
Contents
The following table outlines a variety of tools used to search for information on the Web. It's a good idea to become familiar with several different directories, search engines, metasearch engines, and specialized tools because no one search tool indexes the entire Web.
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Search Tool |
Characteristics |
Examples |
| Subject Directories
(also known as "virtual libraries" or "portals") |
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| Search Engines |
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| Metasearch Engines |
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| Specialized Search Tools |
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| Google Scholar |
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Searching for ALL or ANY Keywords
Most search engines look for ALL the words in a search. For instance, in a search for dog canine puppy , only sites that contain all words will be retrieved. To complete a search with ANY keyword returned, include an OR between words. For example, dog OR canine OR puppy will return sites that contain one, two, or three of the words.
Capitalization
The capitalization of a letter does not matter in most search engines. Whether you search for Napoleon Bonaparte, napoleon bonaparte, or NaPolEON boNaPArte, your results will be the same.
Common Words
If you enter short, common words, such as a, and, the, who, how, and in, a search engine or directory will eliminate those words from your search. If you need to include these words in a search, such as for whom the bell tolls or in the daylight , be sure to put them inside quotation marks for phrase searching - "for whom the bell tolls" or "in the daylight".
The table below describes common features available in many Web search tools. Please note, all of these tools are not available in all search engines or directories. Check the help and advanced search tips pages of the search tool you are using to see if these features are available.
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+intellectual +property +patents |
Finds Web sites where the term after the + appears in the results. NOTE: Can be used to override the default setting where ANY of the search terms are retrieved. |
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+intellectual +property -patents |
Finds Web sites with intellectual and property, but not patents. |
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Finds Web sites which contain the exact phrase. |
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Finds Web sites with mortgage in the title tag. |
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site: |
cherry site:www.pepsi.com |
Searches within the site www.pepsi.com for the keyword cherry |
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Finds Web sites with finance, finances, financial, etc. |
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Finds Web sites with both terms. |
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Use Boolean operator OR |
OR
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Finds Web sites with either term. |
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NOT |
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Finds Web sites with montana, but not camping. |
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Finds Web sites with college OR university, and bookstore. |
Search engines use algorithms to sort the results and rank them according to relevancy. Presumably, the most relevant sites appear at the top of the list.
But how does the computer decide which sites are "relevant"? Most search tools do not reveal their ranking formulas--protecting their competitive edge--but they do share some elements of the criteria they use to rank the results.
Some elements considered in ranking the results are
The World Wide Web's accessibility and ease of use has led to an exponential increase in the amount of information available on the Internet. As a research tool, however, the Web lacks the quality assurance that editors provide with print publications or that librarians provide when collecting materials for their library. Therefore, given that some Web sites are out-of date, biased, or inaccurate, it is crucial that people doing research in this medium learn how to critically evaluate the material they find.
The following checklist, divided into five separate criteria for evaluation, presents questions that should be asked to determine if a Web resource is of high quality or not. Go through each of the criterion and answer the questions. The greater number of questions answered "yes," the more likely that the source is of high quality.
Criterion #1: Authority
The above checklist was based on the following WWW page:Alexander, J. & Tate, M. (1996, August 8). Teaching Critical Evaluation Skills for World Wide Web Resources. Retrieved on March 13, 2006, from http://www3.widener.edu/Academics/Libraries/Wolfgram_Memorial_Library/
Evaluate_Web_Pages/659/
Some types of Web sites can be particularly useful for academic, scholarly, or professional research. They are:
Visit the links above to learn more about what kinds of information you can find from these Web resources.