Google is the most popular search engine. It is easy to use. Many consider its coverage to be the most extensive. Using Google to find information on my research topic is a great idea or is it?
There are MUCH BETTER ways to search for information on a particular topic on the web than Google.
Google has no subject headings. Instead, it relies on words used in web pages. This means Google picks up both good and poor quality pages on any topic. More importantly, Google does not screen out commercial sites, term paper mills, outdated pages, etc...
Fortunately, there are excellent alternatives to Google:
- The Open Directory Project is available at http://dmoz.org and http://www.google.com/dirhp, and it offers links to web pages sorted by subjects and selected by live human edidtors who sign their names and screen out the more obivious junk.
- For consumer information, clip art, and midi files there is http://www.about.com which also has human guides who screen out off topic and poor quality offerings.
- If you need only brief background or a definition, try http://www.wikipedia.org which offers advertising free articles that are fairly extensive in length.
Now let's take a look at a search and let's also visit a search site.
Click on this thumbnail to see a guide's qualifications at the About.com Heart Disease and Cardiology web page. |
Click on this thumbnail to see screen shots of a Google search for symbolism in the works of Edgar Allan Poe. |