The following questions are designed to increase your familiarity with some of the search tools that allow you to find information on the Internet.

1. Internet Search Engines

   Use Google to find out if you or someone else of personal interest has pages indexed on the Internet

   Name used:

   How many pages did you find retrieved?

   Use Google to construct a search on a topic of current interest to you.

   Record the search strategy you used:

   
   
   For a phase that you used what is difference in number of items retrieved between searching them as individual keywords and as a phrase?

   
   
   

2. Internet Subject Directories/Gateways Portals

   Use one of the general directories listed on the Library's homepage under Internet. Repeat the same search you did above for the topic of current interest.

   How do the results compare?

   
   

   Choose one of the directories listed under Guides to Specialized Search Engines to find an subject directory in your discipline or current area of interest.

   Name of directory chosen:

   How is the subject directory you chose organized?

   
   

   On the Research Guides page on the Library's homepage find your discipline or current area of interest.

   Does the discipline guide you chose contain a section of recommended Internet subject directories?

   Look at one of the listed subject directories and give its name:

   
   

3. "Invisible Web" Directories

   Locate an "Invisible Web" directory listed within one of the links on the course syllabus page under "Invisible Web Directories".

   Name of directory chosen:

   List several examples of databases listed in the directory:

   
   

4. MetaSearch Engines

   Choose one of the meta indexes listed on the Library's homepage under Internet.

   Name of meta index chosen:

   What search engines and subject directories are searched in the meta index?

   
   

   Repeat the same search you did in #1 for your topic of current interest. What kinds of results did you get?