The Internet makes it easy to access huge amounts of information, but not all web sites are accurate, current, or relevant. While you might already be familiar with popular search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN, there are other search engines that might pull up more interesting results:
- Hakia: Organizes search results so you can find "credible sites" that have been identified by librarians and other information professionals
- ChaCha: Offers a guided search where you can consult with a live, professional web advisor
- Dogpile: Provides a compilation of top results from searches conducting on Google, Yahoo, and MSN
- Clusty: Clusters its results by subject which might lead to more relevant hits
- Kartoo: Provides a visual map of linked keywords to show how sites relate to each other
- Ask.com: Offers “previews” of web pages once you’ve conducted a search, includes some editorial reviews, and offer enhanced privacy options
- Stumble Upon: Allows to you give a “thumbs up/down” of your results to you can tailor the search based upon relevance. Stumble Upon is partially a social networking site and partially a search engine. You may have to register and download the toolbar, but both are free.
If you are searching the web for academic research, you need to evaluate the websites that you find by using these engines. Much of the information published on the Internet is inaccurate and cannot be verified; thus, it is useless for research. You might also try searching the invisible web or looking at sites recommended in the subject guides.