Searching the Net

Internet

Evaluation

Rutgers: University Library Resources and Services

Internet

How do I search the Net?

With millions of World Wide Web pages available, finding the information you need can be a frustrating process. Taking a few minutes to think about the information you need and the structure of the WWW can save you time and frustration. This site is designed to aid WWW users in this process by discussing the efficient methods for finding information in the sea of millions of WWW sites and documents. There are basically three different approaches to finding information through the World Wide Web: browsing, searching, and going to a known site.

Browsing

If are you interested is seeing what the WWW has to offer on a general topic, your best bet is to begin with a directory service. Directory services are hierarchical listings of WWW sites which begin at a broad topic and end with narrow fields related to the broad topic. Some of the questions a directory can help answer are:

What online magazines and journals are available in my area?
Which museums feature "virtual exhibits" on the WWW?
Where can I find job ads for my field?

There are two types of directories: General Directories, and Subject Directories, and hundreds of both types are available.

Searching

If you are searching for specifics - sites designed to provide a particular type of information - search services are your best bet. The search service you use depends upon what you need to find. If you are searching for a specific topic or word or phrase, search engines offer access to millions of WWW documents at once. Some of the issues that a search service can help find resources for are:

the issue of race and the death penalty
a bibliography on critical reviews of Jane Austen's works
current economic conditions of Azerbaijan

However, if you want to find a personal address, today's news, a map, or company's WWW site, there are many specialized services available.

Known Sites

For some information needs, you may already have found a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) through word of mouth, in a print article, or in an advertisement. To open a URL, use the open function available on your browser and enter the entire URL. Once you access the site, try and find a site map which illustrates how the site is organized or look for a search feature.