SEARCH THE INTERNET

There is no single index or "search engine" for the Internet.  The "search engines " listed below are all different and produce different results.

Search Engines:

     
    All the Web (FAST Search)
    One of the largest search engine databases, with more than 575 million web pages indexed.  Does not present a subject directory, but does offer searching by term or phrase using "all of the words," "any of  the words," or "exact phrase."  Also allows searching for multimedia - images, video, and audio. 

    Alta Vista
    Offers searching by terms or by broad subject categories of sites.  Also allows searching for images, MP3/audio, or video.  Good for very specific searches.   Uses term relevency to rank results. 

    Ask.com
    Allows asking questions using natural word order, and will find the answer within various Internet sites. 

    Excite
    Offers searching by terms or by subject categories of site.  Good for broad searches.  Uses term relevency to rank results. 

    Go.com (formerly Infoseek)
    Uses term relevency to rank results. Searches return "Proven Picks" which lists sites rated by users, as well as "Web Search Results." 

    Google
    Places  results in an order based on the number of highly ranked Web pages that link to the sites, a kind of citation ranking.  Searches return more popular and well-known sites. Excellent when looking for a specific site. 

    Google Scholar
    Uses the Google algorithm to search for scholarly articles, books, and other publications in response to your query. Offers free full-text links in some cases.

    Hot Bot
    Searches can be limited by date, language, and inclusion of images, video, MP3 and Javascript. Uses term relevency to rank results.  Also features a directory for searching by subject categories. 

    Lycos
    Good for broad searches.  Can limit search to pictures, sounds, and personal pages. 
    Also presents a list of subject  into which sites are organized. 

    Northern Light
    Returns search results in two ways -- grouping together various aspects of  search terms in "Custom Search Folders" and ranking sites according to term relevance. 

    Open Directory Project
    Compiled and maintained by volunteer editors.  Excellent breadth of coverage. Offers searching by terms or by broad subject categories. 

    Web Crawler
    Good for quick, broad search.  Small database which gives fast results. Offers searching by terms or by broad subject categories. 

    Yahoo
    Presents a searchable catalog of links to selected sites, organized by subject.  Contains primarily sites submitted and annotated by users.  Commercial sites are heavily represented, and academic subjects have uneven coverage.  Also offers term searching. 
     



 

Search More Than One Search Engine:
   (Information may not be as current as with individual search engines.)

    C/net Search.com (formerly Savvy Search)
    Claims to search over 700 search engines.  Offers searching by terms or broad subject categories.  Advanced Search allows you to choose types of engines to be searched.  General search results are grouped by type of web site -- "search partners," "web pages," and "advice and answers" -- and present brief annotations taken from the web sites, themselves.
    Dogpile
    Searches more than a dozen search engines, delivering top results from the greatest number of leading search engines and content resources.  Results are organized and displayed separately by search engine.  Allows more specific searches, including geographical,
    business news, audio/MP3, and image.  Offers searching by term or broad subject categories,

    Mamma
    Searches 10 major search engines.  Groups results by relevance and source.  Offers searching by the categories, Web News, MP3, Audio, Images, and Video.  The "Power Search" allows you to select specific search engines to be included and enables you to turn on an "Adult Content Filter."

    MetaCrawler
    Searches 14 major search engines.  Offers searching by terms or by broad subject categories, which are primarily commercial in nature, such as "Computing," "Entertainment," and "Lifestyles."  "Power Search" allows you to select specific search engines; view results according to relevance, type of site (commercial, educational, etc.), and search engine; and limit search to audio/MP3, images, and newsgroups.



 

Guides to Internet Resources/Reviews and Rating of Web Sites:
 

Academic Info
A directory of Internet resources aimed at a college or advanced high school audience.  Each subject guide is an annotated listing of the best general interest sites in the field as well as a gateway to more advanced research.  Links to online publications, language and study aids, reference materials, databases, archives, virtual libraries, and tutorials.  Offers a subject index, search engine for the site, and a Reference Desk for quick information needs, search engines, and other academic directories.
    Argus Clearinghouse
    Highly selective subject directory.  No verbal description, but rates sites on a 1-5 scale for description,  overall evaluation, design, organization schemes, and information  given about the sites.

    BUBL Link:  Libraries of Networked Knowledge
    Subject directory (Bulletin Board for Libraries) based at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland.  Organized by subject, alphabetically, Dewey Decimal Classification, country of origin, and type of resource.  Good to explore for a European slant on  quality Internet sites.

    INFOMINE:  Scholarly Internet Resource Collections
    Offers descriptive entries for scholarly sites.  Arranged in 9 broad topical sections from which you can  search or browse  the database's key words, subjects and titles.  Compiled by the Library of the University of California at Irvine.

    InfoPeople:  Selected Internet Subject Directories and Search Engines
    Gives search instructions for various search engines and directories.

    Internet Public Library: Ready Reference Collection
    An annotated collection of sites selected for useful and accurate content, currency, and good design. 

    Librarian's Index to the Internet (Sunsite)
    Annotated subject directory compiled by the Berkeley Digital Library. Includes sites from a broad spectrum of topics.  Updated frequently and is recommended for finding the newest quality sites on the web.

    MEL: Michigan Electronic Library Best of the Internet Selected by Librarians
    Sites are selected to meet the needs of Michigan's libraries and citizens and compiled by librarians at the Michigan State Library. Sites grouped broadly by subject and searchable by keyword.

    The Scout Report
    Descriptive and evaluative reviews of new and newly discovered sites of interest to the academic and  research community.  Published weekly and compiled by librarians and subject matter specialists  at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.   Offers the capability for searching past issues at  Scout Report Archives, by keyword or phrase, or browsing by Library of Congress Subject Headings or a specially developed subject hierarchy.


 

Search Email Addresses on the Internet:

    AT&T Anywho Info
    Offers white pages, yellow pages, and an email address search for individuals
    and businesses.

    InfoSpace
    Comprehensive site, with yellow and white pages, maps, etc.

    WhoWhere
    US postal and email addresses.

    Yahoo People Search
    International in scope



 

Internet LISTSERV Lists:

         Catalist, the Official Catalog of LISTSERV Lists

     

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