Best Search Engines?

S

Sayth

Gawd
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Oct 7, 2001
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Sorry if this is in the wrong section. Please move if it is...

I am looking for recommended search engines other than Google. We all know Google doesn't have EVERYTHING. Close but not really.

My aim is research type stuff. I remember back in the day, wow like 6 years ago, infoseek was the BEST for this kind of searches. But anyways, I'm sure others could benefit from this. Thanks
 
What kind of research? Academic research, like periodicals?

Just in case, here are some periodical/journal databases. I can't vouch for whether they're free or not. I'm trying to remember some my university library had available to us. I can't vouch for them being free or unrestricted. My guess is my school subscribed to them.


MLA Directory of Periodicals

MLA International Bibliography

Lexis Nexis Academic

JStor: The Scholarly Journal Archive

If you tell me what subejct under which you want to search, I might be able to come with more or better sources.
 
That's excellent thank you. I'll check them out now.

My research is basically technology and law. Right now I'm looking to reference credible articles on p2p in Canada... official legal rulings and such. I appreciate it!
 
ah unfortunately they all require logins except MLA Directory of Periodicals and that one seems to be timing out whenever I search anything, but I'll try it from another internet connection see if it's any better. Thanks though!
 
Do you attend a college at this moment? Most colleges provide students access to databases like Lexis Nexus, Thomson Infotrac...

I only use Citeseer and the ACM Digital Library, but those focus heavily on computer science papers.
 
Yeah, your best bet is to search through an institution. If you aren't in school, maybe you could check out the local library.

EBSCO seems like a good database for technology and computer articles.

Important User Information: Remote access to EBSCO's databases is permitted to patrons of subscribing institutions accessing from remote locations for personal, non-commercial use. However, remote access to EBSCO's databases from non-subscribing institutions is not allowed if the purpose of the use is for commercial gain through cost reduction or avoidance for a non-subscribing institution.
Click to expand...

Maybe you could get that remote access.
 
Google has become so infiltrated with advertising, bogus tags, etc... that it's become all but useless for research.

Myself, I've been using Wikipedia lately. It's amazing what you can find in there. And there's almost always a better set of additional links at the end of each Wiki.

All without being bombarded with advertiser links at a 100:1 ratio
 
EBSCO has a ton of information (my school provides me access for free).

The only issue is that their search SUCKS. You search for just about anything and will get 14000+ results with most not relating properly. I have tried all the tricks in the book to narrow it down, but the search just picks up every time your word is used in an article it seems like so you get tons of results. :(
 
TechLarry said:
Google has become so infiltrated with advertising, bogus tags, etc... that it's become all but useless for research.

Myself, I've been using Wikipedia lately. It's amazing what you can find in there. And there's almost always a better set of additional links at the end of each Wiki.

All without being bombarded with advertiser links at a 100:1 ratio
Click to expand...

Wiki isn't 100% reliable. You can believe what you're reading, but how would you know if it's true or not? Books usually have editors who check facts. Periodicals are a bit better because they've gone through a more credible publishing process (hopefully), and the writers tend to be scholars. Of course, Wiki has scholars, but for major research, I wouldn't turn in a paper with Wiki sources. Trivial things like looking up an acronym (hard to keep up with the lazy lingo of the Interweb) or finding more information on something just for my personal use and fun, is about all I trust Wiki for.
 
Thats exactly it.
Sourcing wiki is like writing a paper and sourcing your great great grandpa on his life altering experiences fighting and killing people in the war when really he was a shoe salesman with bad knees and was never ever near a war. Sure he may know a thing or two, but it's a little more likely you'll get more useful info from someone who was actually in the war.

So my college doesn't seem to offer such great search engines. I'm looking into it a little more, but what people are saying then is that there are no good free search engines like the old infoseek anymore? Just stuck using Google and yahoo I guess?:confused:

I will probably go for a hike up to the library maybe or get my friend to go with me to his university. Are libraries still like they used to be? haven't been in years... hope they upgraded from MSdos 5.x search software :p
 
I haven't been to a library other than my university's for several years, but as far as I know they try their best to keep up witht technology.

You can try EBSCO's remote access. It seems you might qualify for it if your research isn't for commercial, money-gaining use.

Not sure about the whole "avoidance for a non-subscribing institution" part though. You could always ask your library. If they don't subscribe to any of these databases, what the hell are they doing? You should demand better tools!
 
Funny, I have to research about the same exact topic.
Would be funny if we go to the same school, I'm at NJIT.
 
heh it would be funny, but I don't even know what NJIT is... My guess Ninja's Jalapeño Incest Tantorum? I could be wrong...

Just jokin, I'm workin on this for an organization.

But thanks for all the replies
 
Well, I'm not ready to hop on the "Wikipedia is unreliable" bandwagon just yet over a few reports of errors in a couple of high-profile wiki's.

Of course it's not 100% reliable. And a search engine is?

I don't take anything for face value anywhere on the internet. Wiki is just a tool like anything else. A starting point.

GJSNeptune said:
Wiki isn't 100% reliable. You can believe what you're reading, but how would you know if it's true or not? Books usually have editors who check facts. Periodicals are a bit better because they've gone through a more credible publishing process (hopefully), and the writers tend to be scholars. Of course, Wiki has scholars, but for major research, I wouldn't turn in a paper with Wiki sources. Trivial things like looking up an acronym (hard to keep up with the lazy lingo of the Interweb) or finding more information on something just for my personal use and fun, is about all I trust Wiki for.
Click to expand...
 
Yeah. Google isn't 100% reliable either. We're talking about academic database searches. Periodicals, etc. Stuff written by scholars and published professionally. Perhaps still not 100% reliable, but 100% credible. That's what people want.

Heh, if Wiki were to be published like an encyclopedia, I bet we'd have a whole different outlook. :D
 
Your'e right, it is a pretty good tool for quick self learning, but has no real comparison to a search engine.

The search engine is being used to lead you to credible sources. I'm not gonna take any joe blows crappy anglefire cite and quote it, I usually look for white papers by credible university professors, scientific studies by credible organizations etc... even news sites are hard to cite being that half of the writers are barely out of school and don't always have experience in the area of which they write.

Haven't been to the library yet though.. maybe this weekend.:p
 
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