Within Search Engine Watch
Search Engine Math
This teaches you the basic commands that are all most people need to improve their searches.
Power Searching For Anyone
This teaches you advanced commands to help you better control your searches.
Search Assistance Features
Several search engines offer special search assistance features that many users overlook. This page explains the ones that are particularly useful.
The Search Engine Report - Articles By Search Engines
Scan articles from Search Engine Watch's monthly newsletter to learn more about using your favorite search engine.
Online Resources
Search Engine Showdown
http://www.searchengineshowdown.com/
Search Engine Showdown is produced by writer and Montana State University Reference Librarian Greg R. Notess. In it, you'll find good content, ranging from organized comparison charts, reviews, strategies to searching and more. In particular, Notess does long-standing surveys on search engine sizes and dead links, as well as providing tutorials and noting search "inconsistencies" for some search engines -- when they don't operate the way they are supposed to. The site is updated on a regular basis.
About.com Web Search Guide
http://websearch.about.com/
Run by Chris Sherman, this excellent site provides regular reviews of search engines, columns, tips and collections of search-related resources.
ResearchBuzz
http://www.researchbuzz.com/
Produced by writer Tara Calishain, this site provides great coverage of news and opinion on search and research tools.Â
Traffick
http://www.traffick.com/
Traffick covers all aspects of portals, including free email offerings, personalization features, and home page building services. It also provides search coverage. This site was formerly known as PortalHub.com.
SearchIQ
http:// www.searchiq.com/
You'll find search engine reviews, tutorials and a directory of specialty search engines here.
Pandia Search Central
http://www.pandia.com/
Here you'll find an extensive "Goalgetter" search tutorial, a guide to search engines and search resources, "Q-cards" with searching tips for major search engines, plus the ability to search Pandia's version of the Open Directory or to meta search.
ZDNet WebSearch User
http://www.zdnet.com/products/searchuser.html
Consolidates articles and report from various ZD publications. Reviews of search engines, search utilities, tips on searching and more.
Free Pint
http://www.freepint.com//
A free newsletter that comes out twice per month, Free Pint always seems to be something useful here relating to searching or doing research on the web.
Lookoff.com
http://www.lookoff.com/
Provides a suite of search tutorials, online help, search engine reviews and rankings and more information to help you search the Internet effectively.
Web Searching, Sleuthing and Sifting
http://www.angelfire.com/in/virtuallibrarian/ismain.html
A comprehensive lesson plan that takes you from the basics of searching through to using specialty services.
Tips for Searching the Web
http://www.neci.nj.nec.com/homepages/lawrence/searchtips.html
Tips on searching the web, from the authors of the April 1998 Science magazine article on search engine coverage of the web (see the Search Engine Sizes page for more information regarding coverage issues).
How To Control Search Engines
http://www.howandwhy.com/Computer/Searching.html
Explains succinctly on one page the basic of using the +, - and quotation mark symbols, along with field commands. Lots of examples.
AltaVista Search -- How to get the most out of it
http://www.samizdat.com/script/title.htm
Online tutorial to using AltaVista better, from Richard Seltzer, coauthor of The AltaVista Search Revolution.
Finding It Online: Web Search Strategies
http://home.sprintmail.com/~debflanagan/main.html
Tutorial on using search engines, subject directories, and specialty databases to find information on the Internet fast and effectively.
SearchE: Using Internet and Web Search Engines Effectively
http://www.ala.org/ICONN/advancedcourses.html
An e-mail course on how to use search engines, sponsored by the American Library Association.
Searching The World Wide Web
http://cwis.kub.nl/~dbi/english/instruct/www/indexuk.htm
Comprehensive guide to searching the web.
The Spider's Apprentice
http://www.monash.com/spidap.html
Up-to-date information and tips on how to search the web effectively.
Business sources on the Internet: Reviews of search engines
http://www.dis.strath.ac.uk/business/search.html
Sink or Swim: Internet Search Tools & Techniques
http://www.sci.ouc.bc.ca/libr/connect96/search.htm
Introduction to search engines, tips on searching strategies and exercises to follow. Links to Italian and Dutch translations also available from this page.
AskScott
http://www.askscott.com/
AskScott is a small but high-quality site designed to take you by the hand and point you toward the answers you are looking for. It's run by Scott Nicholson, a librarian at Texas Christian University. Nicholson prominently asks, "What Can I Help You To Find," then directs you along one of eight subject areas. There's also an orientation to searching the web and a more in-depth tutorial.
Abondance
http://www.abondance.com/
This is a Search Engine Watch-like site for France and French-speakers. There are search tips, guides to major search engines, comparison testing and more. An outstanding resource that makes me wish I'd had more than a year of French.
Articles and Books
NOTE: Article links often change. In case of a bad link, use the publication's search facility, which most have, and search for the headline.
Searching to a Different Beat
SearchDay, Jan. 14, 2002
http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/02/sd0114-power-rep.html
All good journalists are adept at discovering information, and some of the best Internet discovery tools are maintained by reporters who've published their list of sources on the web.
Super Searchers Cover the World
SearchDay, Dec. 6, 2001
http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/01/sd1206-meb.html
In Super Searchers Cover the World, some of the world's best international business researchers share tips, techniques and secrets that help you avoid being a stranger in a strange land.
Web Search Engines FAQS: Questions, Answers, and Issues
Information Today, Oct. 2001
http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/oct01/price.htm
In-depth information, resources, tips and advice on web searching from search expert Gary Price.
Search by Date at AltaVista and Google
About.com Web Search Guide, Aug. 6, 2001
http://websearch.about.com/library/searchtips/bltotd010806.htm
Searching by date sounds great, but when the dates may have little to do with when the page was actually authored, it may not be so helpful. On the other hand, it can help you determine how fresh or stale a search engine's listings are.
The Extreme Searcher's Guide to Web Search Engines
SearchDay, July 19, 2001
http://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/01/sd0719-extreme.html
The Extreme Searcher's Guide to Web Search Engines is one of the most comprehensive, authoritative and just downright useful guides to what goes on under the hood of the major search services.
Find Canada on the Web
About Web Search Guide, July 2, 2001
http://websearch.about.com/library/weekly/aa070201a.htm
In depth review of how to find Canadian information on the web, eh.
Reverse Search Inside Out
About.com Web Search Guide, June 11, 2001
http://websearch.about.com/internet/websearch/library/weekly/aa061101a.htm
How to do reverse lookups on phone numbers, web pages, IP numbers and other items.
Mining the 'Deep Web' With Specialized Drills
New York Times, Jan. 25, 2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/25/technology/25SEAR.html
Long article examining why you might turn to a specialized search tool to find information that ordinary search engines might miss, be it "Invisible Web" content, news information or on other topics. By the way, the search I did here was actually for "linda chavez" rather than "chavez," but the results reported were as dismal.
Customization Options for Web Searching
Online, Jan. 2001
http://www.onlineinc.com/onlinemag/OL2001/net1_01.html
Guide to customizing how you search, for several major search engines.
Searching: Internet Scouring Techniques That Go Beyond The Basics
Smart Computer, Sept. 2000
This article is loaded with lots of good tips and examples on searching better, including a summary of tips at the end from many major search engines themselves.
Search Engine Inconsistencies
Online, March 2000
http://www.onlineinc.com/onlinemag/OL2000/net3.html
Looks at problems with page counts and processing search commands at some search engines.
Sleuthing For People Online
About Web Search Guide, Jan. 2000
http://websearch.about.com/library/weekly/aa121498.htm
Tips on locating people via the web.
The Art of Backward Searching
About Web Search Guide, Aug. 24, 1999
http://websearch.about.com/library/weekly/aa082499.htm
How to find your site's popularity on search engines or find pages related to one you like.
AltaVista's International Mirrors
EContent, Aug. 1999
http://www.ecmag.net/EC1999/net8.html
Covers differences between AltaVista's mirror sites.
Search Engine Secrets
PC Computing, June 9, 1999
http://www.zdnet.com/pccomp/stories/all/0,6605,405202,00.html
Easy-to-read guide with tips on searching better, ranking well and specialty search services.
Seven Stupid Searching Mistakes
About Web Search Guide, May 12, 1999
http://websearch.about.com/library/weekly/aa051299.htm
Tips on avoiding common search blunders.
Seven Habits Of Effective Searchers
Mining Co. Web Search Guide, Jan. 1, 1999
http://websearch.tqn.com/library/weekly/aa010199.htm
Some basic and useful tips worth keeping in mind as a means to improving your searches.
Super Searchers' Search Secrets
Mining Co. Web Search Guide, Jan. 1, 1999
http://websearch.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa010899.htm
Tips on improving your searches, from four different search experts.
Search Engines for the World Wide Web (2nd Edition)
Peachpit Press, ISBN 0-201-69642-8
http://www.peachpit.com/books/catalog/69642.html
An excellent resource for anyone who wants to learn more about search engines and searching better. It's a small book, easy-to-read, nicely-organized and full of illustrations that make learning easier. Some parts of it are already dated -- such is the nature of trying to keep up with search engines that continually reshape themselves. But much of the book remains evergreen, especially sections on searching commands and tips. This book offers an excellent alternative to those tired of reading about search engines online.
Highlights Of Online World 98
Mining Company Web Search Guide, Oct. 19, 1998
http://websearch.tqn.com/library/weekly/aa101998.htm
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend Online World 98, a gathering of research and library professionals that featured a panel of search engine product managers. Fortunately, Chris Sherman of the Mining Company's Web Search guide did attend. Read his write-ups on important panels and tips from the show.
Web Search Services in 1998: Trends and Challenges
Searcher, June 1998
http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/jun/story2.htm
Researcher Susan Feldman summarizes the state of search engines in 1998, finding they have generally improved from last year. Lots of useful tips and a great chart of features, designed with the researcher in mind.
How to Do Field Searching in Web Search Engines
Online, May 1998
http://www.onlineinc.com/onlinemag/OL1998/hock5.html
A summary of field searching on the major search engines, such as searching within hyperlink text or title text.
The 7 habits of highly effective surfers
Cnet, Feb. 1998
http://www.cnet.com/Content/Features/Dlife/Habits/ss01.html
http://www.cnet.com/Content/Features/Dlife/Habits/ss01a.html
http://www.cnet.com/Content/Features/Dlife/Habits/ss01b.html
Habit number one is a short summary of how to search better. It links to a nice chart (second link listed above) on picking the right search engine for the job, and another about advance searching (third link listed).