Selected Internet Search Engines


If you have been unable to find useful links on a particular topic in the "World Wide Web Sites for Geographers" page, you may wish to undertake your own searches using selected Internet search engines and relevant keywords of your choosing. The search engines below have been selected as the best examples of their type.


Some hints for searching

  • Effective searches are best undertaken by using more than one of the engines.
  • Consider using a "parallel" search engine which searches more than one data base simultaneously.
  • Make careful choices of keywords, be specific but not too restrictive.
  • Use any of the syntax rules or definable options available for each search engine.
  • Be patient and try several different keywords and search engines; each will yield different results.

  • The search engines
  • SavvySearch: a parallel search engine
  • Inktomi: a fast, large search data base
  • Lycos: a very large database
  • InfoSeek: simple to use with a large data base
  • WebCrawler: simple to use with a large data base
  • MetaCrawler: a parallel search engine
  • Yahoo: well developed sections and themes
  • Alta Vista: another general search engine
  • Excite: searches for concepts and keywords (includes Reuters news)
  • Magellan: reviews and rates WWW sites
  • Electronic Library: 100s of full journal, magazine and newspaper articles
  • DejaNews: searches the Usenet newsgroups
  • Handilinks internet directory
  • Further information and comparative statistics and comments on search engines and related materials can be found at: Searching the World Wide Web: Tools and Resources for Locating Information.

    Last modified: 27 April 1999

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