WIT 2003

Searching and Browsing

There are two basic strategies for locating information on the Web:

  • searching
  • browsing

For our purposes, searching implies searching a database, "a set of information formatted into defined structures," for relevant Web sites and pages, while browsing refers to the selection of criteria from preselected terms organized hierarchically by subject categories (Bopp and Smith 100).

Most people automatically prefer to search rather than browse. According to Jakob Nielsen, a Web usability expert, 50% of all users prefer to search, whereas 20% prefer to browse. The other 30% use a hybrid of the two strategies.

There are Web tools that are specific to each of these strategies. Before you can make an informed decision about which strategy and tool are best for your needs, you should know a little about how each of the tools works.

There are two basic types of tools for searching the Web:

  • search engines
  • Web directories

This module will introduce:

  • search engines
  • directories
  • selecting the proper tool
  • advanced search techniques and tips

This module was created by Christie Thomas and Sharon Comstock, with assistance from Connie Amon, Craig Cunningham, and Bill Geraci. Please contact Christie Thomas or Sharon Comstock with questions or comments about this module.

 

 



 

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