Web Searching Guides

These guides explain how to search the web and/or point to useful tools for searching the web.

Sub-headings:

Internet Resource Evaluation

Evaluating online resources as authoritative and reliable sources of information.

Resources in this category:

Boolean Searching on the Internet
http://www.internettutorials.net/boolean.html

This site provides a brief overview of Boolean logic by using venn diagrams to illustrate "and," "or," and "not" relationships. It also explains how to use this information when trying to find web pages, as well as describing how different search engines work.

Finding It Online: Web Search Strategies
http://www.learnwebskills.com/search/

"A free interactive tutorial on using search engines, subject directories, and specialty databases to find information on the Internet fast and effectively."

Guides To Specialized Search Engines
http://www.searchability.com/

A collection of guides (with comprehensive descriptions) to specialized search engines on the Web. Includes information about subject area, content, and intended audience for each search engine.

How to Choose a Search Engine
http://www.internettutorials.net/choose.html

Quick and easy reference providing links to numerous search engines other than Google and showing which one you'd like to use based on the type of search you are doing.

Navigator
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/navigator/

"Navigator is the home page used by the newsroom of The New York Times for forays into the Web. Its primary intent is to give reporters and editors new to the Web a solid starting point for a wide range of journalistic functions without forcing all of them to spend time wandering around blindly to find a useful set of links of their own. Its secondary purpose is to show people that there's a lot of fun and useful stuff going on out there."

QuickFindit.com
http://www.quickfindit.com/

A free service offering do-it-yourself and assisted Web searching. Users can do their own search using a metasearch engine that allows you to search several different sites simultaneously. There are links to many different search engines and topical Web sites available. Assisted searches are offered in two ways: Live guides are available to help via chat, or questions can be submitted to ProSearchers, who will perform the search and reply with the results.

Search Engine Guide from Mamma.com
http://www.mamma.com/info/help/search_engine_guide.html

This guide quickly explains the types of search engines that are out there and has a list to scholarly articles on search engines and on how to use them.

Search Engine Showdown
http://searchengineshowdown.com/

"Search Engine Showdown, the users' guide to Web searching, compares and evaluates Internet search engines from the searcher's perspective." Detailed comparison of Web search engines and information on how to search the Web effectively. A review and list of features for each of the search engines, search strategies, statistics, and search engine news.

Search Engine Watch
http://searchenginewatch.com/

News and tips relating to WWW search engines, including tips for searching and tips for webmasters who want to make their pages more accessable. Covers mainly the 'major' search engines: Alta Vista, AOL NetFind, Excite, HotBot, InfoSeek, Lycos, Search.Com, WebCrawler, Yahoo.

The Search Lounge
http://www.searchlounge.org/

Librarian's blog providing "original reviews, interviews, and articles about the Search Engine industry."

Web Searching
http://www.ipl.org/div/websearching/

The IPL's own guide to the best search engines and catalogs on/for the Web, with tips on how to use them effectively.