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Internet is a vast repository of information. With the quantum of information available on the internet, today you can just get any information under the sun. Simply it is world at your fingertips!
You can embark on a voyage of discovery only if you know how to conduct a search and get the information you want.
Most websites incorporate a separate utility for searching information. However exclusively dedicated websites are there to help us better in our search. The search is conducted fast and efficient by a search engine. A search engine is software that combs the net and follows hyperlinks from one page to another to find the search words you have keyed in. The results come in the form of number of matches hit and they will be displayed. You will have to use your discretion and compare to click the hyperlink that you feel is closer to the topic you want. On clicking, it takes you to the web page.
By learning the right search techniques you can make most of the search engines.
At the outset, you will have to understand that the search results you get are entirely based on the keywords you submit to the search engine. A search engine cannot assume what you look for.
It is imperative that you develop a search strategy which must have the keywords as close to the topic as much as possible.
Boolean search helps you to narrow down your search when you want the results to be specific. Use Boolean search symbols to string words together.
| Symbol | Name | Meaning |
| + | Plus | And |
| - | Minus | Not |
| * | Asterix | Or |
For example, a search with the keywords “Jobs + Canada – Montreal” will match these words and displays jobs in Canada except in the city of Montreal.
While searching for the name of a movie or a song enclose the keywords with inverted commas. Ex “Tomorrow Never Dies”, “My heart will go on”
Keep your keywords short and crisp. A lengthy sentence will get you wrong results. But desist from using one-word searches either since it tends to restrict your search.
Don’t get thrown off the tracks if your first attempt gets the wrong information. Reword your keywords if you do not find the information you are looking for in the first three pages of the search results.
You can narrow down your search to some extent. For example when you look for India-centric information you can use search engines that make use of exclusively Indian websites like www.in.altavista.com, www.yahoo.co.in and www.rediff.com .
Sites also offer advanced and simple search preferences. Advanced search allows for filtering through various parameters and options that help you narrow your search.
Search engines can be broadly divided into:
1. Index-based engines andAnother genre of search engines is ‘meta-search engines’. But about it we will see later.
2. Subject-directory based engines.
Index-based engines are the common type of search engines available. They are keyword-based and they heavily depend on the keywords you submit. While conducting a search this search engine takes into account the number of times the search word or phrase occurs in the document.
Common words like “and”, “the” are called “stop words” and are omitted from the search. Bear in mind that words spelt in the same way but having different meaning may pose problems. Search engines may or may not take into account plurals and tenses. Examples of index-based search engines include www.altavista.com, www.google.com, www.infoseek.com, www.lycos.com, www.fastsearch.com, etc
Subject directory-based search engines have the capability to access and comb huge databases. Here the scope for your search is wide and specific.
For conducting topical searches subject directory-based engines may be useful. They are highly helpful while searching for a particular field of subject as opposed to hunting with keywords.
Sites are listed in the directory that best describes them. Searches are based solely on these descriptions. Directories under different titles like ‘Music’, ‘Fine Arts’, ‘Universities’, ‘Sports’, etc are listed out along with the relevant websites
Examples for subject directories search engines include www.yahoo.com, www.webcrawler.com, www.infomine.com, www.magellan.com,etc.
Typically, meta-search engines submit the keywords you type in to a number of search engines in one go. The results are displayed in a page for you to choose. Examples of efficient meta-search engines include www.metacrawler.com, www.profusion.com, etc
Search engines are here for to make our voyage of discovery pleasant and specific. They are a very handy and useful resource only if we know them handle them efficiently.
Today’s technology has made it possible to access any information by a few clicks from your desktop. Simply put, it is like having world at your fingertips. Search engines have proved their worth and today research and information-mining are possible and happening every minute all over the globe. If you master the right search techniques you can exploit the riches offered by the internet. Escape frustration and save your time and effort by putting into use proper search techniques. With that the awesome power of the search engines can be harnessed to the hilt. Truly, the world is at your fingertips!
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