|
Need additional search ideas? Try NoodleQuest (interactive version) |
|
I need to define my topic...
|
I need to understand thescope of my topic |
|
|
I need to see related topics |
Google |
Uncover buried sites using "related searches" |
Bing |
Search for your topic, then drill down "related searches" |
|
|
I need to refine and narrow my topic |
SurfWax |
Search for your topic, then click "Focus" (top) to show similar, broader, and narrower topics |
iSeek Education |
Ask a question or search a topic in this database of "trusted resources" - use "targets" to refine search |
Wikipedia |
Drill down “Contents” to explore subtopics |
|
|
I need to choose acontroversial issue |
|
|
I need background on possible topics |
SweetSearch |
A selective search of Web information for students |
Wikipedia |
Search this wiki (quality content is starred), then follow article links to more information |
Columbia Encyclopedia |
Search basic factual information in this encyclopedia (c 2000) |
|
|
I need to find quality results...
|
I need authoritative sites chosen by an expert researcher |
INFOMINE |
Librarian-selected scholarly sites |
LibGuides |
Librarian-created topic pathfinders |
Infotopia |
Customized safe-search of educator-selected sites |
|
|
I need personal help from experts |
Ask an ipl2 Librarian |
Get answers from volunteers and grad students in a week (K-12) |
AllExperts |
Ask your question of a self-identified volunteer subject-expert |
Ask a Librarian |
Library research questions answered in five days (no homework questions) |
|
|
I need sites ranked or tagged as valuable or relevant |
Google |
High PageRank means popular, relevant sites link to the page |
Technorati |
Browse or search user-identified subjects ("tags") for blog advice or opinions |
Ask.com |
High ExpertRank indicates subject-specific popularity |
|
|
I need primary sources |
|
|
I need peer-reviewed journal articles |
|
|
I need to do research in a specific discipline...
|
I need official government information |
|
|
I need in-depth informationabout a country or unrepresented territory |
|
|
I need science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) research or sources |
Scirus |
Science-specific Web portals, reports, peer-reviewed articles, patents, preprints and journals |
National Science Digital Library (NSDL) |
Search by grade level, subject (STEM) and resource format |
Intute |
Use advanced search to limit search by science, technology, or mathematics subject areas |
|
|
I need reputable healthinformation |
MedlinePlus |
Search diseases, conditions and health topics |
Mayo Clinic |
Browse by disease or search conditions, symptoms, tests and health topics |
KidsHealth |
Health information directed to kids, teens or parents |
|
|
I need legal documents, agencies or news |
|
|
I need creative and performing arts sources |
Intute |
Use advanced search to limit search to arts and humanities subject areas |
Art History Resources on the Web |
Global art history resources chosen by a scholar |
JURN |
Google custom search of 3,500+ ejournals in the arts and humanities |
|
|
The timeliness of information that I need is...
|
within the last hour |
Google Real-Time |
Choose "past hour" from the left column for the most recent news |
10x10 |
Explore 100 words and pictures that "matter most" globally in the last hour |
|
|
today |
Google News |
View top news stories and refine by category or topic |
NewsNow |
Search breaking global news headlines or newsfeeds (UK service) |
Newseum |
Browse today's front page treatment of news from nearly 100 countries |
|
|
recent |
Google |
Search and limit by time period, or choose "timeline" (from "more search tools" on left) to see a topic's evolution |
Yahoo News |
Search recent news and filter by time period ("past week") |
|
|
recent (with analysis) |
BBC Special Reports |
In-depth topic coverage including news features, analysis, photos, audio and video |
Times Topics |
Collected news, reference and archival information, photos, graphics, audio and video files about topics |
PolitiFact |
Search
news keyword or browse fact checking of statements made by members of
Congress, the White House, lobbyists and interest groups |
|
|
long-term investigative reports |
ProPublica |
News investigations of significant government, business, and institutional wrongdoing |
Center for Public Integrity |
Original reporting of public issues designed to make "institutional power more transparent and accountable" |
Center for Investigative Reporting |
Critical investigations of injustice or abuse of power with actionable information to assist citizens |
|
|
a particular time period (decade, century, era) |
HistoryWorld |
Enter year event to retrieve timeline, then click on icons for information or images |
INFOMINE |
Search by a term like "Golden Age" or "18th century" |
Wikipedia: List of Timelines |
Browse Wikipedia’s list of timelines (civilizations, people, events, etc.) |
|
|
historical |
American Memory |
Search America's primary source documents and images, browse by topic, time period, medium or place |
ipl2 |
Drill down into the history section or search fewer, broader terms (e.g., "terrorists" not "Righteous Path") |
Digital History |
High-quality historical resources, primary sources, multimedia, subject guides |
|
|
ancient |
Ancient History Sourcebook |
Search online ancient-history texts, images, audio, or browse by region, period (e.g., Persia, Late Antiquity) |
ipl2 |
Drill down into ancient history section or search fewer, broader terms (e.g., "Greece" not "Spartan women") |
|
|
I need facts...
|
a person |
|
|
a place |
CIA World Factbook |
Select country for basic profile and transnational issues |
Country Studies |
Cross-search or view a country (last update 1998) - historical, social, economic, political and national security data |
Stately Knowledge |
Basic U.S. state facts, links to state government site and encyclopedia (IPL KidSpace) |
|
|
a company |
|
|
general reference answers |
|
|
news background (facts, people, and documents) |
|
|
I need opinions and perspectives...
|
I want opinions on current issues |
|
|
I need news from other countries' perspectives |
|
|
I want multiple perspectives on hot social and political topics |
|
|
I want to compare news treatment |
Newseum |
Compare news reporting on U.S. front pages |
PressDisplay |
Compare news reporting from 55 countries |
|
|
I need a specific type of media...
|
maps |
Google Maps |
Search and view satellite and street-level maps |
MapMachine |
Search, browse and print country, physical and political maps |
American FactFinder Maps |
See trends/patterns when you superimpose chosen geographical features and census data on U.S. maps |
|
|
photographs and visual images |
|
|
fine art |
|
|
videos |
Yahoo Video Search |
Search by keyword or phrase, use advanced search to limit by file format, size, duration and domain |
YouTube |
Search for, watch or buy an ever-growing collection of TV shows, movies, music videos, documentaries, and personal productions |
Internet Archive: Moving Image Archive |
Search public domain films, newsreels, ads, documentaries, television series and other “cultural artifacts” |
|
|
radio |
|
|
music |
Google |
To
find song lyrics, search (in quotes) title or performer (plus) "song
lyrics," to find information about the song's history search title (in
quotes) and "origin" |
|
|
sounds |
FindSounds |
Get sound effects and music samples: select a keyword or search a term limited by file format, quality and size |
|
|
speeches |
|
|
quotations |
|
|
statistical data |
|
|
dictionary or thesaurus (for definitions, etymology, pronunciation, synonyms) |
|
|
encyclopedia |
Columbia Encyclopedia |
Factual information (updated 6/05) |
Wikipedia |
Volunteer-created
and collaboratively edited: valuable for current topics (e.g., people
in the news), technology (e.g., podcasting) -- information quality
uneven |
|
|
almanac data |
|
|
books and other printed works |
WorldCat |
Search for books and reviews, options to refine results, check your local library's holdings |
Google Scholar |
Search (free and fee) scholarly works, locate related information using "cited by" links, use advanced search to limit (author, date, phrase, in title, subject area) |
A9 OpenSearch |
Search for books by keyword, then "Search Inside!" to see keyword-in-context |
|
|
I have special search requirements...
|
run my search periodicallyand be notified of new results |
Giga Alert |
Run Google search of 3 interests and get e-mail or RSS notification of new results |
Google Alerts |
Run periodic Google searches and get e-mail (no RSS) notification of new results |
|
|
specify a country where my search results are located |
|
|
use a search engineoutside the U.S. |
|
|
find sites organized by theDewey Decimal System orLibrary of Congress Classification |
|
|
locate resources by file type |
Google |
Limit search by file type (.pdf, .ps, .doc, .xls, .ppt, .rtf) |
Yahoo |
Limit search by file type (.html, .pdf, .doc, .xls, .ppt, .xml, .txt) |
|
|
I am...
|
a kid |
KidsClick! |
Find kid-friendly sites with educational content (grades K-7) selected by librarians |
Ask Kids |
Search by keyword, then select the best-match question for answers and links |
Yahoo Kids |
Select from kid-safe sites (grades 2- 7) organized by topic |
|
|
pretty new to the Internet |
Google |
Largest general purpose search engine |
Yahoo |
Large, general purpose search engine |
ipl2 |
Easy-to-navigate, well-annotated directory of librarian-selected Web sites |
|
|
an Internet wizard |
Exalead |
Configure highly-specific searches including proximity ("folk tales NEAR sun"), but smaller index than Google or Yahoo |
INFOMINE |
Configure a narrow search of
a large, comprehensive academic virtual library (Web sites, databases,
electronic journals, electronic books, bulletin boards, directories of
researchers) |
|