Choosing a Search Tool for Internet Resources

No search tool covers the whole Internet. Pick a couple of favorites from each type and learn the ins & outs for each one.

Which search tool should you use?

• For a general topic:
  If you have a general topic you wish to find information on use a subject directory.
  Examples of using a subject directory:

  • you want to find out what Web resources are available on birds of the world.

  • you want to know what magazines are available on the Web in a certain subject area.

  • you want a overview of Victorian literature.

• For a specific topic:
  If have a specific topic you wish to find information on use a robot-driven search engine.
  Examples of using a robot-driven search engine:

  • you wish to find a recipe for mulled wine which contains brandy.

  • you wish to see what information there is on the recommended levels of nitrogen needed in the soil for growing grapes.

  Use more than one search engine for a comprehensive search.

For more information on choosing tools and devising a strategy, see Recommended Search Strategy from UC Berkeley Library.

• Remember that the World Wide Web is not necessarily the best place to find the information you need. A telephone book may be easier than trying to find a person's email on the Web! Your research topic may contain more relevant information in old fashioned print-based books and journals.
  Don't forget the Library!

Based on a web page created by Gilliam Westera, Curtin University of Technology, http://www.curtin.edu.au/curtin/library/staffpages/gwpersonal/senginestudy/zrecomm.htm