Databases or 'search engines', keywords and tips, Awesome list, guides to searching & search engines, search exercise, Web References
The World Wide Web (WWW) is a rapidly growing and changing source of data and means of communication. One of the most useful skills you can develop is the ability to search in cyberspace. Effective search techniques will allow you to keep current with the rapidly evolving world of the Internet. Fortunately, there are databases of Internet resources and search tools that help people locate them. Such database web sites are often (loosely) referred to as 'search engines.' There are two major types of databases - categorical and indexed.
Categorical databases include sites such as Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com ) and Magellan (http://www.mckinley.com ). These databases arrange Internet resources into general categories such as subject, geographical location, and business. The originators of these databases have already done quite a bit of work for you - collecting, reviewing, classifying, and summarizing web sites for the database.
Category lists like these are easy to look through (browse) until you see something of interest. Sites on the list are hyper-linked, so a simple click will submit the URL to your browser. In addition to the specific category lists, you can do keyword searches in these databases. Categorical databases are generally do not have as many sites as indexed databases.
If you are looking for something obscure or difficult to categorize, or if you have exhausted the categorical databases, it is time to move on to the index databases to continue your search. Most search sites allow you to select another search engine (site) on their search results page. Choose the hyper-link text will and you will automatically access the new search engine and the same search criteria will be submitted. Of course, you can access the index databases directly, using their URL's.
Indexed databases include sites such as Altavista (http://www.altavista.digital.com ), Lycos (http://www.lycos.com ), and Infoseek (http://guide.infoseek.com). This type of database represents the most comprehensive collection of resources on the Internet. Visit the excellent Indiana site, "Understanding WWW Search Tools"
for a detailed comparison of different indexed search engines.
You can search for resources on indexed databases using Keyword type searches. Make sure of the search scheme, defaults, and functions of the particular search engine you are using by reading the Help, Tips, or Search Strategy section which is hyper-linked from the Home Page. Most engines are very simple, just type in the subject of your interest and choose Search.
At the beginning of a search, it is a good idea to make a list of keywords that are related to your topic. Searching for several different keywords is more likely to produce results than relying on a single word. Remember, the search engines are looking at the language provided by the originator of the web site. While you might call a subject 'oil fields in Wyoming,' another person might call that data 'production statistics for the mountain west.'
Most search tools use broad subjects and keywords included only in titles or the main header of the site, so it may be useful to begin with a broad search topic. Starting from the list retrieved for the broad topic, you can then narrow your search. If you are searching for information about a specific oil field, a search hierarchy might look like -
Broadest 'oil fields'
Broad 'North American oil fields'
Focused 'Williston Basin'
Narrow 'Mondak Field'
If you receive a large number of matches, you may wish to narrow your topic using additional words. Many databases allow Boolean logic in multiple term searches. That means -
'and' searches for all sites that have BOTH terms (limiting)
'or' searches for all sites that have EITHER term (expanding)
Phrases without 'and' or 'or' may be searched as a sequential phrase. In that case, searching for 'oil fields' will select only those entries with that exact phrase, in that order. A site with language such as 'oil, condensate, and gas fields' would not be selected.
Avoid using 'stop' words in your search string - such as 'with' or 'in.' For example, to search for 'oil fields in Wyoming', type in 'oil fields and Wyoming.'
Hint: search results can be bookmarked just like a regular web site, so if you get a good one & don't have time to fully explore, set the bookmark & return at a later date.
Another effective way to find resources on the Internet is to follow hyper-links from page to page until you find the information you desire. Hyper-links are underlined text (sometimes in color) on a page that, when chosen, provide the URL of the new site to your browser. If you wish to revisit the new site, it is a good idea to create a bookmark for it.
There are a number of sites that specialize in maintaining databases of new, interesting, and creative sites on the Web, such as Netscape's What's New! and the
Be sure to visit the Awesome Telephone Directories section. From there, you can select hyperlinks to Big Book and other directories, to find businesses and long lost friends across the globe.
The Exercise that follows will put you in touch with some of the more popular search engines on the Web. In addition, there are a number of sites that offer guides to searching & search engines on the Internet. Several of my favorites are:
Understanding WWW Search Tools - an *excellent* overview of the search engines, their features, and tips for using each of them
The Library of Congress has an extensive Web site, well worth visiting
Library and journal resources can be easily searched using CARL and UNCOVER at
Visit these sites on-line and take advantage of their hyper-links (underlined text that supplies the appropriate URL) as you perfect your own search technique on the Internet!
I. Use these search engines in the exercise below, when you finish the exercise for one search engine, visit the other sites.
Yahoo! www.yahoo.com
Altavista www.altavista.digital.com
Infoseek guide.infoseek.com
Magellan www.mckinley.com
I. Begin your search in each database by typing 'petroleum' into the open field and clicking on Search. Add a Bookmark for the search result.
Notice how many 'hits' or matches you received. If you compare results from the different engines, you will see that there is a big difference in the number of sites selected by the different search engines.
Follow a few hyper-links (underlined text) to interesting sites. Look for hyper-links on those pages to take you to another interesting site. Choose at least one. Go back to the original search results either using GO on the toolbar or your bookmark.
Hint: some of the sites which are returned may have nothing to do with the topic of interest. This is particularly true with the index databases.
II. Choose the Help, Tips, or Strategies section of your search engine to review how this particular one works. Does your search engine support Boolean logic? What is the default for multiple words - and, or, specific phrase?
Now try a multiple term search by typing in 'petroleum and Montana.' How many hits did you get compared to the 'petroleum' search (above)? Is Boolean logic working?
There should be some interesting sites on that search, spend a few minutes following hyper-links. Remember to bookmark a site if it is of interest to you.
III. Most indexed search engines offer advanced search capabilities. Search Altavista for 'oil and gas and Wyoming.' Notice that the search was inclusive (not exclusive as in Boolean logic), however, the results were ranked with the most numerous matches first.
So don't let those 70,000 'hits' scare you away, just look at the first few pages of search results and move on to another search.
IV. The category search engines will retrieve both individual web sites and categories that match you search criteria. Search Yahoo! for 'Internet and Montana.'
Note that the list includes a Yahoo! Category. Choose the category and browse that list. Often, this is the best way to find locations on the categorical sites. This approach can circumvent the problem of precisely matching keywords to those in the title.
V. Now, try to find the page of the national PTTC headquarters. This page has a great set of petroleum related links & you will want to find pages like this!
What is your list of keywords? Which search engine would you try first?
Search for the page in both a categorical and indexed search engine. Do they both find it? Which one easier?
VI. Visit the AWESOME LIST, choose Telephone Directories, choose USA, and choose Big Book. Here you can search for your business (or another) and display a map of its location. Is the map correct?
At the same URL, check out the TRULY AWESOME LIST. Choose City.Net and check the destination of your next trip.
From TRULY AWESOME, choose EARTHQUAKE BULLETIN, then choose one of the listed events. You will be shown a map with the epicenter marked. Now you know how these lists got their names!
After you have completed this exercise on several of the sites given above, branch out and create some new searches of your own!
Understanding WWW Search Tools is a *great* site with hyper-linked annotated lists of search engines which include features and tips for each engine
Yahoo! is one of the most popular categorical databases
Magellan is another good categorical search engine
Altavista by Digital Equipment is reputed to be the largest of the index databases
In addition to basic searches, the Infohiway offers 'fuzzy' relational links and a list of other websites on a particular server (handy for large server sites)
Lycos bills itself as the 'Catalog of the Internet' and rightly so
The Awesome lists are a gateway to some of the best sites on the Web
DejaNews is a search engine which focuses on Usenet Newsgroups
U. S. GovBot Database extensive search engine for government sites
Library of Congress has an excellant site for library searches, information on search strategies, and much more
Carl is a library and journal search site par excellance, easy interface, huge database
Copyright 1996 by the Rocky Mountain Region of the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council
PTTC is partly funded by the U. S. Department of Energy, visit their Energy Technology Center on the Web.
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