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How to Do Research


There are three broad categories of search tools that help you locate information on the Web:
Search Engines
Metasearch Engines
Subject Directories.

There are numerous examples of each. Yet no one search tool will find everything…nor be the best for every purpose. The key is to try several and then choose the one that works the best for you.
Search Engines

PRO
  • You select the search terms.
  • You can use the same search terms with multiple search engines.
  • You can change search terms as much as you wish.
  • You will normally receive numerous links.
  • It's fast!
CON
  • There are so many different search engines, it may be difficult to choose.
  • You will normally receive too many links, often making it difficult to identify the most relevant sites.
  • The vast majority of links may be only marginally relevant or altogether irrelevant.
  • Each search engine has its own, sometimes unique, rules for entering a search----requiring you to consult the instructions for each tool.

Each search engine can work in a different way, indexing different elements of a Web page, which is why search engines yield different results. RECOMMENDATION: Try more than one search engine, especially if you are not pleased with your results.

There are over twenty major search engines. A selective list includes:

MetaSearch Engines
Unlike search engines, metasearch engines or "metacrawlers" don't crawl the Web themselves. Instead, they search the resources of multiple search engines by sending a search to several search engines at once, aggregating the results. For example, Metacrawler searches the databases of each of the following engines: Lycos, WebCrawler, Excite, AltaVista, and Yahoo. Searching multiple databases results in a more comprehensive search, but somewhat slower.

PRO
  • You only need to use one search tool, which is time-efficient.
  • You only need to learn how to use one search engine, reducing the learning curve.
  • You benefit from the differences (strengths complementing weaknesses) among several search tools at once.
CON
  • Metasearch services may not be able to leverage each individual search engine's full range of query tools, resulting in less refined searches.
  • You can not personally select the search engines queried by metasearch services.
  • Response times may be somewhat slower than those of individual search engines since metasearch services broadcast their searches to multiple tools at once.

Among the most common are:
Dogpile
Ixquick
MetaCrawler
Search.com

Additional listings can be viewed at "Major Metacrawlers."

Subject Directories

Subject directories are not as comprehensive or as inclusive as search engines. They are built by humans rather than by computer programs. Subject directories organize Internet sites by subject, allowing users to choose a subject of interest and then browse the list of resources in that category. Users conduct their searches by selecting a series of progressively narrow search terms, tunneling their way to their topic.

For example:

PRO
  • You can explore a topic of interest by browsing, rather than implement a specific search.
  • You can control the search pattern, varying the path through the topical descriptors based upon your own preferences.
  • You don't need to know the vocabulary of your topic in order to find quality sites.
  • You can locate a few main Web sites on a particular topic without having to filter irrelevant results.
  • You benefit from the subject knowledge of a human "expert."
  • If you are searching for a good resource, you can consult a directory that critically reviews the sites it includes.
CON
  • The subject-oriented organization of directories, while logical, can make it difficult to locate topics that are not easily categorized.
  • If the subject descriptors are not specific enough for you, your search may be unsuccessful.
  • The more specific the information you need, the more likely you will want to use a search engine.
  • Directories tend to include new sites (and remove outdated ones) more slowly than Web search tools built with crawlers.
  • The subject resources from which you can draw are generally far less than with an automated search service.
  • It can be slow going.

The following is a selective list of subject directories on the Web:
The Internet Public Library
Galaxy
INFOMINE
Librarians' Index to the Internet
Yahoo! (Also includes links to over 130 other directories!)
WWW Virtual Library

Not all of these services are exclusively one "type" of search tool. An increasing number of services offer both search engine and directory information, though they will predominately feature one type of results over the other. Yahoo! is a good example of a subject directory that also provides a powerful search engine. See How Search Engines Work to understand more about the difference between search engines and directories.

Additional Resources:

Learning More about Search Engines and Subject Directories: FAQs
…excellent review of core questions. Don't miss it!

Search Engine Showdown: The User's Guide to Web Searching
…compares the features of many search engines.

The Spider's Apprentice: A Helpful Guide to Web Search Engines
…ranks the most popular Web search engines with letter grades for overall quality and usability.

Search Engine Watch
…for all you ever wanted to know about search engines!

Understanding World Wide Web Search tools
…describes search engines and how they work, and lists strengths and weaknesses of several major search engines.

Windweaver's Search Helper
…provides a gateway to some of the most frequently used search engines as well as a search guide, search tool reviews and useful list of search engine features.


Unit 4: Searching the Web: 3 of 4

Why the Web? | How to Search the Web! | Search Tools | How to Cite Web Sources

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Last updated: Tuesday, 20-Aug-2002 15:30:09 EDT

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