SCOPE

• The Internet and the World Wide Web are so vast, so awash with information, that it is sometimes hard to find precisely what we want.
• Internet "indexes" or "directories" provide an alternative to Search Engines when we are not sure what are the correct terms for the subject about which we want information.

DEFINITION

• There are probably hundreds of thousands of lists (directories or indexes) of resources on the Internet. Anybody can make one, and there are three major types: general, subject specialized, and personal.
• Most of these Internet indexes (also known as "Internet directories" or "web directories") are are nothing more than organized collections of links to web pages and other files on the Internet, though the indexes are created differently than search engines. Specifically, Internet Indexes:
  • Are much smaller than the major searching engines such as Google, All the Web, and AltaVista.Typical sizes are hundreds to less than 3 million web pages.
  • The reason for the smaller size, is that the indexes are created manually.
    • In-house web surfers review and add web pages to the index.
    • Web pages are submitted to the index, but in-house personnel review the web pages before they are added to the index.
  • Generally, have a higher level of quality and/or useful web pages than Search Engines because everything is reviewed before added to the index.
  • Usually provides an interface to its contents that is organized like a book index or table of contents.
• As databases, these search tools offer varying levels of searching sophistication and functionality, though they are generally much less sophistcated than OPACs, bibliographic utilities, and bibliographic databases.
• Remember, when you are "searching the Internet" through one of these database interfaces you are actually searching their databases of downloaded and indexed Internet/Web pages and files.

LIMITATIONS

• Internet Indexes store a far smaller number of web pages and other files than Search Engines. The largest index (probably the Open Directory) has no more than a few million records.
• The Internet Indexes with the largest databases (the Open Directory, World Wide Web Virtual Library, Yahoo) have no more than a million to a few million pages in their databases.

USING AN INTERNET INDEX

• You typically proceed from general subjects to specific sub-subjects.
• When you find an web page or other file of interest, click on the links(usually blue and underlined) for the record that interest you, and you are taken to that web page or other file.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING INTERNET INDEXES

• Among the numerous general Internet Indexes (or Directories or Guides or ....), there are several that are outstanding for one or a combination of reasons.
• Those reasons include:
  • Size of the database
    • How many Web pages and other Internet files have been collected in the Internet Index's database.
  • Depth of Collection
    • Does the Internet Index collect just collect the "home page" of a Web site or as many pages as can be collected in every layer of the Web site?
  • Focus of Collection
    • Does the index focus on a specific subject area? The creators of such specialized databases make an extra effort to gather web sites and other resources related to the subject focus. Consequently, these indexes often contain links to resources not available in even the largest general indexes.
  • Thoroughness of Indexing
    • Does the Internet Index index every word (assuming that the Index is searchable and not just browsable)
      • Individually and in phrases?
      • By the field in which it is in (title, text, link, caption, etc.)?
  • Sophistication of Search Capabilities
    • If the Index is searchable, does it offer Boolean, proximity, field, phrase, date-limiting, and other search functions.?
    • Does the Index offer a link to a licensed Search Engine.
      • Note: When an Index or Search Engine licenses the contents of a dedicated Search Engine provider (such as Google, Inktomi, AltaVista), not all of the content of the Search Engine database may have been licensed.

DIRECTORIES/INDEXES OF INTERNET INDEXES

Just like Internet indexes, directories of such indexes can be general, specialized, or personal. The general indexes included here offer a typical subject tree or hierarchy which enables you to look for resources in the specific subject area on which you want information.

INDEX	NOTES
Beaucoup www.beaucoup.com	Covers indexes and search engines.
Complete Planet www.completeplanet.com	Claims access to over 103,000 indexes, search engines, and searchable databases.

EXAMPLES OF MAJOR INTERNET INDEXES

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