The Internet, Section 1

Internet Search Tools

Search Engines
1. Individual search engine- uses computer programs called “spiders”,
“crawlers”, or “robots” to match key search words with the web ages that
contain them
a. The results returned are lists of web pages and titles
b. Does not search the Internet itself, but instead, searches databases
of information about the internet
c. Google.com, Ask.com, Yahoo, Live
2. Meta-search engine- sends requests for information to several search
engines simultaneously and complies the results
3. As the results are complied, duplications are eliminated, thus yielding
fewer results
4. A time-saver compared to a regular search engine
5. Examples: Google Custom Search allows users to control their search by
specifying
a. Name of the search engine, description, language, sites
6. Subject directories- searchable databases that are developed and
maintained by human selection of sites to search broad subject categories
and their descriptions
a. Used in research and often linked to library systems, research
databases
b. Mostly made up of specialized databases, such as library catalogs.
c. Searches for non-html formats (PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
d. Results in more reliable pages that search engines
e. http://informine.ucr.edu- complied by academic librarians
f. www.lii.org – librarians internet index
g. www.about.com
7. EBSCOhost- premium online information resources for institutions
a. Colleges and universities, hospitals, and corporations
b. Government, k-12 schools, public libraries
i. Librarysearch.com – a subsidiary of EBSCOhost
ii.ERIC (Education Resources information center)
iii.CRIS (Current Research and Information System)
iv.Incywincy.com
v.Completeplanet.com
vi.Google Scholar
Internet Search Methods
8. Keyword – Unique phrases, Synonyms or word variations
a. Field- a search parameter, such as a title, date of publication, useful
for drilling down and focusing on specific content
9. Boolean logic
 a. Uses operators with keywords to narrow search parameters.
b. Operators include AND, OR, and “ “ + - NOT
c. AND narrows results by searching for pages that contain both
keywords
d. OR expands results by search for pages that contain either of the
keywords
e. Quotation marks narrow results by searching for phrases
10.Boolean is implied in many search engines, but still a valuable method for
narrowing
11.Miscellaneous search methods
a. Different language support- searches for words in different
languages
b. Spell checker- gives suggestions if the word keyed for the search is
misspelled
c. Phonebook- uses phone numbers to search for locations and
addresses
d. Math/equivalents- solves basic math problems and converts
equivalents
Boolean Searches use operators to include or exclude terms used in a search