EIR Practical 3

EIR Practical 3 - Internet Search Facilities 1

What benefits do you get when using different

search facilities to search for resources related to your topic?

I have learnt how to use 2 type of search engine in this week. which is the Meta Search Engine and subject directory.

This is my first time using Meta Search Engine because I had never ever heard before Meta search engine until I joined EIR.

Yahoo Subject Directory is quite common I have used it a few times to do research on topic such as Sports, Games, Food and Entertainment.

I remember I read before something about subject directory. Someone wrote that a subject directory is best used when you do not really know what is the actual information that you wanted".

I feel that what he wrote actually makes sense after I used subject directory to do research on my topic. I personally think that the main categories which link us to other sub categories will help newbie in finding the information they want.

Search Engine

Meta Search Engine

Ixquick

• It also have a advance search system which help to refine the search result.
• Advanced Search Tips which show how to use those wildcards [" " , ( ) ,*] But anyway I have learn this feature before in EIR this only helps to recap what to do.
• Ixquick Protects our Privacy because no search data will be recorded. Personal information will not be saved. Personal information is good marketers, government officials, hackers, etc.
• I found the information that I want in my 1st attempts 1st page
• It can search the same information through 11 search engine at once therefore it is very efficient.

1. Ask/Teoma
2. Gigablast
3. Wikipedia
4. Bing
5. Open Directory
6. Yahoo
7. Blekko
8. Qkport
9. Yebol
10. EntireWeb
11. Statesman

Metacrawler

• is actually bout the same as Ixquick
• advance search system.
• Tools and tips - to teach you how to use Metacrawler.
• customized search preferences - E.g. Search Filter, Results will appear in a page, Etc.
• Recent Searches result - Very useful to find back previous search result
• It will also suggest other result that are similar to your search.
• It will use 4 search engine at 1 shot. those search engine are actually quite famous.

• I found the information that I want after changing some words on the search box. I notice that the search box cannot put in a lot of words.

Subject Directory

Yahoo Subject Directory

• Categories into different section result on same topic are put together. Therefore, result of the same topic can be found together get easily.
• Advanced Directory Search, Yahoo help.
• Result are relevant to what I want.
• Result that I get are very different from the ones I found in Meta Search Engine. Therefore more information on that topic.

Galaxy Subject Directory

• I prefer using Yahoo Subject Directory
• Top stories for different section E.g Business. A bit outdated by a few months but still usable
• Search feature
• 
  
• What's New Section - New things will be added there. Maybe relevant to the research that I am doing. New information will interest people more.
• Headlines - News around the world from different Newspaper. Relevant articles can be used and information are more likely to be trusted.

Go

I never use it for my research those category in this website are more to Entertainment...My topic was more to business, financial or economic.

Site Feeds

Convenience - just 1 click to link to web site

Updated - Will be updated immediately when they post the topic

Efficiency - A short summary on the content easy reference

Wiki

My topic is "Discuss the impact of financial crisis on spending habits and consumer market"

A lot of ideas can be shared because every people think differently and will come out with different ideas in the end.

But there are also disadvantage if the topic have been wrote by a lot of people is difficult to include any addition information.