Each Search engine builds a database of web pages by using a program called a spider which crawls down the internet pipeline and adds new web sites to the database. Some engines store all of the information on each web page it finds. The larger the database the greater number of hits or links returned.
Altavista is this type of engine, but because it brings back too many irrelevant hits, it is best used for very specific information. Other search engines categorize data and then let you search when the topic has been narrowed down somewhat producing more relevant results- Yahoo is such an engine. Among the best search engines are: Excite, HotBot, Altavista, and Infoseek. PC Magazine rates Excite as #1.
An excellent place to start is on the University of Toronto Search Page http://www.fis.utoronto.ca/internet/search.htm
See ratings of search engines at: http://searchenginewatch.com/reviewchart.htm
A listing of search engines can be found: http://juliet.stfx.ca/~x94emj/searchen.htm
Searching techniques - Each search engine has its own searching rules.
One good guide is found at: http://www.windweaver.com/searchguide.htm
A good guide to searching for various types of information is at http://nueva.pvt.k12.ca.us/~debbie/library/research/adviceengine.html#encyclopedia
Using quotes around a string of words helps in any instances, such as "Mona Lisa". Use AND , OR, and NOT to narrow down the topic, such as in "Prime Minister" AND Cretien. Using + infront of words makes sure the word is included. Using - in front of word excludes it.
Try a search on http://all4one.com/index.phtml
where 4 engines are queried at once.
Top Search Engines
5 Excellent | 4 Good | 3 Acceptable | 2 Poor | 1 Unacceptable |
Product | Searches the Web? | Searches Usenet Newsgroups? | Searches Other Sources? | Pros | Cons | Verdict |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AltaVista
Free |
Yes | Yes | No | Fast; indexes every word on millions of pages and in Usenet newsgroups. | Can be difficult to narrow searches. | 5
If it's on the Web or Usenet, you'll find it with AltaVista. |
HotBot
Free |
Yes | No | No | Unique search options let you restrict searches in a variety of ways. | Limited Boolean search features. | 5
A powerful search engine with a great looking interface. |
Infoseek
Guide
Free |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Searches for Web pages, Usenet groups, Web FAQs, e-mail address, and more. | Uses unusual search expressions; only finds keywords. | 5
The best place to search beyond the Web. |
Open
Text Index
Free |
Yes | No | No | Full set of Boolean search tools; indexes every word on millions of pages. | Limited to five phrases per search. | 5
A powerful Web search tool that's easy enough for anyone to use. |
Excite
Free |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Conceptual searching finds ideas related to your original terms. | Difficult to narrow searches. | 3
Look here if you're not sure what terms to search for. |
Lycos
Free |
Yes | No | Yes | Unique search options help you speed searches and work around misspellings. | Finds only keywords; Boolean searches restricted to AND and OR. | 3
An aging site, but still full of useful information. |
WebCrawler
Free |
Yes | No | No | Performs reverse searches to find who's linking to your site. | Searches only by keywords; not as expansive as AltaVista or Open Text. | 3
A venerable search site that's getting long in the tooth. |
Yahoo
Free |
Yes | No | No | Well-organized categories make it easy to drill down to useful information. | Finds only keywords. | 3
Not all-inclusive, but a good place to start a search. |
The terms--part of a century-old system called Boolean logic--act as extremely effective filters for finding just the information you need on the Web. Most of today's search engines support some form of Boolean query. Check the help section of your favorite search engine to find out whether it allows Boolean searches.
Bigger. Faster. Easier to use. The competition among Internet search engines is glowing white-hot, and that's good news for Net users. But despite each search service's attempt to become the ultimate online find-it tool, no single service is best for every need.
If, for example, you're shopping for a new PC and want to find Web sites for all the big vendors, a categorized listing service like Yahoo is the way to go. Its organized, drill-down approach to searches give you the information you need in no time. Yahoo even includes some advanced search features, though few people seem to know about them.
However, if you want to find something more obscure, Yahoo's rather limited list of sites won't suffice. Instead, check out one of the large mega-indexes such as AltaVista or Open Text Index. AltaVista, Digital Equipment's superstar, scans and catalogs every word in millions of Web pages and Usenet postings every day. You'll need to spend some time learning its search syntax to avoid being deluged by thousands of pages, but when you need to find the one place that mentions that out-of-print book or rare computer part, you'll be thankful for AltaVista's searching power. Open Text Index finds only Web pages, but its Power Search option lets you perform complex searches using simple drop-down menus. This feature is a real time-saver for anyone who'd rather not learn the ins and outs of Boolean terms.
Other services assist with even more specialized needs. Inktomi's HotBot is great for finding Web pages that include specific technologies like Shockwave, virtual-reality markup language (VRML), or JavaScript. And Infoseek Guide includes options for searching more than just the Web, including Usenet newsgroup postings, e-mail addresses, and Web FAQs.
The remaining search services, including Excite, Lycos, and WebCrawler, are good search engines but they're being eclipsed by their fast-moving competitors. Still, if you can't find what you need with one service, try another. All of these search engines return answers in seconds, so it pays to bookmark several for quick access.
Decision Maker: Choose the Best Search Engine for Your BusinessPractice:
1.
What do you want to search first?2.
What other source do you want to check?3.
What is more important?4.
For your needs, the best service is...
Web Pages
Usenet Newsgroups Other
Ease of Use Features Ease of Use Features
AltaVista AltaVista Infoseek Guide Infoseek Guide
Usenet Groups
Web Pages Other
Ease of Use Features Ease of Use Features
AltaVista AltaVista Infoseek Guide AltaVista
Other
Web Pages Usenet Newsgroups
Ease of Use Features Ease of Use Features
Infoseek Guide Infoseek Guide Infoseek Guide Infoseek Guide
- Let's try a broad based search for science fair project ideas -
Start with Yahoo ® Education ® K12 ® Science ® Projects ® Science Fair projects and ideas.- If you want a small number of hits that are relevant: You are looking for a Marsh lesson plan Start with Excite ® in the search box type +marsh + lesson ® search
- Suppose I want to write a report on child labor. Start with MetaCrawler ® type "child labor" in search box ® search. Try the same in InferenceFind.
- I want to find a tutorial on writing essays: Start with Magellan ® choose Education category ® "essay tutorial" ® lessons ® Doyle's essay tutorial.
Try the same with Lycos and WebCrawler- I want to find a very specific topic such as Neil Bohr. Try Altavista ® "Neil Bohr" or your own name in quotes.
Try some of the other searches of the Nueva Libraries Help Page.