Search engines and subject directories are two common ways to search for information on the internet. Search engines find websites and pages related to search terms, while subject directories organize websites into categories and subcategories. Key differences are that search engines use keywords while subject directories provide categorized lists of links. Both tools aim to help users efficiently find relevant information on the world wide web.

1. Topic 3
INTERNET TECHNOLOGY
3.2 The Internet
3.2.2 World Wide Web
3.2.2.4 Information Searching
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2. Learning Outcome
At the end of this topic, students should be able to:
• Explain different ways of information
searching.
1. search engine
2. subject directory
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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.
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4. Information Searching
 Two types of search tools are search engines and subject
directories.
Search Subject
engine directory
Classifies Web
Finds information
pages in an
related to a
organized set of
specific topic
categories
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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.
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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.
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7. Information Searching
 Examples of search engine:
Search Engine Web Address Year
Google www.google .com 1998
Yahoo! www.yahoo.com 2002
Excite www.excite.com
Lycos www.lycos.com 1994
AllTheWeb www.alltheweb.com
AltaVista www.altavista.com
HotBot www.hotbot.com
Ask Jeeves www.askjeeves.com
WebCrawlerTM www.webcrawler.com
MSN Search www.search.msn.com
Infoseek www.infoseek.com 1994
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8. Information Searching
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9. Information Searching
 Search operators can help to refine your search:
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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 Address
Google www.google .com
Yahoo! www.yahoo.com
Excite www.excite.com
Gigablast www.gigablast.com
MSN www.msn.com
Open Directory Project www.dmoz.org
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11. Information Searching
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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.
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13. Information Searching
 Example of subject directory:
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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.
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