Search Tools

ESHS LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER

INTERNET BASICS

Search Tools

Imagine you are searching for information in the world’s largest library where the books are shelved in no particular order and where there is no library catalog. Trying to find information on the Internet is a little bit like that. To help us find information, the Internet provides more than a dozen primary search tools and many other specialized ones, each with its own database, search capabilities, and method of displaying search results.

The two basic approaches to searching the Internet are Subject Directories and Search Indexes.

SUBJECT DIRECTORIES

If the Internet were a book, Subject Directories would be the Table of Contents. They organize web sites into related categories just as a Table of Contents organizes the chapters of a book into different sections. It is sort of like using the Yellow Pages. The databases are created by real people rather than by computers. Many Subject Directories include a Search Index for searching their own database. Subject Directories are especially good for locating information on a general topic. Subject Directories return fewer, but more relevant hits. Some examples of Subject Directories are:

Yahoo
Magellan.

Like a Table of Contents

Organize sites by subject

Databases created by real people

Good for researching broad topics

Many include their own Search Engine

Returns fewer, but more relevant hits

Examples of Directories: Yahoo, Yahooligans, Magellan

SEARCH INDEXES

If the Internet were a book, Search Indexes would be somewhat like the Index. The searcher enters keywords that the Search Index runs against a database, retrieving documents that match the keywords. Many use Boolean searching (combing search terms with AND, OR, or NOT) to find information. The databases are compiled by computers, rather than by real people. Search Indexes are especially good for locating information on a specific topic. They return more, but less relevant hits. Some examples of Search Indexes are:

                Alta Vista
                Lycos
                HotBot
                Infoseek
                Excite
                Webcrawler

Like an Index

Searches by entering keywords

May use Boolean searching

Databases created by computers

Good for researching specific topics

Returns more, but less relevant hits

Examples of Search Indexes: Alta Vista, Lycos, HotBot, Infoseek

A newer search engine to try is Ask Jeeves.

	Search Directories	Search Indexes
If the Internet were a book, it would be	Table of Contents	Index
Databases are compiled by	People	Computers
Best for locating information about	Broad topics	Specific topics
Searches full text?	No	Yes
Hits are	Fewer, more relevant	More, less relevant
Examples	Yahoo, Magellan	AltaVista, Lycos, Hotbot, Infoseek

META-SEARCH ENGINES

Meta-Search Engines allow you to consult serveral Search Engines at the same time. Examples of Meta-Search Engines are:

                       Dogpile
                    Metacrawler
                    Savvy Search