Investigates problems of using commercial search engines for Web-based research. Findings indicate that search engines are highly variable in their results, are limited in the search functions they offer, have poorly and/or incorrectly documented functions, use search logics that are opaque, and change search functions they offer over time.…

Describes a study that used qualitative and quantitative methodologies to analyze differences between Finnish and American Web searchers in their choice of initial search strategies (direct address, subject directory, and search engines) and their reasoning underlying their choices. Considers implications for considering cultural differences in…

A survey was conducted to test the coverage of search engines and to decide whether their partial coverage is an obstacle to using them to calculate Web impact factors. Results indicate that search engine coverage, even of large national domains, is extremely uneven and would be likely to cause misleading calculations. (Author/AEF)

Indexing is the preprocessing of information to enable its retrieval, ranging from classification-based (precoordinate) to keyword searching (postcoordinate) approaches. This article describes a framework for modelling information retrieval systems in terms of sets of objects, relationships, and functions and discusses the application of indexing…

Explains the Web impact factor (WIF) for comparing the relative attractiveness or influence of Web spaces, where the WIF is the number of pages linking to a Web space divided by the number of pages in the Web space. Compares WIFs for Australasian universities and for Australasian electronic journals. (Author/LRW)