The Pike School : Online Searching

Online Search Tools

Visit the Subscription Databases to find magazine and encyclopedia articles not available on the free web.

Searching the Web will give you tips for

finding the best web sites,
choosing a search engine or directory,
building effective search terms, and
evaluating web sites.

Helpful Explanations

What's a Database?
What's the difference between the Free Web and the Invisible Web?
What is a URL?
What is a Domain Name?
What's the difference between Keywords and Subject Headings?
What are Boolean Operators?

What's a Database?

A database is a collection of information organized so that it is easy to search.

What's the difference between the Free Web and the Invisible Web?

The Internet is a vast collection of databases and web sites that is always growing and changing. It is divided into two sections: the free web and the invisible web.

The free web is available to everyone and searchable using Google and other search engines.
The invisible web is hidden from traditional search engines. It includes password-protected sites and subscription databases like Infotrac.

Remember, free does not mean freely available. There is a cost for some databases and "members only" content.

What is a URL?

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of a web site, database, file, or other resource, marking its place on the Internet.

What is a Domain Name?

A domain name is part of a URL and gives you information about the origin of that web site. Here are some examples:

gov - U.S. government agencies
edu - Educational institutions
org - Organizations (nonprofit)
mil - U.S. military
com, biz - Commercial business
net - Network organizations
info - Informational sites

Country codes show where in the world the site is, like jp for Japan, and br for Brazil.

What's the difference between Keywords and Subject Headings?

Keywords -- Search terms that are drawn from natural language. They are a good place to begin.
Subject Headings -- Search terms based on a controlled vocabulary from the Library of Congress Subject Headings. They are consistent across databases.

What are Boolean Operators?

Boolean operators provide a logical way to build a successful search. The three operators are AND, OR, NOT.

AND -- Returns results that include both of your search terms.
OR -- Returns results that include either of the search terms.
NOT -- Returns results that include the first search term but not the second search term.

Visit Rockwell Schrock's Boolean Machine for an animated explanation.

Last updated: January 2007
Created and maintained by Pike librarians Linda Griset and Fran Mellin

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About the Library Resource Guides Online Searching Subscription Databases Searching the Web Research Help Catalog Reading Corner Just For Teachers	Online Search Tools Visit the Subscription Databases to find magazine and encyclopedia articles not available on the free web. Searching the Web will give you tips for finding the best web sites, choosing a search engine or directory, building effective search terms, and evaluating web sites. Helpful Explanations What's a Database? What's the difference between the Free Web and the Invisible Web? What is a URL? What is a Domain Name? What's the difference between Keywords and Subject Headings? What are Boolean Operators? What's a Database? A database is a collection of information organized so that it is easy to search. Back to top What's the difference between the Free Web and the Invisible Web? The Internet is a vast collection of databases and web sites that is always growing and changing. It is divided into two sections: the free web and the invisible web. The free web is available to everyone and searchable using Google and other search engines. The invisible web is hidden from traditional search engines. It includes password-protected sites and subscription databases like Infotrac. Remember, free does not mean freely available. There is a cost for some databases and "members only" content. Back to top What is a URL? A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of a web site, database, file, or other resource, marking its place on the Internet. Back to top What is a Domain Name? A domain name is part of a URL and gives you information about the origin of that web site. Here are some examples: gov - U.S. government agencies edu - Educational institutions org - Organizations (nonprofit) mil - U.S. military com, biz - Commercial business net - Network organizations info - Informational sites Country codes show where in the world the site is, like jp for Japan, and br for Brazil. Back to top What's the difference between Keywords and Subject Headings? Keywords -- Search terms that are drawn from natural language. They are a good place to begin. Subject Headings -- Search terms based on a controlled vocabulary from the Library of Congress Subject Headings. They are consistent across databases. Back to top What are Boolean Operators? Boolean operators provide a logical way to build a successful search. The three operators are AND, OR, NOT. AND -- Returns results that include both of your search terms. OR -- Returns results that include either of the search terms. NOT -- Returns results that include the first search term but not the second search term. Visit Rockwell Schrock's Boolean Machine for an animated explanation. Last updated: January 2007 Created and maintained by Pike librarians Linda Griset and Fran Mellin Back to top
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