Module 4 - Search Engines

The Internet has such a vast amount of information on everything, that we have to learn how to search for the information that is needed for a specific task. We have to learn the techniques and skills to conduct efficient and effective searches.

“There is no single ‘correct’ way to search, nor – beyond a few simple rules – any generally applicable advice. The most effective searchers are those who, from time to time, stop and think about how they are searching and – effectively – teach themselves to do it better. Reflection in this manner should be seen to include such elements as: occasionally trying different search tools, evaluating new software, thinking about the options in search tools that you don’t normally use.” (Concept 4 – Reflective Communicative Practice, NET 11)

There are a number of different search engines available to people looking for information – but which one is the best to use? The answer to this question is “none” and “all of them”. All of the articles and books I have read on using search engines commented/suggested learning/using two search engines well but consider using others frequently. According to the James Cook University “Lost in Space Guide” “the biggest search engines probably index less than 20% of the web”. Sixty to eighty percent of existing web material is hidden away on the “Invisible” or “Deep Web”, a large portion of the web that most search engines cannot penetrate. The Deep Web includes sites which could require permission or subscriptions, pass-protected sites, documents behind firewalls, archived materials, and the contents of specialised databases created by researchers, governmental agencies etc. Ellen Chamberlain (of USC Beaufort Library South Carolina) explains that “In order to access so-called ‘Invisible Web’ sites, you need to point your browser directly at them” but “today’s search engines are getting better and better at finding and indexing the contents of the ‘Invisible Web’ pages”.

General Search on the Internet

Search Phrase: Attention Economy

Google Hits: About 8,870,000

Google Scholar Hits: 1,880,000

Australia Only Hits: About 105,000

First 5 Hits:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_economy

www.readwriteweb.com/archives/attention_economy_overview.php

www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue2_4/goldhaber

www.amazon.com/Attention-Economy-Understanding-Currency-Business/dp/157851441X

www.bubblegeneration.com/2005/11/attention-economy-across-consumer.cfm

Search Phrase: Attention Economy

Clusty Hits: At least 6,703,000

(linked to 199 Clusters)

First 5 Hits:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_economy

www.readwriteweb.com/archives/attention_economy_overview.php

www.attentiontrust.org/about

www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue2_4/goldhaber

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/gas_mileage (this article is not related to the topic at all!)

Google showed the most hits but these were narrowed down by refining the search to Google Scholar and Australia pages only. Clusty showed a smaller search result compared to Google, but was comparable to Google Scholar. It was interesting to note that on both of these searches, three of the first five sites that came up were the same.

Google initially showed the most hits because of the search phrase and the parameters of the search – search for these two words anywhere and in whatever order. Whereas once you narrow some of the parameters the search area is narrowed hence the smaller numbers for Australia Only and Scholar hits.

On first glance you would think that the Google search was the best because of the number of hits, but a look through the hits suggested soon makes you realize that the first few are what you wanted but the rest are either irrelevant or of little relevance. Clusty on the other hand, gives you the advantage of having a “cluster” list down the left side that offers more sites.