T_081535540001
EXPAND YOUR SEARCH

With the use of general search engines, databases and specialized topic sites, the formula for finding online resources has never been easier.

Search Term Definitions

General Search Engines

Unified Search Pages

Specialized Searches or Lists

CompuServe Online Databases


T_081535540002
Search Term Definitions

Have you found a great web site or database, only to be frustrated with its unfamiliar search jargon? Here are some of the more common terms used in searching for information online.

Boolean Queries

Boolean searches depend on using the terms “and,”  “or,”  and  “not” between or before search words to expand or limit a search request.

Case Sensitive/Insensitive

A few search engines and databases are case sensitive. If this is the case, the search request must be typed a specific way to be recognized. This may mean using upper case letters where required or all lower case letters or all upper case letters only. However, most searches are case insensitive. It does not matter how the request has been typed. The word Horse, HORSE or HoRSE would all be recognized a similar search request.

Keyword Searches

Choosing different keywords about a topic can help expand your search. Keywords for fashion could include designers, clothes, styles, apparel, etc.

Perl Regular Expression

Practical Extraction and Report Language. Perl is a compiled scripting language. Optimized for scanning text files, it can then extract the information and print reports. It is used primarily for scanning text, but can also be used for binary data. Perl regular expressions use a backslash ( \ ) character construction in the request.

Plus and Minus Searches

Instead of Boolean queries, some simple searches allow the use of a plus and minus sign in front of a word to expand or limit a basic search request.

Simple Search

Search requests using single word or simple word phrases.

Spiders or Robots

Names for programs that travel the web automatically. Sent out by some search engines as a method to seek out and update site material.

Unified Search Page

This page offers a collection of search engines that have been assembled in one location. It allows a wider choice without the hassle of visiting individual sites.


T_081535540003
General Search Engines

These broad topic sites are a good starting point for beginning your search.

W3 Catalog, http://cuiwww.unige.ch/jughead

This site is a collaborative effort between the University of Geneva (CUI) and the University of Bern Institute of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics (SCG). Simple searches and Perl expressions are available.

Excite, http://www.excite.com

Arranged by subject like Yahoo (listed below), Excite also searches Usenet and classified ad resources.

InfoSeek Guide, http://www.infoseek.com

Although not as extensive as some sites, InfoSeek does allow highly individualized searches using its own detailed search language.

Lycos, http://www.lycos.com

This site provides not only web locations but includes FTP and gopher sites. Lycos has provisions for advanced searches such as Boolean and term matching.

Moonvalley, http://www.moonvalley.com/mvsearch.htm

Moon Valley Software has gathered more than two dozen links to other search engines for your convenience.

Web Crawler, http://webcrawler.com/

Speed and simplicity make this search engine a must go for quick looks.

World Wide Web Worm, http://wwww.cs.colorado.edu/wwww

Voted  94 Best of the Web for Best Navigational Aid, the World Wide Web Worm contains approximately 3 million URLs in its database and allows for detailed searches.

Yahoo, http://www.yahoo.com

Yahoo has quickly grown to became one of the most popular search sites on the web. Yahoo makes a fine first step for general topics and is arranged by subject.


T_081535540004
Unified Search Pages

A unified search page is a collection of many search engines assembled in one location. Unlike some sites which only link the user to other search engine sites, unified search pages actually allow searches to be conducted from its own site. This allows the user a wider choice without the hassle of visiting each site individually.

All in One,  http://www.albany.net/allinone/

From locating lost colleagues on the internet to airline information, All in One not only provides an unbelievable array of searches but provides it in more than one language. The site is currently mirrored in French with other languages to follow. Search sites include URLs along with general internet and private sites.

Alta Vista, http://altavista.digital.com

One of the newest search tools, Alta Vista has provisions for a variety of advanced search methods and includes both web sites and Usenet newsgroups. This site allows plus and minus signs to detail simple searches and recognizes quotation marks and capital letters. It also allows for Boolean searches.

Tools  http://www.iTools.com/find-it/find-it.html

Although not as complex as the All in One and Alta Vista, the half dozen offerings still save time with the site’s “one-stop” searching.


T_081535540005
Just a Sample of Specialized Locations

Databases:  The Internet Sleuth, http://www.intbc.com/sleuth/

Simple, Boolean and Perl searches make easy work on hundreds of databases.

Languages

Foreign Language Resources on the Web, http://www.itp.berkeley.edu/~thorne/HumanResources.html

Choose from an array of entertaining and informative links conveniently subdivided by language.

News

CNN Webspace Search Engine, http://www.cnn.com/SEARCH/index.html

Search CNN for current and archived material including text, photos and video.

NewsGroups

DejaNews Research Service, http://www.dejanews.com

This Usenet search utility narrows your choice with extensive search options.

Shareware

Shareware.com, http://www.shareware.com/code/engine/SearchOption

Shareware.com offers more than 200,000 shareware listings in a choice of platforms.


T_081535540006
CompuServe Online Databases

CompuServe online offers dozens of easily accessible databases. Find the topic you need and just type in the appropriate “go” word.

All Music Guide:  AMG

All Movie Guide:  MOVIES

American Heritage Dictionary:  DICTIONARY

Australian/New Zealand Company Research Centre:  ANZCOLIB

Autonet Newcar Showroom:  AUTONET

BIZ*File:  BIZFILE

BIZ*List:  BIZLIST

Book Review Digest:  BOOKREVIEW

Books in Print:  BOOKS

British Books in Print:  BBIP

Business Database Plus:  BUSDB

Business Dateline:  BUSDATE

Business Demographics:  BUSDEM

CDROMBASE Online:  CDROMBASE

CENDATA:  CENDATA

Collector Car Showcase:  CLASSCAR

Commerce Business Daily:  COMBUS

COMPENDEX-Engineering Index:  COMPENDEX

Comprehensive Core Medical Library Aids Articles:  CCMLAIDS

Computer Buyer’s Guide:  COMPBG

Computer Database Plus:  COMPDB

Computrace:  TRACE

Consumer Reports:  CONSUMER

Consumer Reports Auto:  CRAUTO

Consumer Reports Complete Drug Reference:  DRUG

Corporate Affiliations:  AFFILIATIONS

Data-Processing Newsletters:  DPNEWS

Detroit Free Press:  DFP

Disseratition Abstracts:  DISSERTATION

Duns Canadian Market Identifiers:  DBCAN

Duns Electronic Business Directory:  DUNSEBD

Duns Financial Records Plus History and Operations:  DBOPS

Duns Financial Records Plus Summary:  DBFIN

Duns International Market Ident:  DBINT

Duns Market Identifiers:  DUNS

ERIC - Education Research:  ERIC

European Company Research Centre: EUROLIB

Forbes Magazine Back Issues:  FORBES

Fortune Magazine Back Issues:  FORTUNE

German Company Research Centre:  GERLIB

Government Publications:  GPO

Health Database Plus:  HLTDB

Hoovers Database:  HOOVER

Industry Week Back Issues:  INDWEEK

Information Please Almanac:  GENALMANAC

Information Please Business Almanac:  BIZALMANAC

Information Please Sports Almanac:  SPORTALMANAC

INVESTEXT:  INVTEXT

IQUEST Infocenter:  IQUEST

IQUEST Business Management Infocenter:  IQBUSINESS

IQUEST Education Infocenter:  IQEDUCATION

IQUEST Engineering Infocenter:  IQENGINEER

IQUEST Medicak Infocenter:  IQMEDICAL

Knowledge Index (Dialog):  KI

Legal Research Center:  LEGALRC

Macintosh File Finder:  MACFF

MacLeans Magazine Back Issues:  MACLEANS

Magazine Database Plus:  MAGDB

Magill’s Survey of Cinemas:  MAGILL

Marketing/Management Research Center:  MGMTRC

Marquis Who’s Who:  BIOGRAPHY

Media Newsletter:  MEDIANEWS

Money Magazine Back Issues:  MONEY

News Source USA:  NEWSUSA

Newspaper Archives (Dialog):  NEWSARCHIVES

NTIS-Government Sponsored Research:  NTIS

Patent Research Center:  PATENT

PC File Finder:  PCFF

People Magazine Back Issues:  PEOPLE

Phone*File:  PHONEFILE

Physicians Data Query:  PDQ

PSYCINFO - Psychological Abstracts:  PSYCINFO

Sports Illustrated Back Issues:  SPORTS

Supersite:  SUPERSITE

Support on Site:  ONSITE

Thomas Register:  THOMAS

Time Magazine Back Issues:  TIME

TRADEMARKSCAN:  TRADEMARK

TRW Business Credit Reports:  TRWREPORT

UK Company Research Centre:  UKLIB

UK Newspaper Library:  UKPAPER

US News Back Issues:  USNEWS

US-Country-State:  USSTCN

Used Car Lot:  USEDCAR