Internet Subject Directories/Portals/Gateways in Rangeland Resource Science

The Internet contains both both popular and scholarly information of interest in rangeland resource science, including information from government agencies, universities, organizations and societies. Content format may be textual, numeric, graphic, mulitmedia or software..

Based on accessibility Internet content can be separated into the surface web or visible web and the deep web or invisible web. Some estimates place the size of the surface web at 100 billion pages and the deep web at more than 900 billion pages, many times larger than the surface web.

Deep web pages are excluded from general search engines because of 1) licensing restrictions that place content behind firewalls or 2) content contained in databases that generate a dynamic web page based on a specific information query. Many of the Library's databases and catalogs are part of the deep web. Content from some of the largest deep web sites is freely available.

Approaches to Searching the Internet

• Search surface web pages using general Internet search tools , e.g., Google.
• Use Library databases and catalogs to search parts of the deep web.
• Identify other subject specific databases that contain deep web content.
• Search general Internet search tools, e.g., Google, using a combination of a subject keyword(s) and the keyword "database", e.g.," shark attacks database".
• Use databases listed in the range subject directories listed below or in the range reference resources research guide.
• Use general Internet subject directories/portals/gateways. Some recommended general directories include:
  • Complete Planet - lists over 70,000+ searchable databases and specialty search engines
  • Librarian's Internet Index
  • Infomine
  • Intute
• Use higher-end databases that search the content of multiple deep web databases.
  • Google Scholar
  • Scirus
  • Science.gov (US Department of Energy and US Geological Survey) Searches over 35 federal databases
  • WorldWideScience.org: the global science gateway (US Department of Energy) Searches over 50 science databases from over 50 countries

Rangeland Resource Science Subject Directories/Portals/Gateways

The following individuals, organizations, and universities maintain directories, portals, and gateways of interest to range scientists and managers:

• California Rangelands (University of California, Davis. California Rangelands Research and Information Center)
• Forage Information System (Oregon State University. Department of Crop & Soil Science)
• Infomine Scholary Internet Resource Collections: Biological, Agricultural and Medical Sciences (University of California)
• Links (Society for Range Management)
• Range Management and Natural Resource Related Web Links (Society for Range Management California-Pacific Section
• Rangelands West (Western Rangelands Partnership)
• Other Links of Interest (US Bureau of Land Management Library)