Search Engines

1
Search Engines

• Jane Ellen Innes
• Cleary University Library
• jeinnes_at_cleary.edu
• Updated July 2009

2
Comparing Sites

• Different search engines, different search
  results
• of websites different with each search engine
• Other options besides Google and Yahoo

3
Sites for Comparing Search Engines

• http//CompareSearchEngines.dogpile.com
• http//www.jux2.com
• http//Ranking.thumbshots.com
• http//TwinGine.com

4
Whats available besides Google and Yahoo?
5
Exalead

• Great advanced search tools
• Excellent for complex searching
• Customizable front page (create an account and
  have your favorites available whenever you log on
  to a computer and sign into the Exalead engine)
• Alternative to Google
• www.exalead.com/search

6
Ask.Com

• Good clustering
• Images, news items, blogs, etc. highlights
• Offers terms for narrowing or expanding your
  search
• http//www.ask.com

7
Search the Tail

• Lets you narrow the search using popular terms
  (trendy) or obscure terms (long tail)
• Overlay on Google search engine
• Good clustering
• http//www.searchthetail.com

8
Quintura

• Useful for determining topics within a concept
• Uses Yahoo search engine
• Cool data visualization features
• On the fly clustering of results
• www.quintura.com

9
Kosmix

• Clusters by type and topic
• Includes overview page
• Excellent clustering
• Health, finance, travel, US politics
• You can search political viewpoints
• www.kosmix.com

10
NationMaster.com

• Source for national and international statistics
• Cool tool for presenting graphical information
• Data from WHO, World Ban, CIA World Factbook,
  World Resources Institute, etc.
• http//www.nationmaster.com

11
Google Enhancements

• Google Scholar
• http//scholar.google.com/
• Simply Google
• Excellent overview site of all Googles features
  and sites, downloads, blogs
• http//www.usabilityviews.com/simply_google.htm

12
Evaluating Information

• Why Evaluate What You Find on the Web?
• Anyone can put up a Web page ? about anything ?
  for pennies ? in minutes
• Many pages not kept up-to-date
• No quality control
• Wikipedia Good place to start but NOT a
  definitive source.
• DO NOT cite in your reference list
• Citizendium (Beta site requiring signed entries)
• http//en.citizendium.org/wiki/Main_Page

13
Ask yourself

• Credentials for the subject matter ?
• About us Philosophy Background Biography
• Is it recent or current enough ?
• Look for last updated date - usually at bottom
• Does it all add up ?
• Why was the page put on the Web?
• Inform, explain, persuade, sell, entice, share,
  disclose?
• Parody or satire?
• Is it appropriate for your purpose?

14
Remember

• You will rarely find an article that is exactly
  on your topic. 
• Learn to use the information you have to make
  your point.

15
Finally

• Use the information you have at hand to find more
  information look at URLs, references to
  additional articles, statistics.
• Research will take more time than you think. 
  Plan ahead!