Web Search Tools

By Greg Duncan

          Search Directories:
                    Use a search directory when you don't know what keywords to use in your search.  In a search directory, you can browse topic areas to locate
                     information instead of searching by keyword.

 Directory                                                                        Comments

Librarian's Index to the Internet

Contains resources particularly useful to public library users.

Yahoo!

One of the oldest and largest Web directories

Open Directory Project

A broad catalog of Web sites compiles by volunteer editors

 

          Search Engines:
                    Use a search engine when you are looking for common or well documented information and you know what keywords to use.

 Engine                              Comments

Aesop

A standard search engine with a bright red interface

All The Web

One of the largest search engines available

AltaVista

Offers comprehensive coverage and  a wide range of searching commands

FastSearch

Commercial search with ability to access and retrieve data in real time

Galaxy

Includes 500 specialized search engines covering an array of topics

Google

Ranks search results based upon the number of links to a page....very popular

iLor

A search engine, but with extra features.  Designed to work with Internet Explorer

JoeAnt

A volunteer compiled Web resource, an effort to gather the best sites on a topic

LookSmart

Covers 1.2 billion Web pages and over 5 million articles from publications and research guides

Lycos

Typical search engine style includes advanced search and yellow pages

NetscapeSearch

Offers search tools, hot searches, top searches, and its own directory

NorthernLight

Business research engine, news, enterprise and market research

Overture

Business and financial resource

SearchKing

Includes a search engine database and a portal finder

SurfWax

A search tool with several options for managing results

Teoma

Search results grouped three ways: Topic, Web pages, Expert links

Vivisimo

Developed by Carnegie Mellon...clusters results hierarchically in folders

WiseNut

Search engine that searches over one billion Web pages

With1Click

Google-styled search engine

 

          Invisible Web Resources:
                    Consists of material that traditional search engines cannot index.  They search non-HTML resources and uses databases that require a direct query.

 Resource                                   Comments 

Complete Planet

A collection of 40,000 searchable sites. Includes papers and FAQ's about the Invisible Web

Deep Web

This resource is designed to search the content of on-line catalogs and databases

Infomine

Focuses on databases geared toward academic research

Invisible Web

A large, well organized directory of specialized databases. Human indexed

Invisible Web Directory

Companion site to its text book. Contains collection of databases with useful annotations

Profusion

Functions as a traditional search engine, as well as directing searchers to Invisible Web sites

Web Data

Provides access to a number of Web sites containing databases. Search or browse selected categories.



         
MetaSearch Engines:
                    A search tool that researches multiple search engines at the same time.  Use these for a broad and comprehensive list of results.

 Resource                           Comments

Ask Jeeves

Ask a question, and it will search various search engines for results

Ixquick

Searches 14 search engines and returns results by evaluating their relevancy

MetaCrawler

Offers a well designed search page with a variety of search options

 

          Other resources:

 Resource                              Comments

Search Engine Watch

A Web site that keeps people up to date on searching the Internet and using search tools. Includes tips
for searching the Web, reviews of search tools, and locating them by their content. Also includes a search
directory for children to use.

 

 



                                                                                          

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This page was created with the help of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
and its publication, The Computer Companion: Thirty Practical Lessons for Individual & Classroom Use            
                                                                                                   



 

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