How to Search the Web With 7 "Secret" ResourcesBy J.D. Solomon When it comes to Internet searching, Google, Yahoo and MSN may be the biggest players in the field, but they’re not necessarily the best for all uses. Here are seven Internet search resources that you may not know about, each with one or two unique advantages over your favorite search engine. Teoma — In addition to returning results from your search query, Teoma offers suggested search terms that might help refine your search. It also provides a separate list of sites related to your query that are maintained by experts and enthusiasts; these sites are typically subject-specific directories and collections of links. Free. www.teoma.com Vivisimo — This search engine has two nifty features. First, it allows you to preview each result before actually going to the site. Second, and potentially more valuable, it “clusters” your search results into logical categories, which appear on the left of the screen. For instance, if you search for “civil war,” the clusters include Soldiers, Reenactments, Museums, Books and Photographs, among others. Note that Vivisimo doesn’t actually search the Web itself; instead it queries other search engines, including LookSmart, MSN and Lycos — but not Google. Free. www.vivisimo.com Copernic — In a different twist, Copernic is a search engine that you install on your computer. This enables it to provide its most useful feature: saved searches that you can return to and update for fresh results. In addition to searching the Web, Copernic allows you to search newsgroups, images, news and press releases, e-mail addresses, encyclopedias and atlases, and a host of other resources. Free basic version; advanced searching capabilities require one-time $30 software purchase. www.copernic.com Amplify — Not so much a search engine as a search results collector. It allows you to collect portions of different web pages — text, images, movies, etc. — and save these tidbits (or “amps,” as the program calls them) to a single new web page that you can review later or share with others. Great for comparison shopping for a product or searching for places to stay while on vacation. Free. www.amplify.com Highbeam — Most popular search engines aren’t very helpful for serious business or academic research because they return a lot of retail and personal sites, and they don’t allow you to search subscription-only journals. This search engine gives you access to high-quality journal and magazine articles, plus the ability to save searches for future reference and other advanced features. Best use: serious business research. Free basic registration, but access to full-text journal articles requires $99 annual subscription. www.highbeam.com LookSmart — This search engine provides free full-text access to over 2.8 million articles from 500 publications, including many special-interest magazines. A good start for serious research. www.findarticles.com Your public library — Many public libraries give cardholders online access to their subscription encyclopedias, magazines and journal databases, which means you could get free access to otherwise costly research services and full-text journal, magazine and newspaper articles. You may be able to get home access to similar research resources through your child’s high school or college library. Best use: academic research. J.D. Solomon is the founder and president of JDS Strategic Communications, a marketing company that specializes in helping small and growing businesses. Information about his
company can be found at www.marketerinabox.com. © J.D. Solomon This article may be freely distributed
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