Module 6: Use search engines and directories effectively

Course Learning Outcomes

The students will be able to:

•Determine whether a research question is specific or exploratory

•Describe how to formulate an effective Web search strategy to answer research questions

•Describe and use Web search engines, Web directories, and Web metasearch engines effectively

•Use Boolean logic and filtering techniques to improve your Web searches

•Use advanced search options in Web search engines

•Assess the validity and quality of Web research resources

•Describe the future of Web search tools

Types of Search Questions
A specific question is an inquiry that you can express effectively and one for
which you will perceive the appropriate response when you discover it.

An exploratory question is an open-ended question that can be harder to phrase;

it is also difficult to determine when you find a good answer.
Specific Question

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Exploratory Question

4
Web Search Process

5
Web Search Strategy

You may need to reformulate, or more clearly state, your question.

Try to think of synonyms for each word.

Identify unique phrases that relate to your topic or question.

Using Search Engines

Four Broad Categories Of Search Tools:

1. Search engines

2. Directories

3. Meta-search engines

4. Other Web resources such as Web bibliographies

Understanding Search Engines
A web search engine is a Web site (or part of a Web site) that finds other Web pages that match a word or phrase
you enter.

The word or phrase you enter in a search engine is called a search expression or a query.

A search expression or query might also include instructions that tell the search engine how to search.

A search engine does not search the Web to find a match; it searches only its own database of information about Web
pages that it has collected, indexed, and stored.

A Web robot, also called a bot or a spider, is a program that automatically searches the Web to find new Web sites
and update information about old Web sites that already are in the database.

Most search engines allow Web page creators to submit the URLs of their pages to search engine databases.

Search engine operators often sell advertising space on the search engine Web page and on the results pages.
Understanding Search Engines
•A hit is a Web page that is indexed in the search engine’s database and that contains text that matches your search expression.

•Most search engines report the number of hits they find.

•All search engines provide a series of results pages, which are Web pages that contain hyperlinks to the Web pages that contain text
that matches your search expression.

•Some search engine operators sell paid placement rights on results pages. These paid placement links are often labeled as
“sponsored,” and they are usually called sponsored links.

•If the advertising appears in a box on the page (usually at the top, but sometimes along the side or bottom of the page), it is
usually called a banner ad.

•Revenue from sponsored links and banner ads is used to generate profit after covering the costs of maintaining the computer
hardware and software required to search the Web and to create and search the database.
Using More Than One
Search Engine

Each search engine includes different Web pages in its database.

Different search engines use different rules to evaluate search expressions.

The best way to determine how a specific search engine interprets search expressions is to
read the Help pages on the search engine Web site.

Search engines change the way they interpret search expressions from time to time, so you
should read the Help pages regularly.
Understanding Search Engine Databases

•Search engine databases store different collections of information about the pages that exist on the Web at any given
time.

•Each search engine database indexes the information it has collected from the Web differently.

•Search engine robots may collect information from a Web page’s title, description, keywords, HTML tags, or read a
certain number of words from each Web page.
Understanding Search Engine Databases

• A META tag is HTML code that META tags in a Web page

a Web page creator places in <HEAD>

the page header for the <TITLE>

specific purpose of informing

Current Developments in Electronic Commerce
</TITLE>

Web robots about the content <META NAME ="description" CONTENT= "Current news and reports about
of the page. electronic commerce developments.">

<META NAME ="keywords" CONTENT ="electronic commerce, electronic

data interchange, value added reseller, EDI, VAR, secure socket layer, business
on the internet">

</HEAD>
Understanding Search Engine Databases

•Full text indexing: when search engines store the entire content of every Web page they index.

•Stop words: common words, such as and, the, it, and by, that many search engines omit from their databases.

•Many search engines include information about their search engines, robots, and databases on their Help or About
pages.
Search Engine Features

Page ranking is a way of grading Web pages by the number of other Web pages that link to
them. The URLs of Web pages with high rankings are presented first on the search results page.

A natural language query interface allows users to enter a question exactly as they would ask a
person that question.

The procedure of converting a natural language question into a search expression is sometimes
called parsing.
Search Engine Features

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Using Directories and Hybrid
Search Engine Directories
A Web directory is a listing of hyperlinks to Web pages that is organized into hierarchical
categories.

The difference between a search engine and a Web directory is that people select the Web pages
to include in a Web directory.

Many directories allow a Web page to be indexed in several different categories.

The main weakness of a directory is that you must know which category is likely to yield the
information you desire.

Yahoo! is one of the oldest and most respected directories on the Web.
Using Directories and Hybrid
Search Engine Directories

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Using Directories and Hybrid
Search Engine Directories

The combination of search engine and directory is sometimes called a hybrid

search engine directory.

Using a hybrid search engine directory can help you identify which category in
the directory is likely to contain the information you need.

After you enter a category, the search engine is useful for narrowing a search even
further. You can enter a search expression and limit the search to that category.
Using Meta-Search Engines

A meta-search engine is a tool that combines the power of multiple search engines.

Some meta-search tools also include directories.

Because each search engine on the Web has different strengths and weaknesses, you might
need to use several individual search engines to perform a complete search for a particular
question.

Using a meta-search engine lets you search several engines at the same time.

Profusion, a popular meta-search engine, routes search terms to more than ten search
engines and Web directories.
Using Meta-Search Engines

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Using Other Web Resources

Other Web resources are similar to bibliographies in that they contain lists of hyperlinks to Web pages.

Many of these resources include summaries or reviews of Web pages.

They are often called Web bibliographies, but many other names are used for them:

• Resource lists

• Subject guides

• Clearinghouses

• Virtual libraries
Using Other Web Resources

Other web resources are sometimes confusingly called Web directories.

Web bibliographies are usually more focused on specific subjects than Web directories,
and Web bibliographies usually do not include a tool for searching within their categories.

These other resources can be very useful when you want to obtain a broad overview or a
basic understanding of a complex subject area.

Some Web bibliographies are general references. Most are more focused. Many are
created by librarians at university and public libraries.
Boolean Logic and
Filtering Techniques

The most important factor in obtaining good results in a Web search is careful selection of the search terms you use.

You can usually choose one or two words that will work well when the object of your search is straightforward.

More complex search questions require more complex queries, which you can use along with Boolean logic, search
expression operators, or filtering techniques, to broaden or narrow your search expression.
Boolean Operators

Boolean algebra was developed by George Boole, a nineteenth century British

mathematician.

Boolean operators, or logical operators, specify the logical relationship between the
elements they join.

Three basic Boolean operators—AND, OR, and NOT—are recognized by most search
engines.

You can use these operators in many search engines by including them with search terms.
Boolean Operators

Search Expression Search Returns Pages that Include

exports AND France AND Japan All of the three search terms
exports OR France OR Japan Any of the three search terms
exports NOT France NOT Japan Exports, but not if the page also includes the
terms France or Japan

exports AND France NOT Japan Exports and France, but not Japan
Other Search
Expression Operators

•A precedence operator, also called an inclusion operator or a grouping operator, clarifies the grouping within a
complex expression and is usually indicated by the parentheses symbols.

•A location operator, or proximity operator, lets you search for terms that appear close to each other in the text of
a Web page. The most common location operator offered in Web search engines is the NEAR operator.
Wildcard Characters

Most search engines support some use of a wildcard character in their search expressions.

A wildcard character allows you to omit part of a search term.

Many search engines recognize the asterisk (*) as the wildcard character.
Search Filters

•Many search engines allow you to restrict your search by using search filters.

•A search filter eliminates Web pages from a search.

•The filter criteria can include such Web page attributes as language, data, domain, host, or page component.
Complex Searches

•Most search engines implement many of the operators and filtering techniques you have learned about.

•Some search engines provide separate advanced search pages for these techniques.

•Some search engines allow you to use advanced techniques such as Boolean operators on their simple search
pages.
Filtered Search in Google

Open the Google search engine page in your Web browser.

Click the Advanced Search link.

Formulate and enter suitable search expression elements.

Formulate and set appropriate search filters.

Click the Google Search button.

Evaluate the results and, if necessary, revise your search expression.

Filtered Search in Google

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Search Engines with
Clustering Features

Vivísimo is a search engine that uses advanced

technology to group its results into clusters.

The clustering of results provides a filtering

effect.

The filtering is done automatically by the

search engine after it runs the search.
Obtaining Clustered Search Results Using
Vivísimo

Open the Vivísimo search engine page in your browser.

Formulate and enter a suitable search expression.

Click the Search button.

Evaluate the results and, if necessary, revise your search expression.

Future of Web Search Tools

A number of different companies and organizations are working on ways to make searching the Web easier.

Work on natural language interfaces continues as search engine sites strive to make the job of searching even
easier for users.

An increasing number of search engines offer natural language querying as an option for entering search
expressions.
Using People to Enhance
Web Directories

One company, About.com, hires people with expertise in specific subject areas to create and manage their Web directory
entries in those areas.

The Open Directory Project uses the services of more than 40,000 volunteer editors who maintain listings in their individual
areas of interest.

The Open Directory Project offers the information in its Web directory to other Web directories and search engines at no
charge.
Evaluating the Validity and Quality of Web Research Resources

Information on the Web is seldom subjected to the review and editing processes that have
become a standard practice in print publishing.

The risks of obtaining and relying on inaccurate or unreliable information can be

significant.

Reduce your risk by carefully evaluating the quality of any Web resource on which you plan
to rely for information related to an important judgment or decision.

Evaluate on the Web page’s authorship, content, and appearance.