Did you know that search engines are different from directories? Did you know that Yahoo! is not a search engine? Yahoo is a directory. Directories are created by people who search for sites for searchers to use..
Search engines use "robots" and "spiders" to locate sites. It is important to remember that search engines cover more sites than directories but the searches on directories often provide more relevant results. Learn to use both when doing searches. Each have something to offer the searcher.
The slide show "How to Use Search Engines" will give you an introduction to searching.
Use the search tool that best meets your needs, then try a search with all of the search tools listed here to get a "feel" for what they can do.
Search Tool |
Features |
What it Searches |
|---|---|---|
| About.com | Use of expert guides, original content, search box | Web, About.com |
| AllTheWeb.com | Boolean (AND is default, for OR place words in ( ), natural language searches, " " for phrases, no truncation | Web, news, video, MP3, FTP, images |
| Ask Jeeves | Natural language, suggested search terms, browse, children's version. | Web pages, news, shopping, and now pictures. |
| use of +, - for searches, advanced search, use of " " for phrase search and common words, no truncation | Web pages, images, groups, directory, news | |
| LS Blogs | Search engines and directories that search Blogs. | Simple search |
| Pinakes | Subject launch pad, links to major subject gateways. | Allows entry to subject gateways |
| ProFusion | Boolean, advanced, phrase search. | Invisible web, multiple search engines |
| qb Search | Links open in separate window, multiple results on one page, personalized searches | Meta-search, uses a variety of search engines |
| Teoma | Searches for topic relevance. | Refine searches. Search with parentheses, -, or +. Lists of sites collected by experts. |
| Query Server | Ranks lists; grouped conceptually, Boolean searches ( AND, OR, NOT and versions of same), ? for single character wild card | Meta searches, health, money, government, tv, newspaper web sites |
| Vivisimo | Lists results hierarchically, clusters results, Boolean searches (use AND, OR, minus sign - for not, use " " for phrases) | Web; and for domain, host, link, link text, title, URL |
| Yahoo! | Directory of web sites, email, Yahooligans! for kids |
Web search, Yahoo! directory. Searches for various file types. |
"Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning", Information Power:
Building Partnerships for Learning. Chicago: American Library Association
and Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 1998.
http://www.warehamportal.mec.edu/lib/
