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Search Engines and Directories |
| There will be some false hits in any search--sites
that aren't relevant to your search but have all your search terms
someplace on the page. The better your search terms, the better the
result. |
SEARCH ENGINES
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Offers a clean-looking interface, automatic proximity
searching and a subject directory. It claims to have indexed more
web pages than any other search engine, and has a reputation as
the most accurate search engine. Thankfully, it takes no advertising.
An Image Search
is also available.
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AltaVista Search Tips |
AltaVista is fast and current. Try using
quotation marks in both the Simple and Advanced search modes to find
a phrase. AltaVista retrieves an enormous number of hits. Search by
language using the dropdown menue. Babelfish,
the language translator, is here. Click on the Tools: Translate link
to translate up to 150 words. |
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Metasearch engine--sends your search term
to multiple indexes at once and awards a star for each engine placing
that site in its top ten results. Be aware that "Spotlight"
status indicates a paid placement. |
HotBot Search Tips |
Ranks the search results according to
relevancy. It allows the user to select output preferences. HotBot
allows you to search in a number of specific fields such as date,
language, and in advanced searching, geographical area. |
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Has a very busy interface with paid product
links. Some special search fields are graphics,
sounds and movies, and music
in addition to the general search. Watch our for popups. |
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Document Clustering is the exciting feature
here--search results are listed by category on the left hand frame,
as well as by relevance. For those who have not given any thought
to a working search vocabulary, this is a very helpful feature. Searches
"invisible web" databases, also. |
DIRECTORIES
Yahoo! Search Tips |
A directory assembled by humans, rather
than software, so it covers a select set of web sites, many commercial.
However, Yahoo also searches a number of other search engines at the
same time. Look for results on the bottom of the search page. |
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The Librarians' Index to the Internet
- web sites selected by librarians. Sponsored by the Library of California |
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