Search+the+Web

Internet Search Workshop

 * Agenda**
 * 1) //Understand your own search habits:// What do you typically search for? What search engines do you use? What search strategies have you experimented with? What frustrations--and successes--have you had and why?
 * 2) //Understand the options:// What are the differences between a subject directory, search engine, and meta- search engine? Under which circumstances would you favor one over the other? What features do different search engines offer? How do different search engines work? Which is the all-around best?
 * 3) //Understand how to perform pointed search es that yield useful results:// What vocabulary should you use in performing search es? How can you search for specific phrases? How can you tell the search engine to look for two related terms together, or to exclude certain terms?
 * 4) //Understand how to keep track of what you've found and where you've been:// How can you keep from having to hit the back button dozens of times to get the original search results? How can you move to higher level information? How can you judge the credibility of an Internet source?

The Different Kinds of Search Tools
A **subject directory** "offers a collection of links to Internet resources submitted by site creators or evaluators and organized into subject categories." Subject directories are useful when you are conducting general re search or want to find resources recommended by experts and evaluators. Examples include:
 * Google.com ([|http://directory.google.com])
 * [|Open Directory Project] (http://www.dmoz.org/)
 * [|About.com] (http://www.about.com/)
 * Yahoo ([|http://][|dir.**yahoo**.com])

In contrast, a ** search engine** is "a search able database of Internet files collected by a computer program." Use a search engine when you are looking for a particular web site, have a specific re search question, or are looking for the most current information (see [|Search] [|ing the] [|Internet]  ). Examples include:
 * [|Google] ([|http://www.google.com])
 * Yahoo ([|http://www.yahoo.com])
 * [|Northern Light] ([|http://www.northernlight.com])
 * [|Lycos] ([|http://www.lycos.com])
 * [|Microsoft Networks] (http://www.msn.com/)
 * [|Altavista] (http://www.altavista.com/)

Examples include:
 * Meta- search engines **send search es to several search engines at once, then build the results into a coherent results pages.**
 * [|Dogpile] (http://www.dogpile.com/index.gsp)
 * [|Metacrawler] (http://www.metacrawler.com/index.html)
 * Natural Language Engines **allow you to ask questions in ordinary language: "What is a screech owl?" or "When did Hank Williams die?"
 * [|Ask Jeeves] ([|http://www.askjeeves.com])
 * Specialized search engines** enable you to narrow your search to a particular discipline and profile web sites of particular interest. See an extensive listing of specialized search engines, see [|Search] [| Engine Colossus] ([|http://www]. search enginecolossus.com/).
 * [|FindLaw] focuses upon legal information (http://findlaw.com/).
 * [|ERIC (Educational Resources Center)] is a useful resource for anyone re search ing education (http://www.accesseric.org/)
 * [|ERIC (Educational Resources Center)] is a useful resource for anyone re search ing education (http://www.accesseric.org/)

Let's see a search engine in action:

Access this tutorial - http://www.mybusinessclasses.com/internet_toc.htm