Web Search Tools > Overview - Key Ideas

Begin the tutorial by clicking the first link, or select any page to review.

  1. Choose the Right Tool: There are three distinct types of Web search tools: Web directories, Web indexes, and specialized databases.
  2. Browse the Best Sites: Web directories are selective. They provide short descriptions of Web sites and are a good place to start a general search or to survey what's available on a broad topic.
  3. Search for Specific Information: Web indexes ("search engines") are huge databases containing the full text of millions of Web pages. Start here when your search is specific or well-defined. Specialized factual databases (the "invisible Web") are also good sources for answering specific questions.
  4. Meta-Search to Save Time: A meta-searcher allows you to send one search to many different Web tools (key directories and indexes) simultaneously.
  5. Smart Search Techniques: Use effective search techniques in all of these sources. Choose good search terms, speak the "language" of the search tool (symbols, boolean operators) and use limiting to focus search results.
graphic representation of key ideas


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Revised: September 19, 2007