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International Web Access- The Tutorial

Step Eight - Searching for information on the web

So far we have been talking about finding and using URL's to find useful webpages. But most of the time you won't know the addresses and need to search for information.There are two main kinds of tools for searching the Internet for your particular topic, subject hierachy/classification kinds and search engine kinds. Which tool to use depends on the topic you choose to search so learn how to use more than one.

1. Searching the web using a subject hierachy like Yahoo or AraNui
   
   • Basic strategies
   • Picking one to use
2. Searching the web using keyword search engines like Alta Vista, Excite, Hotbot, Infoseek
   
   • Basic strategies
   • Picking one to use
3. Finding these tools on the web

1. Searching the web using a subject hierachy
   

   These have organised part of the web into subjects for you.

   • Basic strategies
     • Open and look at the lists of subject areas.Choose the heading that may have your topic. Click down the hierachy to get closer and closer to your topic.
     • You may have to travel down several different paths to find your exact topic.
     • Be flexible about what headings it may be under eg government or politics
   • Picking a subject hierachy
     • Yahoo - huge as it includes submitted sites from around the world.
     • AraNui -an excellent source of New Zealand sites
     • Lincoln Library's Subject Guide to Information is a source that is developing

2. Searching the web using keyword search engines
   

   These allow you type in the words you are looking for. But you need to use some basic strategies to be successful and efficient here. The ones below will not work in every search tool but will get you started until you learn each search engines special requirements.

   • Basic strategies
     • As you type in your keywords, leave out the common words.
     • To find a phrase put it in quotes eg "human cloning"
     • Use lower case unless it is a proper name eg Los Angeles
     • Type a plus (+) in front of a word you really want included eg +apples
     • Type a minus (-) in front of a word you really want excluded eg -computers
     • The most relevant ones are often in the first 20 so don't try looking at them all
     • Try to work out whether it is combining the words you put in or not
     • Pick up a web searching guide from the library
     • Once you are confident, look out for a way of doing advanced searches
   • Picking a search engine
     • Alta Vista -claims to access the world's largest web index. Certainly popular.
     • Infoseek - also claims to be the largest site!
     • Excite - a good general search engine
     • Hot Bot - funky looking site, by the makers of Wired magazine

3. Finding these Tools on the Web
   • AraNui was created by a Lincoln librarian and is available from Lincoln's homepage.
   • Netscape has a button called Net Search, below the location area, with links to many of the international search tools like Yahoo, Excite, Infoseek.
   • Most international search tools have an address like http://www.name.com
     where name is the search engine's name. eg http://www.yahoo.com
   • The library guide summarises the search engines and gives you their addresses.
   • A hint, once you have found your favourite the search engines" homepages, use the Bookmark feature of Netscape to save their addresses for next time.

1. Where can I get a printed handout that compares the search engines?

2. What would I click on to find AraNui, the list of New Zealand web sites?

3. What would I type if I wanted Altavista to exclude the word computers in a search?