Course Modules:
Comprehensive
Web Search
Strategies
Web Indexes
Thus far, you have been examining web resources that are collected by machines. While many of the "hits" returned by the search engines are useful, you have undoubtedly noticed that some are totally unrelated to the topic that you entered.
The root of the problem lies in the computers that collected the links in the first place. Computers just aren’t able to read between the lines to determine what the creator of the website was trying to present. They just convert the text to a numerical value and store that in the database. When you query the database, the search engine returns everything with the same numerical value as the text that you entered. Wouldn’t it be great to have a real live human look at the webpage first to see if it is related to the topic that you entered?
That is the concept behind a web index. Webpages are submitted by their creators or by users who have found the webpage. Human reviewers examine the webpage, decide if it has merit and then add it to the appropriate category on the web index.
The web indexes require a different approach than the search engines. Seeing a search box on the screen often confuses the casual user. The real value of the indexes/directories lies in the categories below the search box.
Web indexes work best with hierarchical searching (similar to browsing the stacks in a physical library or bookstore). This is quite different than the analytical searching that is used by the search engines (similar to using the card catalog in a physical library). Just as we often find related books when we get in the vicinity of the books that we set out to find, we can find related subcategories in the web indexes.
Examine some web indexes and see how they compare with your previous search engine and parallel search engine explorations. You are welcome to use the search features of the web index but be sure to also examine the broad categories looking for categories and subcategories related to your chosen topic.
You will be using the top-ranked web indexes for this initial exploration. In the Advanced Research module you will explore some specialized web indexes (web directories). Resize your web browser window and open your digital logbook. Record your evaluation of the web indexes and continue collecting bookmarks. Save your digital logbook when you are finished.
In the activity that follows, you will explore the resources available in Online Libraries.
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