theborder of the box for entering your question.
Find Jessamyn West's article about her experience as a Google Answersresearcher.

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