INTERNET TECHNOLOGY

3.2 The Internet3.2.2 World Wide Web

3.2.2.4 Information Searching

Topic 3

1

2

Learning Outcome

At the end of this topic, students should be able to:

• Explain different ways of information searching.1. search engine2. subject directory

3

Information Searching

Searching the Web:• A primary reason that people use the Web is to search

for specific information, including text, pictures, music, and video.

• A search tool is used to locate the information. Eg: Google. AOL Search, Dogpile, HotBot.

4

Information Searching

Two types of search tools are search engines and subject directories.

Search engine

Finds information related to a

specific topic

Subject directory

Classifies Web pages in an

organized set of categories

5

Information Searching

What is a search engine?• A program that finds Web sites, Web pages, images,

videos, news, maps, and other information (information) related to a specific topic.

Or• A program that finds information by entering

words or phrases called search text.

6

Information Searching

Searching information using search engine: Search engines program used to find Web sites and

Web pages by entering words or phrases called search text(also called keyword)• Search engines require that you enter a word or phrase, called

search text or search query.• Each word in the search text is known as a keyword.• The results of the search, called hits. (any Web site name that

listed as the result or a search)• Result from the search engine can be in the form of:• Images, videos, audio, publications, maps, people or

businesses, blogs.

7

Information Searching

Examples of search engine:Search Engine Web Address YearGoogle www.google .com 1998Yahoo! www.yahoo.com 2002Excite www.excite.comLycos www.lycos.com 1994AllTheWeb www.alltheweb.comAltaVista www.altavista.comHotBot www.hotbot.comAsk Jeeves www.askjeeves.comWebCrawlerTM www.webcrawler.comMSN Search www.search.msn.comInfoseek www.infoseek.com 1994

8

Information Searching

9

Information Searching

Search operators can help to refine your search:

10

Information Searching

What is a subject directory?• Search tool that classifies Web pages in an organized

set of categories and subcategories.• Examples of subject directory:

Subject Directory Web AddressGoogle www.google .comYahoo! www.yahoo.comExcite www.excite.comGigablast www.gigablast.comMSN www.msn.comOpen Directory Project www.dmoz.org

11

Information Searching

12

Information Searching

A subject directory provides categorized lists of links arranged by subject.

When click on the category link, the subject directory displays a list of subcategory links.

The disadvantage: • Users have difficulty deciding which categories to

choose from the menus of links presented.

13

Information Searching

Example of subject directory:

14

Summary

There are two different ways of information searching:1. Search engine:• Finds information related to a specific topic.

2. Subject directory:• Classifies Web pages in an organized set of

categories such as sport, shopping or other related subcategories.