|
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
| Web Search Guide |
| The Web Search Guide is about Web searching techniques, web searching tips, web searching tools and web search engines. It will tell you how to search the Web more efficiently. |
| Language: English |
| RSS Feeds for this Blog |
|
Statistics |
| Unique Visitors: 1 |
| Total Unique Visitors: 2043 |
| Visitors Out: 100 |
| Total Visitors Out: 100 |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
| Google |
| 2008-02-21 04:36:00 |
http://www.google.com/ Use Google when... you are looking for a specific fact/person/event/narrow topicyour topic is made up of multiple ideasyou can't get enough of Google's link ranking of resultsyou like Google's specialized features such as spell checking, phone book and flight lookups, stock prices, etc.you want to take advantage of Google's advanced search interface that lets you fill out a form to do a search targeted to your needs Google is a general search engine that is everyone's favorite these days. It ranks results by the number of links from the largest number of pages also ranked high by the service. The more highly ranked pages that link to a certain page, the higher the linked-to page will be ranked b...
|
| |
|
| Yahoo Directory |
| 2008-02-21 04:32:00 |
http://dir.yahoo.com/ Use the Yahoo Directory when... you are using the Web for relaxation or personal useyou want to browse through subject categories to see what is available on your topicyou are willing to use a collection of generally unevaluated material Note that the Yahoo site consists of several components. A Yahoo search defaults to a search of the general Web, using its own search technology. This page discusses the Yahoo Directory portion of the Yahoo site. Special Features of the Yahoo Directory: Is one of the largest subject directories on the WebHas broad subject coverageHas a hierarchical subject organization that is good for browsing Drawbacks: Accepts almost any site ...
|
| |
|
| Don Busca |
| 2008-02-21 04:21:00 |
http://www.donbusca.com/ Use Don Busca when... You want the convenience of a meta search engine that searches multiple sources simultaneously Your topic is made up of multiple conceptsYour topic is somewhat obscure so a search across multiple sources might help Special Features: Simultaneously searches several major search engines and subject directoriesWith each result, also offers a cached version, a link to the site archive in the Wayback Machine, site info from a variety of sources and various bookmark management options Exercise: Meta searching Query: Does violence on televsion have an effect children? Search: +violence +television +children ......
|
| |
|
| BUBL |
| 2008-02-21 04:17:00 |
http://bubl.ac.uk/link/ Use BUBL when... you are researching a relatively broad topicyou want to browse through subject categories to see what is available on your topicyou want to retrieve a small number of substantive results - in this case, usually between 5 and 15 of the most relevant resources on any given topicyou want to retrieve results that have been selected by information professionals BUBL LINK is a significant, professionally-maintained directory that has been around for years. Begun as a volunteer librarian effort, it was a UK funded project hosted by the University of Strathclyde Library in Glasgow, Scotland. Since this funding ended, BUBL has been maintained by staff at the Centre for Digital Library Research at the University of Strathclyde....
|
| |
|
| Brainboost |
| 2008-02-21 04:07:00 |
http://www.brainboost.com/ Use Brainboost when... you are looking for the answer to a fact-based question that usually has one correct answeryou want to ask your question in plain English Special Features: Accepts plain English queries, so there are no searching rules to learnTends to work best with queries that have precise and factual answersOffers a set of related questions that also retrieve results Drawbacks: Not all questions may answered with equal accuracy Exercise: Plain English query Query: Where can I learn to use a mouse? Search: Where can I learn to use a mouse? Examine the results. Note that Brainboost did a good job of distinguishing the concept of mouse as an animal and mouse as a computer tool based on the way we asked the quest...
|
| |
|
| Boolean Searching On the Internet |
| 2008-02-19 06:48:00 |
Boolean Searching on the Internet This post is about the principles of search logic and the different manifestations of this logic on Web search engines The Internet is a vast computer database. As such, its contents must be searched according to the rules of computer database searching. Much database searching is based on the principles of Boolean logic. Boolean logic refers to the logical relationship among search terms, and is named for the British-born Irish mathematician George Boole. On Internet search engines, the options for constructing logical relationships among search terms extend beyond the traditional practice of Boolean searching. This will be covered in the section below, Boolean Searching on the Internet. Boolean logic consists...
|
| |
|
| General Search Strategies |
| 2008-02-19 05:36:00 |
Most search engines employ the principles of Boolean logic in the formulation of search queries. See Boolean Searching on the Internet detailed information about search strategy. If you take the time to understand the basics of Boolean logic, you will have a better chance of search success.Search engines tend to have a default Boolean logic. This means that the space between multiple search terms defaults to either OR logic or AND logic. This has become a de facto standard. It is imperative that you know which logical operator is the default. Nowadays, the default logic tends to be AND, but you should always check the site's Help file to make sure.Another de facto standard is the requirement to search for phrases within quotations, e.g., "dealth penalty".If the option is available, use pro...
|
| |
|
| Quick Tips |
| 2008-02-19 05:01:00 |
This will help you about when you should use what.When should I use a subject directory? When you have a broad topic or idea to researchWhen you want to see a list of sites on your topic often recommended and annotated by expertsWhen you want to look around in a controlled environmentWhen you want to retrieve a list of sites relevant to your topic, rather than numerous individual pages contained within these sitesWhen you want to search for the site title, annotation and (if available) assigned keywords to retrieve relevant material rather than the full text of a documentWhen you want to avoid viewing low-content documents that often turn up on search engines.When should I use a search engine? When you have a narrow or obscure topic or idea to researchWhen you are looking for a specific si...
|
| |
|
| Selecting a Tool for Your Search |
| 2008-02-19 04:28:00 |
This post offers general guidelines to get you started on your search of the Web. It is important to think about your information need before selecting a search tool. To help you do this, the chart below lists different kinds of questions, information needs and preferences that you may have. These are organized into categories that list a sample of tools that you should try.This will help you select search tools based on particular features that can help you find what you want. Query TypesExamplesWhat to useYour topic is generalYou want to view a collection of sites recommended by expertsYou want to browse the possibilitiesYou want a limited number of high-quality resultsI'm doing research on drug abuseSubject Directories...
|
| |
|
| Where to Start Searching |
| 2008-02-15 07:51:00 |
Where to start searchingThe Internet can be valuable source of information, but sometimes it is hard to know where to start searching. There are several different types of search tools you can use to help you find what you are looking for on the World Wide WebTypes of Search Tools:Search Engines Subject DirectoriesMetaSearch ToolsAll the WebAbout.comClustyAlta VistaBest Information on the NetDogpileAsk.comGoogle Web DirectoryExciteGoogleInfomineIxquickHotBotLibrarians' Internet Index MetacrawlerLive Search Open Directory ProjectSearch.comLycosYahoo DirectorySurfWaxYahooWhat is the Difference Between Types of Search Tools?Search Engines are databases created by computers using an automated process. "Web spiders" or "crawlers" search web sites and add the information to the database. They at...
|
| |
|
| Basic Searching Aids |
| 2008-02-15 07:42:00 |
Boolean Operators:Most search engines now offer boolean capabilities. Boolean operators express different and specific relationships between words and phrases used in the search.AND limits a search by requiring each term must be present. For example a search on learning AND cognition specifies that you want information on BOTH learning and cognition. If an article only has the term learning in it, it will not be matched. Using AND will usually produce fewer hits.OR expands the search by combining discrete terms into a conditional set. Searching for learning OR cognition specifies that you want information either learning or cognition. Using OR usually produces the most hits.NOT limits the search by specifying that a term not be present. Searching for learning NOT training will find matches...
|
| |
|
| Five Principles of Smart Searching |
| 2008-02-15 06:34:00 |
The Key to Successful Searching:Remember, you are smarter than a computer. Use your intelligence. Search engines are fast, but dumb.A search engine's ability to understand what you want is very limited. It will obediently look for occurrences of your keywords all over the Web, but it doesn't understand what your keywords mean or why they're important to you. To a search engine, a keyword is just a string of characters. It doesn't know the difference between cancer the crab and cancer the disease...and it doesn't care.But youknow what you query means (at least, we hope you do!). Therefore, you must supply the brains. The search engine will supply the raw computing power.The principles of Smart Searching: 1. Know Where to Look FirstAre you looking for in...
|
| |
|
| |
 |
