Internet Indexes: Introduction

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Scope

• Most of these search tools are are nothing more than databases, though they are created differently.
• As databases, these search tools offer varying levels of searching sophistication and functionality, though they are generally much less sophistcated than OPACs, bibliographic utilities, and bibliographic databases.
• Remember, when you are "searching the Internet" through one of these databases you are actually searching their databases of downloaded and indexed Internet/Web pages and files.

Scope

• Among the numerous general Internet Indexes (or Directories or Guides or ....), there are several that are outstanding for one or a combination of reasons.
• Those reasons include:
  • Size of the database
    • How many Web pages and other Internet files have been collected in the Internet Index's database.
  • Depth of Collection:
    • Does the Internet Index collect just collect the "home page" of a Web site or as many pages as can be collected in every layer of the Web site?
  • Thoroughness of Indexing
    • Does the Internet Index index every word (assuming that the Index is searchable and not just browsable)
      • Individually and in phrases?
      • By the field in which it is in (title, text, link, caption, etc.)?
  • Sophistication of Search Capabilities
    • If the Index is searchable, does it offer Boolean, proximity, field, phrase, date-limiting, and other search functions.?

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