Rather than focusing on detailed instruction for every search tool available, this class focuses on general search concepts that will help you get the most out of these search tools. If you are taking this class or visiting this page for the first time, please be sure to read the Introduction and Search Tips. There is no centralized catalog of all WWW or Internet resources. Fortunately, however, there are tools that can help you find what is out there. These tools fall into two types - directories and search engines .
Directories are lists of resources organized by topic.
They are easy to use and need very little explanation. This class will focus on search engines. As you use the WWW more and your questions become more specific you will need a search engine to help you find answers to your questions. But before you begin searching the WWW, you need to be aware of what kind of information you can expect to find. These databases are known as bibliographic databases.