Provides tips on searching Chemical Abstracts (CA). Discusses coverage, indexing policies, differences between the print and online versions, transliterations, arrangement of the print indexes, abbreviations, and importance of the CA Index Guide for effective searching. (MES)

Discusses Internet domain naming practices and indicates which Web search engines can effectively search on domain names. Explains top-level domain (TLD) (ex. http://www.access.gpo.gov - ".gov" = top level; ".gpo" = second level; ".access" = third level; and "www" = fourth level domain). Outlines seven new…

Provides a novice's guide to locating and using patent resources on the Internet. The guide examines how easily a novice can find and use patent resources, and evaluates resources on their search and retrieval capability. Findings are from the author's own experiences with various online services and are presented as personal narratives. (JMV)

Explores metasearch engine (metasearch engines search several Web indexes and/or directories and/or Usenet and/or specific Web sites) efficiency and problems, focusing on four engines in specific: Dogpile, Cyber411, Internet Sleuth, and Metacrawler. Concludes that because no engine has precisely the same coverage as another, the searcher using a…

Reports how a cross-section of database producers, search services, and aggregators are using vocabulary management to facilitate cross-file searching. Discusses the range of subject areas and audiences; indexing; vocabulary control within databases; machine aids to indexing; and aids to cross-file searching. A chart contains sources of files and…

Describes how online searchers can use a software tool based on back-of-the-book indexes to assist in dealing with search engine databases compiled by spiders that crawl across the entire Internet or through large Web sites. Discusses human versus machine knowledge, conversion of indexes to mind maps or mini-thesauri, middleware, eXtensible Markup…

Reports on Web keyword searching, metadata, Dublin Core, Extensible Markup Language (XML), metasearch engines (metasearch engines search several Web indexes and/or directories and/or Usenet and/or specific Web sites), and the Year 2000 (Y2K) dilemma, all topics discussed at the second annual Internet Librarian Conference sponsored by Information…

Presents guidelines for selecting World Wide Web search engines. Real-life questions were used to test six search engines. Queries sought company information, product reviews, medical information, foreign information, technical reports, and current events. Compares performance and features of AltaVista, Excite, HotBot, Infoseek, Lycos, and Open…

Reviews the state of scholarly social science resources on the Web, describing selected search engines and Web sites. Discusses advantages and disadvantages for information retrieval; using meta-indexes; connecting to research centers; and suggests strategies for more effective retrieval. (AEF)

Presents results from a collective professional searcher evaluation of the effectiveness of Web search engines versus two traditional online services, DIALOG and Dow Jones Interactive. The conclusion outlines: searching assumptions; subjects and types of searches where DIALOG and Dow Jones Interactive showed superiority; advantages of using the…

Reviews the Institute for Scientific Information's (ISI) Web interface for its Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science Citation Expanded citation indexes. Discusses content; other Internet efforts from ISI; pricing; searching; quick and full search modes; using the results; document delivery; full text; documentation and help; and future…

Examines options for the researcher who wants to narrow canvassing of Web accessible material to just news-related articles. Discusses scout pages, meta-search pages, and news-only searches from World Wide Web search sites, then notes the benefits and problems for each. (AEF)

Examines the three types of "Aska" services and reviews specific examples. The first claims a user can ask a question in natural language and receive and intelligible response. The second puts the user online with a professional searcher. The third consists of access routes to "experts." Discusses subject-specific expert…

Describes a Web-based information service, Northern Light, which demonstrates a new paradigm for serving large populations of users and delivering high-quality content on topics both general and narrow. Discusses performance of the search engine, search syntax, Northern Light's special collection, and pricing. (AEF)

World Wide Web "meta sites," or collections of subject-specific hyperlinks, can expedite Internet searching. One can find meta sites by consulting: search engines that offer site ratings or selective retrieval; library-constructed Web sites; Internet-related journals; and subject experts. A compilation of meta sites, with descriptions…