Searching with a Web Directory :

There are two main types of directories: those that are hierarchical (i.e. that lead one from a general topic to a more specific one) and those that list sources in some sort of order (most commonly alphabetical). The first type of index often contains a broad range of topics while the second usually contains sources designed to address a particular topic or concern.


Most search engines have some sort of index attached to them. More prominent and well-developed ones include The Open Directory Project, Yahoo, and Google. Indexes are valuable for web researchers who have an area on which they want to focus, but do not yet have a specific topic. An index can help a writer get general information or a "feel" for the topic.


An Example :

Go to Yahoo! (contains a web directory).

Find a topic that interests you ("education").

Follow it through specifics ("rural education", "Rural Education Institute").

"Rural Education Institute" is a specific topic that can be feasibly researched, either by following the listed links or by using that phrase in a keyword search.

Other Pages in This Section :

Searching the World Wide Web : Overview : This section covers finding sources for your writing in the World Wide Web.

How the Internet and Search Engines Work : The Internet is made up of a vast amount of computers networked throughout the world via data lines or wireless routers.

Kinds of Search Engines and Directories : Web directories (also known as indexes, web indexes or catalogues) are broken down into categories and sub-categories and are good for broad searches of established sites.

Searching with a Search Engine : A search engine is a device that sends out inquiries to sites on the web and catalogs any web site it encounters, without evaluating it.

Search Engine and Web Directory List : The following is a list of some of the most powerful search and metasearch engines and most comprehensive web directories.

Resources to Search the Invisible Web : The Invisible Web includes many types of online resources that normally cannot be found using regular search engines.

Other Useful Sites for Finding Information : Other Useful Sites for Finding Information include all.

Other Strategies for Web Searching : Don't limit your Internet searching to using search engines. Be creative and think about which Internet sites might have the information you are looking for.