Herbst Library
Search Engines

For help with search strategies consult the Information Search Strategies from NoodleTools.

Search the Internet: A graduated approach in 5 steps from UC Berkeley Library 

  • Google searches differently and provides access to resources with primary sources provided first.
  • Ixquick is a metasearch engine which returns relevance rated results compiled from many search sites.
  • The Invisible Web:* A large portion of the web is invisible to search engines because the data resides within databases. For searching the Invisible Web (that portion of the web hidden from access by search engines), use
  • Yahoo is a search engine with categories and subcategories (subjectories). It is useful to help start or limit a search. Many of the sites are commercial.
  • Alta Vista Offers translation help. Search may be limited to images, sounds, or videos. Use of Boolean search operators provides the best results.
  • About.com provides personal guides for subjects A to Z
  • Kartoo is a metasearch engine with visual display interfaces. When you click on OK, KartOO launches the query to a set of search engines, gathers the results, compiles them and represents them in a series of interactive maps through a proprietary algorithm.
  • HotBot allows you to customize your search in many ways. For example, you may search specifically for images, video, audio or search by location/date.
  • Ask allows use of natural language questions. It is not helpful for unusual or complicated searches. Citation may be difficult since site address is embeded within an AskJeeves frame.
  • Dogpile is a a meta search engine which helps to steer the searcher to the best search engine for a topic.
  • Metacrawler Search engine that searches the search engines: Boolean searching available.

Help with Searching:

Web Search Engines "Web Search Engines FAQS: Questions, Answers, and Issues" by Gary Price • published in the Searcher, Vol. 9 No. 9 — October 2001 This article provides excellent tips about searching.

Use the help feature of a search engine's site for optimal searching with that engine.

Basic tutorial on web searching. Useful lessons on searching from University of South Carolina.

Search Engines A to Z from About.com 

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Herbst Library Home Page

 Last updated 2 January 2007.

 

*Learn about the Invisible web and how to mine its valuable information.

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