About the Internet and Search Engines

Search engines help organize information on the Internet so that you have a better chance of finding your topic. Yahoo, AltaVista and Lycos are examples of search engines. They have their own address where you need to go in order to use them, and are available from the Search Engines page.

Search engines have their own characteristics and search tips for best results. These are available to you as you browse. For example, you may need to use "plus" signs (+) if you want to find the words Amazon and Basin together: Amazon + Basin. Or, depending on your search engine, it might be better to type it inside quotation marks like this: "Amazon Basin"

Don't be surprised if, no matter how you type in your search terms, you still get "noise" - that is, information that has nothing to do with what you are looking for. There maybe restaurants or shops with the name Amazon Basin and you will probably pick up their advertising if they're on the Internet. Internet searching can yield treasures but it may take some patience.

For a more detailed guide to using the different search engines, see How to Search the Web: A Guide to Search Tools by Terry Gray of Palomar College Library.