Xavier University Library: Internet Guides: Search Engines & Directories

Listservs, Mailing Lists & Blogs
These web sites provide information on the existence of a listserv, but do not index any of them. There are no really comprehensive list directories.

Alltheweb (FastSearch)
The newest search engine in the Internet research world, Alltheweb already has the largest database, currently claiming 300 million indexed web pages. It also prides itself on being -- FAST. It also has specialized ftp, mp3 and picture search engines. A simple drop down box lets you search for "all the words", "any of the words" or "the exact phrase". The default is "all of the words", an AND search. In addition, you can use - (minus sign) to exclude a term, + (plus sign) to require a term, and "" (quotes) for phrases. Its advanced search maintains the use of drop down boxes. For more information review the help page.
AltaVista
One of the largest search engines available, AltaVista indexes approximately 250 million web pages. It also provides a subject directory created by Open Directory. In addition to its standard database AltaVista also has specialized databases for MP3 and audio, images and video searching. The default operator is OR: computer virus finds web pages that contain computer OR virus. Use "" (quotes) to search an exact phrase. Use + (plus sign) to require a term and - (minus sign) to exclude a term from the result sets: +virus -computer. An * (asterisk) is used for truncation and all searches are case sensitive. In addition, AltaVista has several powerful special search features, for more information review the AltaVista Help Page.
Excite
One of the older search engines still vying for largest database, Excite has almost 215 million indexed web pages. Excite tries to identify underlying concepts and searches for more than just the entered search terms. The default operator is OR: computer virus finds computer OR virus. Use "" (quotes) to search an exact phrase. Use + (plus sign) to require a term and - (minus sign) to exclude a term from the result sets: +virus -computer. There is no truncation and Excite is not case sensitive.
Go (Infoseek)
Go (formerly Infoseek) is a smaller database with about 50 million web pages indexed. The default operator is AND: computer virus finds web pages that contain both virus AND computer. Use - (minus sign) to exclude a term; Infoseek is case sensitive and automatically searches for plurals.
Google
One of the newest of the Internet's research tools, Google has a database of about 140 million web pages. It has a very clean interface and has a reputation for returning highly relevant results. It uses link popularity in its relevance ranking of results, pages with more links appear higher in the results list. In addition, Google has special searches for US Government information, Linux and Macintosh web sites. The default operator is AND: computer virus finds web pages that contain both virus AND computer. Use - (minus sign) to exclude a term; use "" (quotation marks) for phrase searching. For additional information review the Google help page. Specialized Google search engines include: images, videos, news, maps, books, patents, etc.
Google Scholar (advanced search)
Google Scholar enables you to search specifically for scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from all broad areas of research. Use Google Scholar to find articles from a wide variety of academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities, as well as scholarly articles available across the web. Just as with Google Web Search, Google Scholar orders your search results by how relevant they are to your query, so the most useful references should appear at the top of the page. This relevance ranking takes into account the full text of each article as well as the article's author, the publication in which the article appeared and how often it has been cited in scholarly literature. Google Scholar also automatically analyzes and extracts citations and presents them as separate results, even if the documents they refer to are not online. This means your search results may include citations of older works and seminal articles that appear only in books or other offline publications. See also About and Preferences (go to the bottom of this page to set up Scholar for RefWorks).
GPO Access
GPO Access is a service of the U.S. Government Printing Office that provides free electronic access to a wealth of important information products produced by the Federal Government. The information provided on this site is the official, published version and the information retrieved from GPO Access can be used without restriction, unless specifically noted. This free service is funded by the Federal Depository Library Program and has grown out of Public Law 103-40, known as the Government Printing Office Electronic Information Enhancement Act of 1993. Also included are links to an A-Z resource list, depository libraries, and an online bookstore. The default operator is AND; NOT can also be used; and use double quotes ("") for a phrase search. See also Help and About.
HotBot
Once one of the Internet's largest search engines, HotBot is now in the middle tier with about 110 million indexed web pages. But it still works to make complex searching easy with drop down boxes. The default operator is AND: computer virus finds web pages that contain both virus AND computer. Use - (minus sign) to exclude a term; use "" (quotes) to form a phrase search. The asterisks * is the truncation symbol. HotBot is also case sensitive.
Lycos
One of the webs original web search engines, Lycos is now one of the smaller Internet databases available with only about 50 million indexed pages. Its default search connector is AND: computer virus finds computer AND virus. Use + (plus sign) to require a term, - (minus sign) to exclude a term: +virus - computer.
SCIRUS (advanced search)
SCIRUS is the most comprehensive science-specific search engine on the Internet. I searches over 415 million scientific Web pages. The advanced search permits field searching; all, any or exact phrase; AND, OR, and AND NOT operators; limits by date, type of document, format, journal sources, and Web sources and subject areas. In addition, there are two textboxes for typing a search strategy. See also About and Help.
Searchasaurus
Provides a child-friendly search interface for EBSCO's databases for children: Middle Search Plus, Pictures, General Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia of Animals, Dictionary, Primary Search, and Fun Facts. Produced by EBSCO Publishing. Interface by Searchasaurus.

About.Com
Previously known as the Mining Company, About.com provides hundreds of annotated guides to topics of interest. Each guide is maintained by its own expert.
BUBL Link
A catalogue of selected Internet resources covering all academic subject areas maintained by British librarians. While it currently only has about 11,000 pages indexed, all items are selected, evaluated, catalogued and described. Links are checked and fixed each month.
Google Directory
Google Directory integrates Google's sophisticated search technology with Open Directory pages to create the most useful tool for finding information on the web.
Google Squared
From your search terms Google Squared ceates a table of websites on a particluar topic. It typically provides a description (and link), image, and then several columns of factual information. You can additional columnes and rows of information. If you have a Google account your squares can be saved and shared.
INFOMINE: Scholarly Internet Resource Collections
A selected, annotated and searchable subject directory. The links are selected and maintained by the University of California Riverside Library.
Intute
Intute is a free online service providing access to the very best web resources for education and research. All material is evaluated and selected by a network of subject specialists to create the Intute database. There are four separate directories: Science & Technology, Arts & Humanities, Social Sciences, and Health & Life Sciences. Users can search by keyword or browse by subject. the advanced search permits field searching and limiting by subject and resource type. Users have sort and display options. See also About and Help.
Librarian's Index to the Internet
An excellent subject guide to Internet resources with annotated listings of resources. While only a small number of resources are listed, quality is very high.
Microsoft Bing
A search produces an annotated list of results and related searches, with sponsored sites separated out. The advanced search permits all, any, or none of these terms, as well as the ability to limit to domain, site, country, region, or language. Users can also search for images, videos, shoping, news, and maps.
Open Directory
Open Directory is a volunteer effort to categorize the web and its information. It has thousands of volunteers and is one of the largest subject directories on the web with about 1 million web pages indexed. It is being used by many search engines to enhance their sites, including AltaVista, HotBot and Lycos.
Voice of the Shuttle
Started in 1994 as a suite of static Web pages, this dynamic database models the way the humanities are organized for research and teaching as well as the way they are adapting to social, cultural and thechological changes.
Wolfram|Alpha
Using the Web this search engine gathers facts, figures and formulas in answer to a particular question you might have.
WWW Virtual Library
The oldest directory on the web, started by Tim Berners-Lee. WWWVL is a distributed subject directory with each subject maintained by an interested individual. Quality varies with the individual maintainer.
Yahoo
Perhaps the best know Internet finding tool. Yahoo is one of the original research aids on the Internet. The Yahoo search engine searches its directory listings first (approximately 1.2 million pages). If nothing is found the search is passed on to Inktomi (the search engine behind HotBot).