How do I search the Internet?

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To effectively manipulate Internet resources we need to use a variety of tools. These tools are search engines and directories which automatically run from page to page, site to site indexing and cataloguing web pages.

Unfortunately, there is no one global search engine or directory on the Internet that will search everywhere. The methods used to find information for this tutorial were:

Known URLs (Uniform Resource Locator)
Exploring subject directories and specific links, using search capabilities
Search engines with keywords
Browsing home page directories with links
Invisible web sites

Search Tool Locators:

AltaVista	http://www.altavista.com/
AskJeeves	http://ask.com/
Excite	http://www.excite.com/
Google	http://www.google.com/
Lycos	http://www.lycos.com/
Netscape	http://wp.netscape.com/
Search.Com	http://www.search.com/
WebCrawler	http://www.webcrawler.com/
Yahoo!	http://www.yahoo.com/
Yahoo! Australia	http://au.yahoo.com

Knowledge of the design and specific rules for each tool enhances effective use. Many services provide information on advanced searching techniques and features within their help pages.

These sites provide a good analysis of search engine functions:

http://www.windweaver.com/searchguide.htm Windweaver Search Guide: How to choose and use top search engines and directories

http://www.internet101.org/search.html Internet 101 About Searching

http://daphne.palomar.edu/TGSEARCH/ How to Search the Web, a Guide to Search Tools

http://searchenginewatch.com/facts/index.php Search Assistance Features and Power Searching for Anyone

http://library.albany.edu/internet/checklist.html Checklist of Internet research tips

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