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Are All Search Engines Equal
There around thousands of search engine availeble in the market. The best can be determine by need of the hour as follows:-
Information need Search strategy
I need a few good hits fast. Google - largest index1 results ranked by general popularity with "blind spots."2 with cached copy when site unavailable. Yahoo!Search - new search engine design, improved quality
I need to compare results quickly before I investigate them further. ZapMeta metasearch Quick View previews each page within your results; turn on "Result Snapshots" (set preferences) to preview thumbnails of sites.
I have a broad academic subject and need pointers to quality sites. Librarians' Index to the Internet - "thinking person's Yahoo"3 with weekly updates.
Infomine - librarian-selected directory with flexible search options.
I want to search on confusable (e.g. bush v. Bush) or ignored words (e.g. there v. There - a company) in a phrase (e.g., "Vitamin A" or "to be or not to be").
Alta Vista Advanced - use capital letter
Google - use quotes around phrase, or +word
Teaching Google? Use Soople to display and explain features.
I can't spell something (e.g. "Ku Klux Klan" or "Klu Klux Klan"). Use a dictionary for the correct spelling. If an alternative spelling will generate better results Google asks you, "Did you mean: (more common spelling)?"
I need a template to focus my search. AlltheWeb Advanced or AltaVista Advanced (full Boolean) template prompts you to include or exclude words and phrases, domain, format, date, etc.
I need to organize and refine my results. Combined major engine results (metasearch) clustered by topics. Select keywords to pinpoint your search further.
Vivisimo - automatic clustering, hierarchical folders
Surf Wax - identify promising results using preview summary ("SiteSnap"); see context of key words on the page ("ContextZooming"), add "Focus Words" to narrow next search.
Ez2Find - gathers results from top engines (results include some invisible web information)
Dogpile - "fetch" and clustered results (Vivisimo) attracts younger students.
Altavista - displays the most common words from your results which you can add to your query for more focused results.
I need to see relationships among ideas. KartOO - intuitive interface visually "maps" relationships and refines ideas
Web Brain - visual view of related subjects. Click on term to search dmoz database, a directory compiled by volunteer editors
I need a subject hub prepared by an expert. Teoma - excellent relevancy of results due to ranking by subject-expert popularity (links from authority pages), suggests expert hub-sites
Virtual LRC - searches high-quality educational directories
Pinakes - a subject launchpad to major academic gateways.
WWW Virtual Library - worldwide volunteers maintain oldest academic subject-organized catalog of links to full-text, databases, and gateways.
BUBL LINK / 5:15 - directory of 5-15 academic sites (European focus) also organized by Dewey number and subject terms.
About.com - screened and trained volunteers create general-interest subject guides.
I need balanced information from verified sources for a school
research project to take home For certain types of research, useful books and magazines may only be available in print. Ask your local librarian.
I need biographical information. Infoplease Biography - search 30,000 people (encyclopedia, almanac, dictionary), or browse categories.
Biography.com - search 25,000 popular figures
Lives - alphabetical directory of dead people only
I need US government information. First Gov - search official site for U.S. government, state and local, or drill down topics in a directory.
I need the current buzz or breaking news. NewsNow - UK, fast and wide net, refreshes every 5 min.
Daypop - receives daily feeds from 1000 news sources, online magazines, and 19,000 weblogs (subjective, personal) - can use +, -, ""
Newsblaster - get a sense of day's major stories and images - automatically collects, categorizes, and summarizes news events, reflecting the media from a particular country.
Hotbot (Inktomi) - freshest database4
I need more complete news coverage. Yahoo News - unique depth and breadth
+continuously updated, categorized news (7-30 days archive)
+editor-selected "Full Coverage" provides background
+"Op-Ed," "News Photos," "Video" (political) and "Local."
Google News - 4500 news sources, automatically grouped, includes articles' leading sentences, 30 day archive.
World News Network - world news organized by region, topic, industry. Country or regional hot-spots in "Special Reports."
I need to get a overview of the media in a region or industry. Headline Spot - directory of established media by subject, industry or area (large cities, states, countries, regions).
I need fuller news coverage to develop background to
understand an issue. Behind the Headlines - key resources related to the latest headlines; resources are carefully selected, indexed and described by specialists in 60+ British educational and research organizations.
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