Google & Beyond
Expert Internet Searching Tools & Strategies
Overview
• • • • • • Google advanced features Advanced searching tips Search engines & meta search engines Internet Archive Invisible web & public records Email newsletters
How Do Search Engines Work?
• Spiders or crawlers • Index • Query agent
What Makes Google Great
• • • • • • • • •
LINK
Breadth & depth Ranking technology 12 file formats Cached pages Advanced searching Toolbar Images News Viewer
New Projects at Google Labs
LINK
• Google Deskbar • Google News Alert • Google Viewer
Beyond Google: Meta Search Engines
• Maximize coverage • Multiple search engines • Clustering – Vivisimo LINK – Query Server LINK – Kartoo LINK
A Worker Bee’s Story
Page deleted
Website reorganization Website death or disability
Look for Google’s cached page Try site map or site search
X
Look for Google’s cached page Try site map or site search
Query webmaster Search another SE or MSE
X
X
Look for Google’s cached page Try site map or site search
Query webmaster Search another SE or MSE Check the Internet Archive
Good Answer! Good Answer!! Good Answer!!!
Internet Archive
Wayback Machine LINK • 300+ terabytes • Older than 6 months • Publicly-accessible • 5+ million hits / day
Other IA Features
• • • • Moving images, audio & books Special collections Bookmarklet Recall: the search engine
Missing Information
• • • • • New or obscure No bots allowed Password-protected Intranets & firewalls Databases
The Invisible Web • 500 times larger than the Visible Web • Valuable • Desirable • More info LINK
Spiders Have No Fingers
Cannot type search terms
LINK 1 LINK 2
Signs
• ? in URL • Long, complicated URL • Search used to retrieve info • Proprietary, pass worded
Detecting the Invisible Web
• Subject-based directories
– The Invisible Web Directory – HealthWeb LINK
LINK
• Invisible web portals
– Complete Planet – ProFusion LINK – IncyWincy LINK
LINK
Public Records
• All levels of government • Individual, bu siness, profes sional • Health, medic al?
Options
• Visit the agency • Hire a public records searcher • Search Internet sources • Search commercial sources
Online Directories • Search Systems
LINK
• BRB Publications LINK • Black Book Online LINK
Restricted Access
• Personal privacy • Trade secrets • Permissible uses (need to know) • Restricted by law • National Practitioner Data Bank LINK
Keeping Up-to-Date • Search Engine Watch LINK • Search Engine Showdown LINK • Research Buzz
LINK
• FDA Email Newsletters LINK
Remember • Try advanced search options • Use MSEs for greater efficiency • Employ tools for finding “lost” info • Search the Invisible Web • Stay current with email newsletters
Slideshow available at
http://lib.law.washington.edu/ref /mlace.ppt
Nancy McMurrer & Cheryl Nyberg Gallagher Law Library University of Washington Jan. 2004