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  Search Services

Primarily restricted to currently maintained general (rather than subject- or type-specific) search services. For indexes to library and information science information, see LIS Research Sources: Indexes and Bibliographies.

Recommended Reading

• The Answer Machine, by Susan Feldman, in the millennium issue of Searcher magazine. A great summary of what's just happened and what will happen in intelligent retrieval.
• Souped Up Search Engines, by Declan Butler, Nature, 405, 112-115 (2000). What's going on on the research front?

Search Engines

General

• AltaVista
  Still one of the fastest. Stopworded. Word spamming is discounted. Advanced Search adds "community" information for searchers, a few filter and sort options, and a cheat sheet. Recently added "Raging Search" - a stripped down page for power users. Has image, mp3/audio, and video search.
• AOL.COM Search
  Better late than never. The category browsing is nicely done - it's an Open Directory application.
• Ask Jeeves
  I don't think this belongs here, but I will bow to pressure. See if your search matches their canned selections. So far I have yet to get a decent answer - maybe my information needs are just too bizarre. Acquired Direct Hit in January 2000.
• Direct Hit
  Use to work behind the scenes with other search engines - now has joined the fray itself. Known for ranking based on the activity of previous searchers. Acquired by Ask Jeeves in January 2000 - one hopes it will remain as its own site as well.
• Euroseek
  Just the thing for those frequently unindexed or low-ranked non-English sites! [Most major search engines also have one or more non-US versions.]
• Excite
  Simple or power search. Indexes full text (minus META), supports advanced query. Includes related terms to add to search, and relevance feedback. Results divided into Directory, Web, News. Items can be sorted by site (top 60).
• FAST Search
  And indeed it is. Simple query controls, and advanced search. Plans are to build the world's biggest search engine service. Has a picture gallery of the process (servers arriving, and so on). Good luck. Also searches FTP files, and MP3. Some ranking quibbles.
• Go.com (aka Infoseek)
  Supports advanced search, and search "in these results" (or | between superordinate and subordinate elements). Results are grouped, and can be ungrouped. Results show KWIC display, and include relevance feedback, more from the same site, and translation. Sorting by date.
• Google
  Uses different relevance ranking routines (popularity, for one). Strong for non-US pages, and can display pages from its own cache, for speed. Same-site pages are grouped (result format indicates how many), and format includes KWIC display.
• HotBot
  Default form offers included or excluded terms, time, language, media type, hits per page, and format options. Advanced Search includes these in more specific forms, plus additional, such as domain, page depth, stemming. Up to 100 hits per page. Option in results format to "see results from this site only".
• Lycos
  Advanced Search allows restriction to media types and content, fielded search, language search. Maintains an MP3 directory, and a directory of searchable databases. Results are divided into Popular, Web Sites, and News Articles. Offers SeeMore, which allows searching of words, phrases, and images from a right-click of your mouse (MSIE only).
• Magellan
  Known for enhancing resource records with ratings/reviews, and searches can be run through "green-light" (family-friendly) sites only.
• MSN Search
  It took Microsoft long enough. Highlights msn.com sites and sponsors. Strategies and results can be saved (if using MSIE, of course). Recommends additional search terms.
• Northern Light
  Powered by librarians. Results are clustered into "folders", based on subject (automatically determined from an intellectual scheme), type, source, etc. Also includes a large collection of fee-based resources from journals, books, databases, and wire services; news analysis by NL librarians; and government documents search.. Power Search includes a large array of checkboxes for source type, date, subject, etc.
• Search.com
  From c|net.
• WebCrawler
  Powered by Excite, with selected Web resources. Shows titles only by default (which is refreshing).
• Webhelp
  It had to happen. The first "real live helper" service. I used this, and it actually worked - but it was slow (seeing as how it is chat). One wonders how many staff are behind the scenes, and what their training is.
• WebZone Surf-N-Search
  Offers "fuzzy links" - additional search terms extracted from results. Strong in European (non-English) sources.
• WholeWeb
  Still in development, but worth watching.

Specialized and Oddball

• Ahoy: The Homepage Finder
  This is neat because of how it does it.
• Deja.com
  A well designed Usenet news searcher, with power search and sophisticated "filters".
• Inktomi
  Not a search engine, but the power behind many, and a moving force.
• ListQuest.com
  Searches archived listserv lists.
• Oingo
  Search results include drop down displays for contextualizing each query word. Results are divided into Directory hits and Web hits.
• ResearchIndex
  Public, free, citation searching - in the computer sciences for now. Lots of nice bells and whistles.
• SimpliFind
  Provides "context" to disambiguate words in search. Includes personalization element.
• xrefer
  Searches a collection of major "encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri & books of quotations from the world's leading publishers". Also available as a desktop tool.

Browsers  

• About.com
  Formerly The Mining Company. Internet pathfinders, on thousands of topics, in browsable categories. Caveat surfor: if the world music or Spanish folk music collections are any indication, the pathfinders miss key sites.
• The Argus Clearinghouse
  Indexes guides to Internet resources on specific subjects.
• LookSmart
  Hierarchical browser, leading to table of well annotated links for selected web sites. Used by several query-based search services for their browsing option.
• Open Directory
  Started life as NewHoo. Similar to Yahoo (surprise!), but with categorization and site selection done by thousands of volunteer editors. Also available as The Open Directory in various guises from various "portals" (including the Netscape Open Directory) and the One2Seek Directory.
• Thunderstone Web Site Catalog
  Surveys all primary COM, ORG, EDU, and GOV web-servers for content and uses automatic categorization. Indexes sites (not pages).
• WWW Virtual Library
  This was what the WWW started with, and comes from its creators. Now a collection of links to high quality pages on specific subjects, maintained by volunteers all over the world. Category list or list by subject heading.
• Yahoo
  Probably the best known, and certainly one of the best organized, general collection of classified Web resources. Browse, or search through category labels and resource titles.

Meta-Engines  

On the Web

• 1Blink.com
  Returns top 10 results from 9 engines, with options to get the next 10 (and so on). Summaries of hits for each, and good display formats.
• All 4 One
  Simple search entry input box returns a four-frame miniscreen display of results in AltaVista, Lycos, HotBot, and Excite.
• C4
  Simple search input box, runs through 7 or 8 top engines. Results are short titles, prefaced by the engine from whence.
• Debriefing
  Java-based metasearch through popular services. Also has a French version which searches through French search services. Gives a page count, number of duplicates, and the most significant domain.
• Dogpile
  Simple search input box, runs search through popular search engines. Result counts come from each service in order.
• Fossick the Net
  Searches 7 or 8 general engines, returns annotations noting engine from which. Flexible query screen.
• GoGetem Web Search
  Checkboxes for services in metasearch, plus newsgroup searches and listings for thousands of specialized directories. Results open up in new browser windows for each service.
• InFind
  Searchs six engines in parallel, clusters results, primarily by domain.
• InfoGrid(tm)
  Pulls top news stories from a variety of sources in response to selection of a category from a large list. Also provides direct links to many sources.
• Ixquick
  Characterizes itself as "the world's most powerful metasearch engine".
• Mamma: Mother of All Search Engines
  Runs a search through 8 search services, results show from which.
• MetaCrawler
  Part of Go2Net. This is the original, and the real thing -- a reasonably complex search form runs your search through Lycos, WebCrawler, Infoseek, Excite, AltaVista, Yahoo, and possibly others and returns a hit summary, then merged ranked results, showing different annotations from different engines. Impressive. Can be customized.
• MetaSearch at Highway 61
  Metasearch (several settings available) and merged results from 6 popular search engines. Extremely entertaining (hilarious pull-down choices for length of time for search, and funny bons mots while you wait). Results show search engine sources, brief annotations.
• One2seek
  Nice set of options on basic search screen, including which engines by category.
• Pandia
  Metsearch through a handful of top engines. Also has directory, and information about searching. Oddly enough, looks like a newspaper.
• ProFusion
  Choose search mode, format, whether to check links, and which search engines. Searches through a handful of top engines, removes duplicates, and merges lists.
• Proteus
  Enter a search, choose an engine. Or browse by subject. Includes links to search engine help text.
• qbSearch
  In addition to "select engines, run search", also allows users to dictate how many from each, and (at a cost) to preselect potential hits for viewing on on page.
• Search Engines Galore
  General metasearch (8 engines), news search (90 sites), shopping search, and directory of speciality engines.
• SearchWiz
  Choose from a handful of top engines, accompanied by an annoying talking animation.
• SurfWax
  Interesting. Search results in two frame display - titles and which engine on the right, instructions for more detailed viewing on the left. Depending on your term, you can focus, which shows interactive thesaurus displays for the term, with click to add to search.
• Vivisimo
  Debuting in February 2001, Vivisimo purports to take the results of a metasearch and cluster them. Also marketed for local application.

On Your Desk

• For the best list of desktop metacrawlers, see the BotSpot list of Search Bots.
• Odd Tools
  A few odd search tools, mostly desktop, just because: Backflip (make your own Yahoo, automatically, from your favourite pages), BullsEye (your own metasearcher and results organizer, one of the best), WebCheck (highlight words from your monitor, have them searched).

Engine Directories  

• All-in-One
  One of the first. Provides simple input box for each and occasional limit option. Huge list.
• All Search Engines
  Well, maybe not, but a good list, and valuable categories of specialized engines. Also appears to offer metasearching.
• Alphasearch
  A three-column table: Category, input box for query, pull-down list. Pull-down lists are many search services long. Very nice. Based on CUSI scripts.
• Beaucoup Search Engines
  Many general and specific search engines, in broad categories.
• BIG Search Engine Index
  Collection of links in categories. Search input boxes from partners (about.com and go.to at the time of examination).
• Collection of (Mainly) Special Search Engines
  Poorly organized, but extensive, including a wide range of services under a very loose definition of search engine. Really more like Internet desk reference.
• EZ-Find
  Enter a query (with 5 control filters), and hit a button to choose from over 10 search services (one at a time, but no rekeying necessary). Has a Java version.
• FinderSeeker
  A search engine for searching for search engines by topic and place. Nice idea, but depends on searching through slim annotations.
• Fossick.com
  Nicely presented directory of over 3000 specialist search engines and portals.
• Internet Oracle Search Engines
  Large list, attractively presented.
• Internet Search Tools: A Guide
  Many UK services, in broad categories, with links to their help information.
• One2Seek Direct
  Enter your query and choose your search engine.
• Regional Search Engines
  From Search Engine watch, a guide to non-US versions of AltaVista, Excite, Infoseek, Lycos, Yahoo, and others.
• SearchEngines.com
  Drop down lists to select general, world, topical, or reference engines. Also has hints for searching, and for site submission and optimization.
• Search Engine Colossus
  Strong for regional lists of search engines.
• Search Engine Guide
  Thousands of search engines, directories, and databases - classified and searchable.
• Search Engine Search
  Search through the SES database for the right (family friendly) search engine for your query, with proximity and ranking features. Results include a stripped record outline showing keywords in context, and "show parents" (i.e., pages which link to this).
• SearchIQ
  Directory for search engines, general and specialized, as well as search engine directories, search tools, and so on.
• Searching the Internet
  From Internet Scout. Collection of selected well annotated links in categories: Searchable Indexes | Subject Catalogs | Annotated Directories | Subject Guides | Specialized Directories.
• Searching the Internet: Subject Indexes and Search Engines
  Excellent collection of annotated links by Linda Bertland (librarian), in categories.
• WebPlaces Internet Search Guide
  Opens to a page with categorized lists.

Gateway Directories  

See a special issue of Online Information Review, v. 24, no. 1, 2000, on "Subject Gateways", edited by Traugott Koch. Available online through Emerald.

• Alba36.com
  A vortal (vertical portal) directory.
• AlphaSearch
  A directory of specialized databases and gateways. Browse by resource type, broad subject, or descriptor, or search by keyword.
• Complete Planet
  From the people who presented a massive white paper on the "deep Web", Complete Planet lets you browse or search in a database of 40,000 or so search engines and databases.
• Direct Search
  Maintained by Gary Price, a nicely organized directory providing access to resources not normally searched by search engines (local databases and the like). Great ready reference site.
• The Invisible or Deep Web
  Maintained by librarian Linda Bertland, organized in categories.
• The Invisible Web
  Yahoo-like organization.
• Pinakes
  A subject launchpad, hosted by Heriot-Watt University, Scotland.
• Renardus
  "The aim of the Renardus project is to provide users with integrated access, through a single interface, to these [subject gateways]and other Internet-based, distributed services." Funded through the Information Society Technologies (IST) Programme - Promoting a User-friendly Information Society.
• Resource Discovery Network (RDN)
  The starting point for access to subject-specialized hubs, which in turn will serve as gateway directories. The latest in a fine and continuing collective effort to provide library-organized resource collections. Emphasis on higher education. Funded by various European agencies.
• WebData.com
  "An Internet database portal, specializing in finding, categorizing and organizing online databases", in browsable subject categories.

About Searching  

Frequently Updated Guides and Tips

• Choose the Best Search for Your Information Needs
  By librarian Debbie Abilock.
• Quick Reference Guide to Search Engine Syntax
  From University at Albany Libraries, by Laura Cohen. Worth printing to have by your side.
• Recommended Search Tools
  One of the Teaching Library Internet Workshops, University of California, Berkeley. Includes tables of features for search engines, subject directories, directories of searchable databases, and directories of gateway pages.
• Search Engine Comparison Chart
  By the Kansas City PL. A useful one page chart.
• The Spider's Apprentice
  From Monash Information Services, including tips, strategies, ratings, and in-depth analyses.

General Information

• Accessibility and Distribution of Information on the Web
  By Steve Lawrence and Lee Giles, whose article in Nature (400, 107-109) sparked quite a controversy.
• Online, May 1999
  The v. 23, no. 2 issue has a special section on search engines, with 10 articles on topics such as ranking, NLP, meta engines, and so on. Half of the content is online.
• ResearchBuzz!
  Industry news about search engines, research, and so on.
• Search Engine Showdown
  By Online columnist Greg Notess. Full of tips, strategies, etc.
• Search Engine Watch
  THE search engine information source, by Danny Sullivan. Includes guides, facts and fun, status reports, and myriad resources. Rich and informative, and includes a listserv current awareness service.
• [Search Engines and Beyond] The Program
  Powerpoint et al. from the 1998, 1999, and 2000 Infonortics conference in Boston.
• Searching the Internet
  Collection of annotated resources from the Librarian's Index to the Internet.
• Traffick
  All about the portal and search engine business.
• Web Search
  About.com guide Chris Sherman's pages on searching, including subject-specific directories, hints and tips, and so on.
• WebSerch
  Search engine information resource for information professionals, by Eddie Byrne (no, not that one).
• Yahoo: Search Engines
  Includes subsections on directories, regional engines, tip sheets, search engines, etc. Yahoo also has a site on Search Engine Placement Improvement.

· ·
© Candy Schwartz, candy.schwartz@simmons.edu. Last revised January 26, 2001. Last full revision January 26, 2001. This page is http://web.simmons.edu/~schwartz/mysearch.html. Disclaimer