Studies show that the majority of Web searchers enter extremely simple queries, so a reasonable system design approach would be to build search engines to compensate for this user characteristic. One hundred representative queries were selected from the transaction log of a major Web search service. These 100 queries were then modified using the…

Discusses various types of information that can be retrieved from the Web via search engines. Highlights include Web pages; time frames, including historical coverage and currentness; text pages in formats other than HTML; directory sites; news articles; discussion groups; images; and audio and video. (LRW)

Examines and compares multimedia Web searching by Excite and FAST search engine users in 2001. Highlights include audio and video queries; time spent on searches; terms per query; ranking of the most frequently used terms; and differences in Web search behaviors of U.S. and European Web users. (Author/LRW)

Explains desktop metasearch engines, which search the databases of several search engines simultaneously. Reviews two particular versions, the Copernic 2001 Pro and the BullsEye Pro 3, comparing costs, subject categories, display capabilities, and layout for presenting results. (LRW)

Reports results from a project that investigated the influence of two types of expertise--knowledge of the search domain and experience of the Web search engines--on students' use of a Web search engine. Results showed participants with good knowledge in the domain and participants with high experience of the Web had the best performances. (AEF)

Reviews the literature on the use of Web search engines in information science research, including: ways users interact with Web search engines; social aspects of searching; structure and dynamic nature of the Web; link analysis; other bibliometric applications; characterizing information on the Web; search engine evaluation and improvement; and…

Describes a collaborative workshop designed by the Associated College Libraries of Central Pennsylvania to identify and teach World Wide Web search skills to librarians. Highlights include how information get on the Web and is indexed; evaluation of Web resources; types of search sites; and which search engine is the best. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of searching for information on the Web focuses on resources that are not always found by traditional Web searches. Describes sources on the hidden Web, including full-text databases, clearinghouses, digital libraries, and learning objects; explains how search engines operate; and suggests that traditional print sources are still…

Describes results from two independent investigations of college students that were conducted to study the impact of differences in users' cognition and search tasks on Web search activities and outcomes. Topics include cognitive style; problem-solving; and implications for the design and use of the Web and Web search engines. (Author/LRW)

Results from an analysis of 1,025,010 Excite queries from 2001 are compared to similar Excite datasets from 1997 to 1999. Overall, results indicate that multimedia Web searching is undergoing major changes as Web content and searching evolves. (AEF)

Discussion of problems that users have with Web searching focuses on a study of undergraduates that investigated three instructional methods (instruction by example, conceptual models without illustrations, and conceptual models with illustrations) to determine differences in knowledge acquisition related to three types of knowledge (declarative,…

Explores current research on indexing and ranking as retrieval functions of search engines on the Web. Highlights include measuring search engine stability; evaluation of Web indexing and retrieval; Web crawlers; hyperlinks for indexing and ranking; ranking for metasearch; document structure; citation indexing; relevance; query evaluation;…

Presents 10 tips librarians and media specialists can use in taking a query-based approach to teaching users how to search the Web. Steps for searching include: defining the nature of the quest; choosing the most useful tool; and constructing the proper search statement. A sidebar lists 17 search tools with their URLs. (AEF)

Notes that computers challenge teachers to find ways to incorporate technology in support of curricular and pedagogical goals. Profiles two primary grade students' discoveries and struggles as they negotiate the Web and related technology. Illuminates the tensions between guidance and freedom in the instructional process, and suggests some…

Presents strategies for researching topics on the Web that are controversial or current in nature. Discusses topic selection and overviews, including the use of online encyclopedias; search engines; finding laws and pending legislation; advocacy groups; proprietary databases; Web site evaluation; and the continuing usefulness of print materials.…