Internet Tools
Listed here are search engines, metasearch engines, Web directories and discussion lists.
Search Engines
Web search engines are compiled automatically using search agents called ‘robots’ or ‘spiders’. Examples are:
Metasearch Engines
Metasearch engines are search engines that search collections of other search engines. Useful when you want your Web searches to be as comprehensive as possible, but metasearch engines should be used with care as they may well produce unmanageable numbers of results: Examples are:
Academic Search Engines
Web search engines whose content is filtered to largely exclude non-academic sources. Useful for academic searches, as opposed to using the more general search engines listed above. Examples are:
Web Directories
Services that emphasise website quality rather than quantity. Websites are included in directories via a selection process involving human beings supplementing the results of automated harvesting of websites. Examples are:
Guides to Search Engines
To keep up-to-date with developments in the world of search engines you should visit SearchEngineWatch.
Discussion Lists
A discussion list, similar to a traditional mailing list, is a kind of Internet forum, a special usage of email that allows for widespread distribution of information to many Internet users. A group of people who share a common interest, such as physiotherapy or medieval religion will join a list and use email to communicate with one another. Belonging to a discussion list is like sitting in on a discussion. You can join in the talk, or you can just listen. In the United Kingdom academic discussion lists are handled by JISCMail. Visit the JISCMail site to see the range of discussion lists available, and to see details of how to subscribe to any discussion lists that interest you.
