Some engines catalog key words while others attempt to catalog either concepts or the full text. Because of the size of these engines, they are incredibly powerful. This is both a blessing and a curse. However, if we cannot be precise in our search, the engines will return hundreds of documents which may or may not be of interest. Search Indices are typically organized around categories such as company name, product or service type, or geographic region.
Most indices are hierarchal, meaning that they begin with very broad categories.
They become increasingly specific the deeper we explore. Indices are complementary to the search engines. An index of online information guides searched using a Java-based search engine. Uses can locate words, phrases, and number strings - without stop words. The system is powered by DEC's Alpha RISC processor.