Search Engines

Full text of billions of web pages. Search on distinctive words, names, or a phrase enclosed in " ".

Google Adv, Search (limiting by languages, fields, & domains).

Google Search Tips:

• AND default. " " for phrases. - excludes.
• For Boolean OR, capitalize OR, no ( ). Ex:  ucb OR cal
• Use * as wildcard for unspecified words in phrase searches:
  Ex: "whatever  *  *  *  jane"
• Quotes or + before words searches common or stop words.
  Ex: "to be or not to be"    +the bears
• No truncation.

• Asl.com Search Tips:
• AND default. " " for phrases. - excludes.
• For Boolean OR, capitalize OR, no ( ). Ex:  ucb OR cal
• Quotes or + before words searches common or stop words.
  Ex: +to +be +or  not +to +be     +the bears
• No truncation.

AllTheWeb Adv. Search (field limiting, word filtering, languages).

AllTheWeb Search Tips:

• AND default. " " for phrases. - excludes.
• For Boolean OR, enclose terms in ( ), omit "or."
  Ex.:  (ucb  cal)
• "  " for phrases Use -[nospace] to exclude.
• Useful URL investigator and conversion of equivalents.
• No truncation.

Advanced Search   Help

For full Boolean searching with nesting and parentheses, Alta Vista Advanced Search offers the most options. Also has full range of field limiting.

Use the link above to go to the Advanced search boxes.

A-V Advanced Search Tips:

• Use Boolean AND, OR, AND NOT, NEAR in upper search box.
• Use the Sorted by box to rank and filter results. Very powerful for searching within results.
• * truncates.

"Smart" Meta-search Engines

Search several search engines at once with technologies that help probe search results

Help  Metasearch with results in clusters.

• AND default. " " for phrase.
• "Translates" complex searches for each search engine. Some complex searches only sent where "understood."
• Search in results for words in titles, URLs, and descriptions (bottom left). Works best in Internet Explorer.
• More about Vivisimo.

Help  Metasearch with Site-Snap™ summarization.

SurfWax Search Tips:

• AND default. " " for phrases. Keep search simple and use summary features.
• Search RSS, newsgroups and blogs
• More about SurfWax.

Metasearch technology to search the Internet's top search engines, including Google, Yahoo! Search, MSN Search, Ask Jeeves, About, MIVA, LookSmart and more.

• Searches the best results from the combined pool of the world's leading search engines
• Easy to refine your search

Directories

Selected and evaluated sites organized by subject

Help

14,000+ carefully selected and extensively annotated sites of use in academic research and for many general inquires.

LII Search Tips:

• Use broad search terms.  Can be searched through Vivisimo.
• * truncates. Accepts AND (default), OR, and NOT.

114,000+ well annotated and cataloged sites for academic research.

Search all subject categories at once, or select one from list to focus in.

Infomine Search Tips:

• Accepts AND (default), OR and parentheses ( ) in Boolean searches.  # truncates.

College and research level Internet resources.

Academic Info Search Tips:

• Browse list of all subjects covered. Recommended approach.
• To search, use "and" between terms (default is "or"). Click on likely category, and use CTRl+F to locate your terms.

Help

About 1 million sites, selected and evaluated by "guides." Evaluate their credentials as experts in their field.

• Use broad or specific search terms.
• Follow "More from..." links in for more pages in a subject category.