|
Information need
|
Search
strategy |
|
I need a few good hits fast.
|
Google - largest index1
results ranked by general popularity with "blind
spots."2
Cached
copy of page if site unavailable.
All the Web - large,
automatically adds phrases from its dictionary to improve
relevance of results. |
|
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 have a
popular or commercial topic. |
Yahoo - user-submitted,
editor-categorized commercial "tree" entries are integrated
with Google search results |
|
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 |
|
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. |
Virtual LRC
-
searches high-quality educational directories
Academic Index is a meta-search engine that includes
results from mega-information databases that index only
research-quality reference and information sources selected
by professional librarians, educators, and educational and
library consortia.
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.
Teoma - ranks by
subject-expert popularity (links from authority pages),
suggests expert hub-sites
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. |
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.
US News Briefings - editor-compiled overview, with links
to stories, key biographies, relevant documents and Web
sites. |
| I need accurate, objective
information on hot topics (current and
controversial). |
Social Issues - K-12 topics from public library Homework
Center.
BIOTIN - solid topic information, Catholic perspective
Hot Topics Supersites - sites which have resources on
many controversial topics of current interest selected by
public-university librarian.
Public Agenda Online - background and analysis of social
issues with public opinion studies |
| I want to get opinions
on current issues. |
Yahoo Op/Ed -
today, by
country
Opinion-Pages
- searches international editorials, opinions, commentaries
and columnists.
PollingReport -
aggregates national surveys of the American public
Google Usenet Advanced Search - searches newsgroups.
Blogdex - "most contagious
information currently spreading in the weblog community."
|
| I need to see news from
other countries' perspectives. |
All the Web News advanced
- search 7 days coverage,
3000+, multilingual
Search Engine Colossus - links to search engines and
directories worldwide
Abyz News
Links - links to international newspapers, news media,
internet services, magazines, and press agencies.
World Press
Review - succinct overviews of issues from international
perspectives, views of U.S. from abroad. |
| I need simple reference
information (basic facts, current statistics, name
identification). |
Search
Reference - choose fact sites, then metasearch.
CIA World Factbook by country
or
search data.
InfoNation - compare data for (up to 5) UN countries.
Wikipedia -
volunteer-created encyclopedia. |
| I need statistical data
depth. |
Statistical Information help page
|
|
I need
invisible web resources (access to databases not
commonly indexed by search engines). |
Turbo10
- configurable search of deep net resources.
Invisible Web
- small, high-quality directory list.
Resource Discovery Network
- keyword search
Direct
Search - links and search (boolean, date, fields)
Depth of Search: Choosing Invisible Web Databases -
small list geared to K-12 |
| I need primary sources. |
Online only:
Library and Archival Exhibitions on the Web
UNESCO Primary Sources Online
Print and online:
Repositories of Primary Sources - by country, region
Ready, 'Net, Go - metaindex to worldwide archives |
| I need information found in
presentations, spreadsheets and other formats [pdf]
[doc] [xls] [ppt] [rtf] [ps]. |
Google
Advanced - searches for Adobe Acrobat, Word documents,
Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, Rich Text
Format and Postscript documents.
Search Adobe PDF
Online - see summary before downloading.
|
| I need images and
sounds (photos, art, designs, logos, videos, music,
noises), media types (Java, mp3) or file
extensions [.gif]. |
Singingfish Advanced Audio Video - large index
AlltheWeb- advanced
pictures,
video, simple
audio
Lycos MultiMedia
- cross-search pictures, audio, mp3, video
AltaVista- select format, size, etc -
images,
audio,
video
Google Image Search - indexes 425+ mill.,
advanced narrows by size or type.
ClassroomClipart
- browse categories suitable for K-12.
Fine arts:
ADAM,
FAMSF,
SILS, Richman's list of
picture/art
sites.
American Memory US historical maps, motion pictures,
photos and prints, sound recordings.
FindSounds -
locates sound effects and sample sounds. |
| I heard part of a radio
program and want to hear all of it. |
PublicRadioFan
- if you know the station or program, click through "tree"
links. Design a worldwide public radio programs list, check
what's playing now.
HP
Speechbot
- keyword audio search, results include audio link and
transcript of words in context, sort by date |
| I need free or inexpensive
software. |
CNET - meta search
engine for shareware. |
| I need a map. |
National Geo.
MapMachine: world physical, political
print.
Cornell
Digital Earth - world maps: choose layers of geological,
geographical, and geophysical data (GIS), then download
image (.ps, .jpg)
TIGER Map Service - U.S. Census information maps
Maptech MapServer - U.S. topographical, aerial and
satellite, nautical maps - flexible searching, options for
printing/e-mailing
MapQuest - U.S.
driving directions. |
| I need a
quotation. |
The
Quotations Page
Quoteland
Quotations Archive,
Search Creative
Quotations,
Bartlett (1901). |
| I want to get advice
from experts. |
Ask A+ Locator -
browse, or search by keyword or subject, a database of
high-quality "AskA" services.
AllExperts
- volunteer experts (read self-profile to assess expertise)
SourceNet Experts - database of experts for journalists
Sources and Experts - directory maintained by news
researcher |
| I need a virtual
librarian. |
24/7 - live reference from public library system.
Ask a Librarian
- e-mail and live help from Library of Congress.
Ask on
NoodleBoard if you subscribe to NoodleBib. |
| I want notice of new
sites as they're announced. |
Scout Report review
or weekly e-mail notification of new sites, often not yet
listed elsewhere. |
|
I need to periodically rerun a
good search
I've already composed. |
GoogleAlert-
reruns your search periodically on its large index and sends
alerts via e-mail.
HotSheet,
AmphetaDesk,
FeedDemon (beta) - desktop and
RSS Headliner web page software to create custom pages
with your own choice of news sources. |
| I need sites
just for kids.
|
KidsClick!
- click through librarian selected and organized subject
tree, or search 600+ high-quality sites. See
Dewey classification of sites.
Yahooligans! -
results from directory, clustered by category, and kid-safe
popular sites.
Ithaki - metasearch
engine (Dmoz Kids, Yahooligans, FactMonster, ArtKidsRule,
AolKids, AppuKids, Discovery School) |
