Search Lesson

Searching the World Wide Web

The Internet does not have bibliographic standards for cataloguing the World Wide Web. The standards and organization we find in libraries does not exist on the Internet. Web Surfers use powerful search engines to locate information on the Internet. Search Engines are fast because they are not doing a live search. Search Engines deploy "spiders" or "robots" to periodically scan the contents of web pages and create indexes of web pages. When you perform a query, you are searching the main index of that database.

Things to Remember when Searching

All search engines are not created equal.
You may not receive the same results using the same terms with different search engines.
Many search engines "rank" their results.
The results may have nothing to do with your topic.
The results may provide links to material that are not appropriate for students.
Be observant of advertisements

Search Engines Vary

Each Search engine has unique and differing characteristics. They may vary in:

The size of the database - how many sites have been searched
How often they update the database - how often do they find new and current materials
How fast is the search accomplished
How do they allow for Boolean Logic - can you use + AND, OR, or -NOT in your searches
How the results are displayed - just the URL, a summary, or a detailed description
How many results are displayed
How much help they provide
Simple and advanced searching capabilities

Learn and Become Comfortable with 3 different Search Engines

It is recommended that you perform searches on three different search engines to get the best results. You should know what each search engine can and cannot do for you.

You should also review the rules and options every few months because search engines tend to improve and be modified.

What to do if your search produces no results

Check your spelling
Try synonyms or broader terms
Use Boolean logic (and, or, not)
Use the Custom Search Options - read the help options to improve your search
Use lower case letters
Try another Search Engine

Types of Search Engines

Individual Search Engines

A "robot" or "spider" is deployed to search the Internet, categorize, and organize the information. This is best when you are looking for a well-defined narrow topic.

Subject Directory Databases - Subject Guides

Information is arranged in subject categories. The information is usually compiled by a human and includes a search engine. This is best to use when browsing broad topics.

Meta- Sites

These sites allow you to search more than one search engine. This type of search offers a quick way to find search engines that provide the best result for your search. You may be limited in the search options you can perform.

Popular Search Engines to Discover

Things to Remember when Searching

Search Engines Vary

Learn and Become Comfortable with 3 different Search Engines

What to do if your search produces no results

Types of Search Engines

Individual Search Engines

Subject Directory Databases - Subject Guides

Meta- Sites

Popular Search Engines to Discover

Individual Search Engines

Subject Directory Databases

Meta-Sites

Search Engines for Students

Search Engine Tools and Training Materials