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| For a specific question, and to access the full potential of the Internet,
you will need to access a search
engine. This is a web site which links to a database of information about web sites.
At the simplest level, they are accessed by typing key words into a text box. You
may at first experience difficulty finding what you are after, not because you can't find
anything, but because you find too much. Rather than jump from one search engine to
another, it is better to stick with one, and learn how to refine your search. Make sure
you read the help files for your chosen search engine.
It is also important to think about exactly what you are after. Check your key words to
make sure they reflect the information you need. A search of HotBot for pets returned
167 260 pages. A search for pet returned 236 067 pages. But a search for Persian
cat returned 5150 pages. |
Search Engine Watch
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Search Engine Watch is not a search engine, but a site about search engines. Check
this site out periodically for the latest information about the popular keyword search
engines. The Search Engine
Review Chart gives a quick comparison of some of the main search engines as reviewed
by leading magazines. The Search
Engine Size chart gives an impression of the comparative size of the databases
available to the main engines. There is also a revealing discussion of the AltaVista controversy, in which
it was discovered that AltaVista (and other search engines) do not necessarily index the
whole of the Web. |
![[AltaVista]](av_logo.gif)
Alta Vista Australia
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AltaVista is a very popular search engine. The original site in the United
States is upgraded before the Australian site, but essentially they are the same database.
The Australian site lives in the Telstra web site, and has links to relevant Australian
resources. AltaVista has attempted to accommodate languages other than English, with
non-Latin text (Chinese, Japanese and Korean) searches and a translation service. The advanced
search option allows Boolean search operators (AND, OR, NOT, NEAR) to be used, and the
refine function can provide assistance in selecting key words. |
Alta Vista (USA)
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Excite
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Excite assists your searching by looking for synonyms and related terms. Similar to
AltaVista's Refine feature. |
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Most search engines allow you to specify a phrase, usually by placing quotes around the
text. This forces the search engine to look for the particular sequence of letters in
quotes. For example, a search of HotBot for ned kelly returned 5532 sites. But a
search for "ned kelly" returned 738 sites. The text in quotes must appear
in the page, so don't use quotes for phrases which are not conventional.
Search engines also usually support Boolean
logic. This simply means using AND, OR, NOT and brackets ( ). A search for sun AND
moon returned 133 343 pages - all of which contain (somewhere) both of these words. A
search for sun OR moon returned over two million pages - each of which contains one
or the other or both of the key words.
These operators can be used to great effect, especially in combination. Consider (skiing
AND snow NOT water) AND (Australia OR "New Zealand") This will locate
sites relating to snow skiing (not water skiing) in Australia and New Zealand.
Some search engines will join the key words with a logical AND by default. Others will
join them with a logical OR.
Some search engines include other operators such as NEAR and ADJACENT.
There are a range of other search techniques, most of which depend on the search engine
you are using.
HotBot provides a more graphic interface than
most. It lists over 50 million sites. It allows novices to perform sophisticated searches.
It has extensive on-line help.
Alta Vista has an Australian mirror
which lists fewer sites (about 30 million). It is text-based, and allows sophisticated
Boolean searches. It has extensive
support.
There are an ever-growing number of search engines on the Internet. Kansas City Public
Library keep a search engine comparison
chart.
Searching Strategies
 | It is generally better to refine or re-think a search than to change search engines. A
poorly constructed query will turn up poor results on all search engines. |
| If your query looks good, but is not turning up results, take a look at the help
file for the search engine. You may find a way to refine your query. |
| If you are still not getting the result you want, then try another search engine. Don't
forget to adjust your query for the new engine. |
| If that doesn't work, try a multiple search engine site. |
Other resources
The WebTools Company, makers of the
commercial search tool Mata Hari, have an extensive and well-written
Guide to Effective Searching
of the Internet available on-line, in Word 6 format, and as a PDF file. The guide
covers in detail use of key words, Boolean and proximity operators, use of parenthesis,
capital letters and punctuation, pitfalls and filters.
The O'Connell Information and Resource
Centre search page
links to popular search engines, and additional support material.
East Greenwich Free Library
includes a concise guide to
Internet searching on a single page. |
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