Chapter 8 Internet Searching Tools

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The better you understand Internet search tools, and how they differ from one another, the better searcher you'll be!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When searching the Internet, here are some main points to keep in mind

  • Always use Help screens for each search tool
  • No single search tool covers all of the Internet; learn to use several well
  • There are no content or publications standards on the Internet; anyone can publish anything

Three different types of tools are commonly used to search the Internet

  • Subject directories
  • Search engines
  • Meta-search engines
  1. Subject directories are useful when you want a list of pre-selected Web resources organized alphabetically from broad subjects to more narrow ones. Subject directories employ people to evaluate and select the Web resources included in their databases. Some examples:
    1. Yahoo!
    2. Google Directory
    3. Librarians' Index to the Internet

  2. Search engines are useful when you have a specific focused topic to search. The information in a search engine database is collected by computer programs (not humans); these programs are called spiders or robots. Typically, there are no selection criteria. Some examples:
    1. Google
    2. AltaVista
    3. AllTheWeb
    4. HotBot

  3. Meta-search engines search several search engines simultaneously, or successively. This search approach is particularly useful if your topic is obscure (e.g., a rare medical disorder), or if you want to determine which search engine might lead you to the most information on a topic. Some examples:
    1. MetaCrawler
    2. Dogpile
    3. Profusion
    4. Ixquick
    5. Surfwax