Guide to Meta Search Engines: Discussion of the pros and cons of using meta search engines. The page also includes links to the major meta search engines.
Power Searching for Anyone: From Search Engine Watch, this site arranges common search-engine commands in tables. A good resource for searchers who use more than one search engine and need quick information on reformatting searches.
Search Engine Express: Use the embedded search forms on this page plus the adjacent hints to initiate Boolean searches on AltaVista, HotBot, and Northern Light.
Search Engine Showdown: Easy-to-use site with extensive resources for searchers, including search engine statistics.
Searching the Web: Differentiates search engines by type and briefly introduces major searching concepts: Boolean logic, proximity, field searches, and truncation.
These are largest guides with the most detailed subject categories, containing thousands of search engines about hundreds of subjects.
InvisibleWeb.com OVERALL - InvisibleWeb com is a first-rate guide containing over 10,000 search engines organized into 18 subject categories and hundreds of subcategories and subsubcategories. In spite of its enormous size, InvisibleWeb.com is easy to use because of its clear and logical design.
If you're short of time and would like to see just a sampling of the largest specialized search engines about a popular topic (definitions), you can click on a subject from the "Hot List" and get the names of approximately 5 leading engines relating to one of these topics.
Keyword searching for search engines is available and is often exceptionally effective.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
InvisibleWeb.com contains search engine collections for a wide variety of popular, general and academic topics. Surprisingly, there is no subject category for regional engines.
One of InvisibleWeb.com's great strengths is its detailed classification of subjects, which can reduce the time it takes to find search engines covering a specific subject. For example, under the subcategory Investments, some of the subsubcategories are Bonds, Commodities, Futures and Options, Mutual Funds, and Stocks.
Search engine selection is generally excellent and comprehensiveness varies with the topic. Occasionally the same engine appears more than once under a subject because its different information collections are listed separately.
Some categories with especially extensive search engine collections are Legal, Travel, Sciences and Reference.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
You can choose to see an unusually full, informative description of each search engine. Search menus are displayed for a small percentage of the engines.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
InvisibleWeb.com is particularly valuable for writers, students, professionals, academics, subject specialists, and researchers of all kinds, as well as the average searcher looking for in-depth information about a subject. Inexperienced searchers will feel comfortable here because of the friendly design.
Internets OVERALL - Very few guides comes close to Internets in the sheer number of search engines included or the specificity of its subject categories. Its drop-down menu of 43 subjects (on the left side of the homepage) shows you only the broadest level of these categories.
For many subjects, you can get a more complete list of search engines here than with any other guide. (Because of the web’s enormity, even a huge guide like Internets doesn’t include every search engine on a subject.) However, some of the sites included are directories rather than search engines or are search engines that are only available by subscription.
Keyword searching for search engines is available in Internets, and can be very useful, even though you're given a list of relevant subcategories and subsubcategories instead of individual engines.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Internets covers an astounding variety of subjects, encompassing every field or subject you can think of – from the frivolous to the scholarly.
Every category is divided into numerous subcategories and these in turn are divided into many highly specific subsubcategories, for example, cattle databases or scuba diving databases. (Internets uses the term
database interchangeably with search engine.)
There’s a section called
MedNets devoted exclusively to medical information. Choosing Research Engines gives you access to search engines covering over 35 medical specialties, for example, Dermatology, Infectious Diseases, General Medicine, Orthopedics, etc. You can search Medline (the huge NIH search engine of journal articles) directly from the MedNets page.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Internets provides search boxes for the search engines listed under In-line Databases. They are displayed after the complete list of search engines for a subject, or you can select the one you want to search. Only the names are given for the other search engines listed.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Subject specialists, writers, academics, researchers of all kinds, students, professionals, and the average searcher who is looking for information about a specialized subject will appreciate Internets. Even professionals may discover new search engines relating to their fields using this guide.
TheBigHub OVERALL - The Big Hub is the new incarnation of The Internet Sleuth, and it remains one of the best all-around specialized search engine guides. (It’s also a fine metasearch engine). The over 3,000 special search engines it lists are very thoughtfully chosen and clearly presented.
The engines are organized into 15 main categories and hundreds of detailed subcategories and subsubcategories.
You can search for search engines by keyword, and this is often worthwhile.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
TheBigHub covers a broad range of subjects. Its selection of search engines for all kinds of topics – popular, general, academic and professional (definitions) - is both excellent and comprehensive.
The organization and specificity of subject categories is especially notable. For example, the Government category is divided into nine subcategories (e.g. Judicial Branch, Military, Law) and 29 subsubcategories (e.g. Dept. of Justice, State Bills, Coast Guard).
The Employment category lists employment engines for four specialized industries – Computers/Internet, Education, Health/Medicine, and Law – in addition to general job-search engines.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are given short, informative descriptions. You can search each engine from the search boxes and drop-down menus provided.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
TheBigHub is worth a visit no matter what your subject. Professionals, subject specialists, academics and researchers should find it particularly helpful.
WebData OVERALL - WebData is a noteworthy, fairly new specialized search engine guide that provides access to thousands of specialized search engines (or databases), organized into 18 main subject categories and hundreds of subcategories. It's extensive, ambitious and very well-designed.
Keyword searching for search engines is available and extremely useful in WebData.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
WebData covers all types of subjects - popular, academic, professional and general (definitions). The quality of search engine collections varies according to subject, but most are fairly comprehensive.
Three subject areas that have particularly extensive collections of search engines are Arts and Humanities, Business and Investments, and Medicine and Health.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Each search engine is accompanied by an instructive and sometimes quite full description.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Researchers, professionals, general searchers.
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Guides To Search Engines Specializing in Popular Subjects
These guides specialize or are especially strong in search engines relating to employment, investment, entertainment, travel, medicine, shopping, reference, law, cars, classifieds, etc.
Beaucoup OVERALL - Beaucoup is one of the oldest specialized search engine guides. It lists over 2500 thoughtfully-selected specialized search engines, directories and indices, divided into 13 subject categories and 36 subcategories.
Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Although Beaucoup concentrates on popular subjects (definitions), it includes many academic and general engines in the Sciences and Technology, and Politics and Government categories. In addition, some professional search engines are included in the collections for several topics.
The search engine collections for all subjects are wide-ranging and comprehensive. Some of the stronger categories are Reference and Education, and Family/Pets/Hobbies.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
There are descriptions (which vary considerably in quality) of search engines in all categories except for Geographical.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
The average web searcher who wants to find out about many different aspects of a subject.
Virtual Search Engines OVERALL - Virtual Search Engines is a handy collection of over 1,000 search engines organized into 50 subject categories. Search engines in each category are listed alphabetically, with no subject subdivisions.
Virtual Search Engines is fast and uncomplicated to use. (Lately, there's been an ad that you have to click though to get to the search engine list in a subject category - very annoying and time consuming!)
There’s no provision for finding a search engine by keyword.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Popular topics (definitions) are covered the most fully, but Virtual Search Engines also offers the general searcher a nice variety of search engines specializing in some professional subjects, for example legal and health search engines.
The Legal category, because of its enlightening descriptions, is particularly useful for the non-professional. The Residential category, which is not often listed as a separate category, contains a varied selection of search engines having to do with real estate, home repair, etc.
Some other subject categories not always covered as separate categories are Images, Recipes, Pets, Automotive, Dictionaries and Encyclopedias.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Virtual Search Engine's descriptions are excellent at conveying the gist of each search engine.
When you select a search engine, it opens in its own frame, so you can do a search without leaving Virtual Search Engines.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
People who are introducing themselves to a subject, or who have a less than professional degree of knowledge about a topic. The general searcher who wants to find information fast.
Internet Oracle OVERALL - Internet Oracle is a top-notch, medium/large search engine guide that focuses on popular and general subjects (definitions). It is one of the few search engine guides that is graphically attractive, in addition to being extremely clear and well-designed.
Internet Oracle contains hundreds of search engines divided into 26 subject categories, some with several subdivisions. Short lists of important websites are included for many of the topics.
Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
The quantity of search engines that are listed for the various subjects varies from quite large and comprehensive to medium. Some subjects that Internet Oracle covers especially well are Arts and Entertainment, Travel, and Reference and Research (dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographies, etc.). Some uncommon separate categories are New York City, Film, and Gay and Lesbian.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are listed by title, many with a short, informative phrase.
A search box (sometimes with a drop-down menu) is included for most search engines so you can begin your search from
InternetOracle. The name of the search engine and its search box appear on the same line. This arrangement makes it easy to see all the search engines in a category.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Finding a wide variety of search engines that cover popular subjects. Inexperienced searchers will appreciate its extraordinarily friendly, well-organized design.
Search and Submit OVERALL - Although Search and Submit's main business is submitting people's websites to search engines, it's also a worthy specialized search engine guide.
Search and Submit's Directory Listing contains close to 1000 special search engines, arranged alphabetically in 25 subject categories with very few subcategories. It’s keyword searchable - use the search box under the words Search in our directory.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Search and Submitconcentrates on commonly-searched-for topics, but also includes some academic and general topics (definitions). The collections of search engines for most subjects are fairly full.
Popular and Internet-related topics are covered most extensively. For example, 54 employment search engines are listed as well as 21 engines for finding schools and getting student aid.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are not described.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Getting a quick idea of the search engines available for various subjects. Finding search engines specializing in web-related topics.
SearchBug.com OVERALL - SearchBug.com includes a small, well-crafted, specialized search engine collection (on the left side of the homepage) which aims to cover the best specialized search engines on the web. It contains over 200 engines organized into 15 categories covering popular topics (definitions).
SearchBug.com's clear, logical design is easy for the searcher to use. Keyword searching for search engines is available from the drop-down menu on the home page.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Search engine selection is consistently excellent. Although there are only between 10 and 20 search engines in most categories, they cover many important aspects of the subject. The category, All Searches, contains a useful index of all the engines included in SearchBug.com.
An unusual category is Packages which includes search engines concerned with package tracking and drop-off locations (e.g., FedEx, UPS).
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are listed by what they do or by their main subject rather than by name. For example, bankrate.com is listed as Best Credit Cards. A drawback is that the only way to get to a search engine or, in some cases, even to find out its name is to begin your search from SearchBug.com.
When you select a search engine, its search menu (which can be elaborate) appears.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
SearchBug.com is ideal for people who are looking for a small but high-quality collection of search engines about commonly-searched-for subjects. Internet beginners or inexperienced searchers will appreciate its easily understandable design.
Search.com OVERALL - Search.com was one of the first special search engine guides, and it remains a quick and effective place to find engines about commonly-searched-for topics. It lists over 100 special search engines in 14 subject categories and numerous subcategories.
You can also search for search engines by keyword.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Search.com is best for finding search engines relating to the most popular topics (definitions) that people search for on the web. For example, buying or selling a car, finding a job, locating a movie review, and shopping.
The Entertainment category contains a fairly full, well-rounded collection of engines.. The Living category, which includes a variety of search engines relating to food, the home, hobbies, etc., is particularly interesting.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Each search engine is given a short but helpful description.
When you choose a search engine, the basic search menu for that engine appears so you can begin your search from
Search.com. A brief, useful search tip is included for most of the search engines.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
People searching the web for popular topics.
GIANT GUIDES
The following are very large guides that don't specialize in popular topics, but include excellent, comprehensive selections of popular search engines.
InvisibleWeb.com OVERALL - InvisibleWeb com is a first-rate guide containing over 10,000 search engines organized into 18 subject categories and hundreds of subcategories and subsubcategories. In spite of its enormous size, InvisibleWeb.com is easy to use because of its clear and logical design.
If you're short of time and would like to see just a sampling of the largest specialized search engines about a popular topic (definitions), you can click on a subject from the "Hot List" and get the names of approximately 5 leading engines relating to one of these topics.
Keyword searching for search engines is available and is often exceptionally effective.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
InvisibleWeb.com contains search engine collections for a wide variety of popular, general and academic topics. Surprisingly, there is no subject category for regional engines.
One of InvisibleWeb.com's great strengths is its detailed classification of subjects, which can reduce the time it takes to find search engines covering a specific subject. For example, under the subcategory Investments, some of the subsubcategories are Bonds, Commodities, Futures and Options, Mutual Funds, and Stocks.
Search engine selection is generally excellent and comprehensiveness varies with the topic. Occasionally the same engine appears more than once under a subject because its different information collections are listed separately.
Some categories with especially extensive search engine collections are Legal, Travel, Sciences and Reference.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
You can choose to see an unusually full, informative description of each search engine. Search menus are displayed for a small percentage of the engines.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
InvisibleWeb.com is particularly valuable for writers, students, professionals, academics, subject specialists, and researchers of all kinds, as well as the average searcher looking for in-depth information about a subject. Inexperienced searchers will feel comfortable here because of the friendly design.
Internets OVERALL - Very few guides comes close to Internets in the sheer number of search engines included or the specificity of its subject categories. Its drop-down menu of 43 subjects (on the left side of the homepage) shows you only the broadest level of these categories.
For many subjects, you can get a more complete list of search engines here than with any other guide. (Because of the web’s enormity, even a huge guide like Internets doesn’t include every search engine on a subject.) However, some of the sites included are directories rather than search engines or are search engines that are only available by subscription.
Keyword searching for search engines is available in Internets, and can be very useful, even though you're given a list of relevant subcategories and subsubcategories instead of individual engines.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Internets covers an astounding variety of subjects, encompassing every field or subject you can think of – from the frivolous to the scholarly.
Every category is divided into numerous subcategories and these in turn are divided into many highly specific subsubcategories, for example, cattle databases or scuba diving databases. (Internets uses the term
database interchangeably with search engine.)
There’s a section called
MedNets devoted exclusively to medical information. Choosing Research Engines gives you access to search engines covering over 35 medical specialties, for example, Dermatology, Infectious Diseases, General Medicine, Orthopedics, etc. You can search Medline (the huge NIH search engine of journal articles) directly from the MedNets page.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Internets provides search boxes for the search engines listed under In-line Databases. They are displayed after the complete list of search engines for a subject, or you can select the one you want to search. Only the names are given for the other search engines listed.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Subject specialists, writers, academics, researchers of all kinds, students, professionals, and the average searcher who is looking for information about a specialized subject will appreciate Internets. Even professionals may discover new search engines relating to their fields using this guide.
TheBigHub OVERALL - The Big Hub is the new incarnation of The Internet Sleuth, and it remains one of the best all-around specialized search engine guides. (It’s also a fine metasearch engine). The over 3,000 special search engines it lists are very thoughtfully chosen and clearly presented.
The engines are organized into 15 main categories and hundreds of detailed subcategories and subsubcategories.
You can search for search engines by keyword, and this is often worthwhile.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
TheBigHub covers a broad range of subjects. Its selection of search engines for all kinds of topics – popular, general, academic and professional (definitions) - is both excellent and comprehensive.
The organization and specificity of subject categories is especially notable. For example, the Government category is divided into nine subcategories (e.g. Judicial Branch, Military, Law) and 29 subsubcategories (e.g. Dept. of Justice, State Bills, Coast Guard).
The Employment category lists employment engines for four specialized industries – Computers/Internet, Education, Health/Medicine, and Law – in addition to general job-search engines.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are given short, informative descriptions. You can search each engine from the search boxes and drop-down menus provided.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
TheBigHub is worth a visit no matter what your subject. Professionals, subject specialists, academics and researchers should find it particularly helpful.
WebData OVERALL - WebData is a noteworthy, fairly new specialized search engine guide that provides access to thousands of specialized search engines (or databases), organized into 18 main subject categories and hundreds of subcategories. It's extensive, ambitious and very well-designed.
Keyword searching for search engines is available and extremely useful in WebData.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
WebData covers all types of subjects - popular, academic, professional and general (definitions). The quality of search engine collections varies according to subject, but most are fairly comprehensive.
Three subject areas that have particularly extensive collections of search engines are Arts and Humanities, Business and Investments, and Medicine and Health.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Each search engine is accompanied by an instructive and sometimes quite full description.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Researchers, professionals, general searchers.
SPECIALIZED METASEARCHES
SavvySearch OVERALL - You can do metasearches of specialized search engines relating to 27 (mainly) popular subjects in SavvySearch's Specialty Searches. And you can access 13 groups of shopping engines organized by product category.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
In addition to commonly-searched for subjects (definitions), some of other topics covered are stock discussions, kids, and web development. Metasearches of specialized engines in five languages - French, Italian, German, Spanish and Danish - are also available.
SavvySearch spiders 5-10 of the largest search engines in each subject category. For example, engines in the Health category are HealthAtoZ, Healthy Ideas, drkoop.com, healthfinder, and IntelliHealth.
Shopping search engines are divided into 15 broad product groups, for example, Books, Flowers, Music and Software and Video Games. For each group, 5-10 of the largest, most popular product retailers are accessed.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are listed but not described.
RESULTS -
Results of searches in SavvySearch are ordered by relevance. Most items include the title, search engine of origin, and a description. The results format of shopping search engines varies according to product.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Searchers who want to get quick results from major specialized search engines, and shoppers who want to find information about an item being sold by several different vendors.
What they are - When to use them - How to search them
What are specialized search engines?
Specialized search engines index collections of materials that relate to particular fields or subjects. This material can include information at websites, abstracts of documents that have not been put online, data gathered by the specialized engine, etc. In contrast, general web search engines index material found at websites about all subjects.
Specialized search engines vary widely in size, scope, and the type of materials they encompass. For example,
Medline, the huge search engine developed by the National Library of Medicine, contains abstracts of articles from thousands of medical journals worldwide, going back several decades.
A much smaller specialized search engine,
Bible Browser, indexes every word of several versions of the Bible.
There is no firm dividing line between a specialized search engine and a large searchable website. Whether a site can be considered a specialized search engine depends on the amount of information it contains, how focused it is on one subject, how specialized the materials are, whether it is continually updated and supplemented, and other factors.
When should I use a specialized search engine?
Use a specialized search engine when you need detailed or highly specific information about a subject area. For example, if you’re trying to locate a US Federal bill about a particular issue that was considered in the 106th Congress, you're likely to find it in
If you’re looking for a job, a car, a restaurant or anything else that is specific to your needs, a specialized search engine that can match your personal requirements to the data it contains would be the best place to go.
Suppose you want to find a job in the computer industry. You might go to
ZDNet JobEngine and key in your desired job title, important keywords, your zip code, the maximum number of miles you’re willing to travel from your zip code, and perhaps the company you want to work for. ZDNet JobEngine will search through all their listings and find jobs that are compatible with your requirements.
A specialized search engine can be helpful when you’re looking for information about a topic in depth. For example, if you want to find not only a review of a movie, but also the names and experience of the entire cast, the cost of producing the movie, the amount of money the movie earned, and so forth, you could go to the
When is it better to use a general search engine rather than a specialized search engine?
For most searches, it’s advisable to try your query on a general web search engine (e.g.
Alta Vista, Excite) before going to a specialized engine. This is especially true if you’re looking for an overview of a subject rather than specific or detailed information.
The major web search engines are much bigger than specialized search engines, and index a wider array of sources. Depending on your subject, you may retrieve more documents from a general search engine than from a specialized search engine, including valuable items from sources outside your field.
For example, if you're looking for information on George Washington, a general search engine might include a site about textiles which contains information about the clothes George Washington wore. A history search engine probably wouldn't index this site.
Is searching a specialized search engine from a search box in a guide as effective as searching from the individual engine?
Being able to search many different engines from one location is a convenience and can give you an idea of which engines would be useful to your search. However, don’t depend entirely on these search boxes.
Many of the specialized search engines have a number of different collections of materials you can search and several menu boxes depending on the type of information you’re searching for. You’ll get better results by searching from within particular search engines.
What is the best way to search a specialized search engine?
When you enter a keyword in a specialized search engine, try to use terminology that is common for the particular subject. For example, in a religion search engine, you’re more likely to get results using
soul as a search word rather than personality, whereas the opposite is true for a psychology search engine.
The search systems of specialized search engines are often not as powerful or intuitive as general web search engines, and many of them require the use of Boolean operators rather than plus or minus signs. If you have some time, read (or at least glance at) the search tips or help pages.
-----------------------------------------------
Metasearches of Specialized Search Engines
The following metasearch engines offer fast, effective searches of several specialized search engines at one time. They're listed in approximate order of size and specificity of subject categories.
SavvySearch OVERALL - You can do metasearches of specialized search engines relating to 27 (mainly) popular subjects in SavvySearch's Specialty Searches. And you can access 13 groups of shopping engines organized by product category.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
In addition to commonly-searched for subjects (definitions), some of other topics covered are stock discussions, kids, and web development. Metasearches of specialized engines in five languages - French, Italian, German, Spanish and Danish - are also available.
SavvySearch spiders 5-10 of the largest search engines in each subject category. For example, engines in the Health category are HealthAtoZ, Healthy Ideas, drkoop.com, healthfinder, and IntelliHealth.
Shopping search engines are divided into 15 broad product groups, for example, Books, Flowers, Music and Software and Video Games. For each group, 5-10 of the largest, most popular product retailers are accessed.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are listed but not described.
RESULTS -
Results of searches in SavvySearch are ordered by relevance. Most items include the title, search engine of origin, and a description. The results format of shopping search engines varies according to product.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Searchers who want to get quick results from major specialized search engines, and shoppers who want to find information about an item being sold by several different vendors.
theinfo.com OVERALL - theinfo.com provides metasearches of specialized search engines relating to10 popular subjects (definitions). (Topics appear inside the green bar at the top of the homepage.)
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Some of the subjects covered are auctions, computers, reference and recipes. Approximately five of the largest specialized search engines pertaining to each topic are accessed. You can opt to search any number of the engines listed.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Only the names of the search engines are given. Engines in some categories are starred.
RESULTS -
Each search engine, with the search results displayed, opens in its own window. (The windows overlap.)
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
People who are searching for information about popular topics.
ProFusion OVERALL - ProFusion offers metasearches of specialized search engines relating to only 5 subjects - entertainment, health, kids, MP3 files (music) and sports. (Look under OnTarget on the left side of the homepage.)
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Six large specialized search engines are accessed for each subject. You can choose which of these engines to include in your search.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are not described.
RESULTS -
Results are given in order of relevance. They include, title, a brief description, url, and the engine it was retrieved from. You can choose to visit the resulting item or you can open it in a separate window.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
The general searcher who wants results quickly.
ZeekSearch OVERALL - ZeekSearch is a valuable metasearch engine that accesses search engines especially useful to high-school, junior-high school and older elementary-school students. It contains 28 search engines organized into 9 subject areas.
You can do a metasearch of any combination of these search engines or search an individual engine.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Subject categories include Ask a Question, Reference, Broadcast and News Media, Pictures, Sports and Entertainment, Science and Nature, History and Social Studies, the Arts, and eStores.
ZeekSearch includes both search engines especially adapted for children and teenagers (e.g., Ask Jeeves for Kids, TIME for Kids, StudyWeb) and those that can be used by all age groups (Webster's Dictionary, ABC News, NASA).
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are listed by title.
RESULTS -
Results are imported into ZeekSearch. They are ordered by search engine and are listed in the format of each engine.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
High-school, junior-high-school and older elementary-school students.
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Guides to Academic Search Engines
These are guides that include search engines specializing in scholarly disciplines, such as biology, history, anthropology, etc.
Direct Search OVERALL - DirectSearch is a scholarly search engine guide. It includes over 1000 search engines organized into 14 subject categories that are divided into hundreds of subtopics and subsubtopics.
Many of the engines DirectSearch includes are bibliographic which means that each result gives you a bibliographic citation or an abstract (summary) of the article instead of the full-text. Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Subjects covered in Direct Search range from Biochemistry to Government to the Humanities. For many, but not all of the search engines included (e.g. MABLE GEOCORR Geographic Correspondence Engine or Biocatalysis/Biodegradation Database), you need a certain degree of subject knowledge to understand the material covered.
There are large separate sections for searchable library catalogs, and a fascinating collection of state and city search engines, many from statistical and licensing agencies.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Some of the search engines include descriptions.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Academics and subject specialists.
Internets OVERALL - Very few guides comes close to Internets in the sheer number of search engines included or the specificity of its subject categories. Its drop-down menu of 43 subjects (on the left side of the homepage) shows you only the broadest level of these categories.
For many subjects, you can get a more complete list of search engines here than with any other guide. (Because of the web’s enormity, even a huge guide like Internets doesn’t include every search engine on a subject.) However, some of the sites included are directories rather than search engines or are search engines that are only available by subscription.
Keyword searching for search engines is available in Internets, and can be very useful, even though you're given a list of relevant subcategories and subsubcategories instead of individual engines.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Internets covers an astounding variety of subjects, encompassing every field or subject you can think of – from the frivolous to the scholarly.
Every category is divided into numerous subcategories and these in turn are divided into many highly specific subsubcategories, for example, cattle databases or scuba diving databases. (Internets uses the term
database interchangeably with search engine.)
There’s a section called
MedNets devoted exclusively to medical information. Choosing Research Engines gives you access to search engines covering over 35 medical specialties, for example, Dermatology, Infectious Diseases, General Medicine, Orthopedics, etc. You can search Medline (the huge NIH search engine of journal articles) directly from the MedNets page.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Internets provides search boxes for the search engines listed under In-line Databases. They are displayed after the complete list of search engines for a subject, or you can select the one you want to search. Only the names are given for the other search engines listed.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Subject specialists, writers, academics, researchers of all kinds, students, professionals, and the average searcher who is looking for information about a specialized subject will appreciate Internets. Even professionals may discover new search engines relating to their fields using this guide.
InvisibleWeb.com OVERALL - InvisibleWeb com is a first-rate guide containing over 10,000 search engines organized into 18 subject categories and hundreds of subcategories and subsubcategories. In spite of its enormous size, InvisibleWeb.com is easy to use because of its clear and logical design.
If you're short of time and would like to see just a sampling of the largest specialized search engines about a popular topic (definitions), you can click on a subject from the "Hot List" and get the names of approximately 5 leading engines relating to one of these topics.
Keyword searching for search engines is available and is often exceptionally effective.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
InvisibleWeb.com contains search engine collections for a wide variety of popular, general and academic topics. Surprisingly, there is no subject category for regional engines.
One of InvisibleWeb.com's great strengths is its detailed classification of subjects, which can reduce the time it takes to find search engines covering a specific subject. For example, under the subcategory Investments, some of the subsubcategories are Bonds, Commodities, Futures and Options, Mutual Funds, and Stocks.
Search engine selection is generally excellent and comprehensiveness varies with the topic. Occasionally the same engine appears more than once under a subject because its different information collections are listed separately.
Some categories with especially extensive search engine collections are Legal, Travel, Sciences and Reference.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
You can choose to see an unusually full, informative description of each search engine. Search menus are displayed for a small percentage of the engines.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
InvisibleWeb.com is particularly valuable for writers, students, professionals, academics, subject specialists, and researchers of all kinds, as well as the average searcher looking for in-depth information about a subject. Inexperienced searchers will feel comfortable here because of the friendly design.
TheBigHub OVERALL - The Big Hub is the new incarnation of The Internet Sleuth, and it remains one of the best all-around specialized search engine guides. (It’s also a fine metasearch engine). The over 3,000 special search engines it lists are very thoughtfully chosen and clearly presented.
The engines are organized into 15 main categories and hundreds of detailed subcategories and subsubcategories.
You can search for search engines by keyword, and this is often worthwhile.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
TheBigHub covers a broad range of subjects. Its selection of search engines for all kinds of topics – popular, general, academic and professional (definitions) - is both excellent and comprehensive.
The organization and specificity of subject categories is especially notable. For example, the Government category is divided into nine subcategories (e.g. Judicial Branch, Military, Law) and 29 subsubcategories (e.g. Dept. of Justice, State Bills, Coast Guard).
The Employment category lists employment engines for four specialized industries – Computers/Internet, Education, Health/Medicine, and Law – in addition to general job-search engines.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are given short, informative descriptions. You can search each engine from the search boxes and drop-down menus provided.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
TheBigHub is worth a visit no matter what your subject. Professionals, subject specialists, academics and researchers should find it particularly helpful.
WebData OVERALL - WebData is a noteworthy, fairly new specialized search engine guide that provides access to thousands of specialized search engines (or databases), organized into 18 main subject categories and hundreds of subcategories. It's extensive, ambitious and very well-designed.
Keyword searching for search engines is available and extremely useful in WebData.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
WebData covers all types of subjects - popular, academic, professional and general (definitions). The quality of search engine collections varies according to subject, but most are fairly comprehensive.
Three subject areas that have particularly extensive collections of search engines are Arts and Humanities, Business and Investments, and Medicine and Health.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Each search engine is accompanied by an instructive and sometimes quite full description.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Researchers, professionals, general searchers.
A Collection of Special Search Engines OVERALL - A Collection of Special Search Engines was developed by librarians at Leiden University, Netherlands. It’s large (hundreds of search engines, over a hundred subjects), well-designed, and easy to use.
The subjects in A Collection of Special Search Engines are arranged alphabetically rather than by broad category. Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
The lists of search engines for most subjects, are fairly small but interesting. Often, you’ll find engines here that aren’t included in other guides. Some of the subject areas covered especially fully are medicine, graphical images, and religion.
Some unusual topics are included, for example, Astrophysics, Celebrities, and Classical Antiquity, Middle Ages, Medieval, Mediaeval.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Most of the search engines in A Collection of Special Search Enginesare listed by title only or include an informative phrase. Some have a longer description.
When you select a search engine, its search page appears in a separate frame (which can be enlarged). This keeps some of the other search engine choices visible and and is a significant time-saver.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Academics, researchers, students and people looking for engines that are web-related (e.g. images, audio, MP3 files, etc.).
Special Search Engines OVERALL - Special Search Engines was developed by the Nanyang Technological University Library in Singapore. Its approximately 250 search engines are divided into 25 categories. The Regional category contains numerous subcategories.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Regional search engines are covered in the most depth in Special Search Engines. There are exceptionally good collections of search engines from Singapore, Japan, and China. Search engines from many of the smaller Eastern countries are listed as well as those from some countries in Europe.
Search engine collections for most academic and popular subjects
The complete list of guides (with descriptions) to thousands of search engines covering hundreds of subjects. Listed in approximate order of size and specificity of subject categories.
InvisibleWeb.com OVERALL - InvisibleWeb com is a first-rate guide containing over 10,000 search engines organized into 18 subject categories and hundreds of subcategories and subsubcategories. In spite of its enormous size, InvisibleWeb.com is easy to use because of its clear and logical design.
If you're short of time and would like to see just a sampling of the largest specialized search engines about a popular topic (definitions), you can click on a subject from the "Hot List" and get the names of approximately 5 leading engines relating to one of these topics.
Keyword searching for search engines is available and is often exceptionally effective.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
InvisibleWeb.com contains search engine collections for a wide variety of popular, general and academic topics. Surprisingly, there is no subject category for regional engines.
One of InvisibleWeb.com's great strengths is its detailed classification of subjects, which can reduce the time it takes to find search engines covering a specific subject. For example, under the subcategory Investments, some of the subsubcategories are Bonds, Commodities, Futures and Options, Mutual Funds, and Stocks.
Search engine selection is generally excellent and comprehensiveness varies with the topic. Occasionally the same engine appears more than once under a subject because its different information collections are listed separately.
Some categories with especially extensive search engine collections are Legal, Travel, Sciences and Reference.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
You can choose to see an unusually full, informative description of each search engine. Search menus are displayed for a small percentage of the engines.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
InvisibleWeb.com is particularly valuable for writers, students, professionals, academics, subject specialists, and researchers of all kinds, as well as the average searcher looking for in-depth information about a subject. Inexperienced searchers will feel comfortable here because of the friendly design.
Internets OVERALL - Very few guides comes close to Internets in the sheer number of search engines included or the specificity of its subject categories. Its drop-down menu of 43 subjects (on the left side of the homepage) shows you only the broadest level of these categories.
For many subjects, you can get a more complete list of search engines here than with any other guide. (Because of the web’s enormity, even a huge guide like Internets doesn’t include every search engine on a subject.) However, some of the sites included are directories rather than search engines or are search engines that are only available by subscription.
Keyword searching for search engines is available in Internets, and can be very useful, even though you're given a list of relevant subcategories and subsubcategories instead of individual engines.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Internets covers an astounding variety of subjects, encompassing every field or subject you can think of – from the frivolous to the scholarly.
Every category is divided into numerous subcategories and these in turn are divided into many highly specific subsubcategories, for example, cattle databases or scuba diving databases. (Internets uses the term
database interchangeably with search engine.)
There’s a section called
MedNets devoted exclusively to medical information. Choosing Research Engines gives you access to search engines covering over 35 medical specialties, for example, Dermatology, Infectious Diseases, General Medicine, Orthopedics, etc. You can search Medline (the huge NIH search engine of journal articles) directly from the MedNets page.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Internets provides search boxes for the search engines listed under In-line Databases. They are displayed after the complete list of search engines for a subject, or you can select the one you want to search. Only the names are given for the other search engines listed.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Subject specialists, writers, academics, researchers of all kinds, students, professionals, and the average searcher who is looking for information about a specialized subject will appreciate Internets. Even professionals may discover new search engines relating to their fields using this guide.
TheBigHub OVERALL - The Big Hub is the new incarnation of The Internet Sleuth, and it remains one of the best all-around specialized search engine guides. (It’s also a fine metasearch engine). The over 1,500 special search engines it lists are very thoughtfully chosen and clearly presented.
The engines are organized into 19 main categories and hundreds of detailed subcategories and subsubcategories.
You can search for search engines by keyword, and this is often worthwhile.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
TheBigHub covers a broad range of subjects. Its selection of search engines for all kinds of topics – popular, general, academic and professional (definitions) - is both excellent and comprehensive.
The organization and specificity of subject categories is especially notable. For example, the Government category is divided into nine subcategories (e.g. Judicial Branch, Military, Law) and 29 subsubcategories (e.g. Dept. of Justice, State Bills, Coast Guard).
The Employment category lists employment engines for four specialized industries – Computers/Internet, Education, Health/Medicine, and Law – in addition to general job-search engines.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are given short, informative descriptions. You can search each engine from the search boxes and drop-down menus provided.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
TheBigHub is worth a visit no matter what your subject. Professionals, subject specialists, academics and researchers should find it particularly helpful.
WebData OVERALL - WebData is a noteworthy, fairly new specialized search engine guide that provides access to thousands of specialized search engines (or databases), organized into 18 main subject categories and hundreds of subcategories. It's extensive, ambitious and very well-designed.
Keyword searching for search engines is available and extremely useful in WebData.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
WebData covers all types of subjects - popular, academic, professional and general (definitions). The quality of search engine collections varies according to subject, but most are fairly comprehensive.
Three subject areas that have particularly extensive collections of search engines are Arts and Humanities, Business and Investments, and Medicine and Health.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Each search engine is accompanied by an instructive and sometimes quite full description.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Researchers, professionals, general searchers.
Beaucoup OVERALL - Beaucoup is one of the oldest specialized search engine guides. It lists over 2500 thoughtfully-selected specialized search engines, directories and indices, divided into 13 subject categories and 36 subcategories.
Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Although Beaucoup concentrates on popular subjects (definitions), it includes many academic and general engines in the Sciences and Technology, and Politics and Government categories. In addition, some professional search engines are included in the collections for several topics.
The search engine collections for all subjects are wide-ranging and comprehensive. Some of the stronger categories are Reference and Education, and Family/Pets/Hobbies.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
There are descriptions (which vary considerably in quality) of search engines in all categories except for Geographical.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
The average web searcher who wants to find out about many different aspects of a subject.
Direct Search OVERALL - DirectSearch is a scholarly search engine guide. It includes over 1000 search engines organized into 14 subject categories that are divided into hundreds of subtopics and subsubtopics.
Many of the engines DirectSearch includes are bibliographic which means that each result gives you a bibliographic citation or an abstract (summary) of the article instead of the full-text. Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Subjects covered in Direct Search range from Biochemistry to Government to the Humanities. For many, but not all of the search engines included (e.g. MABLE GEOCORR Geographic Correspondence Engine or Biocatalysis/Biodegradation Database), you need a certain degree of subject knowledge to understand the material covered.
There are large separate sections for searchable library catalogs, and a fascinating collection of state and city search engines, many from statistical and licensing agencies.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Some of the search engines include descriptions.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Academics and subject specialists.
Virtual Search Engines OVERALL - Virtual Search Engines is a handy collection of over 1,000 search engines organized into 50 subject categories. Search engines in each category are listed alphabetically, with no subject subdivisions.
Virtual Search Engines is fast and uncomplicated to use. (Lately, there's been an ad that you have to click though to get to the search engine list in a subject category - very annoying and time consuming!)
There’s no provision for finding a search engine by keyword.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Popular topics (definitions) are covered the most fully, but Virtual Search Engines also offers the general searcher a nice variety of search engines specializing in some professional subjects, for example legal and health search engines.
The Legal category, because of its enlightening descriptions, is particularly useful for the non-professional. The Residential category, which is not often listed as a separate category, contains a varied selection of search engines having to do with real estate, home repair, etc.
Some other subject categories not always covered as separate categories are Images, Recipes, Pets, Automotive, Dictionaries and Encyclopedias.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Virtual Search Engine's descriptions are excellent at conveying the gist of each search engine.
When you select a search engine, it opens in its own frame, so you can do a search without leaving Virtual Search Engines.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
People who are introducing themselves to a subject, or who have a less than professional degree of knowledge about a topic. The general searcher who wants to find information fast.
Internet Oracle OVERALL - Internet Oracle is a top-notch, medium/large search engine guide that focuses on popular and general subjects (definitions). It is one of the few search engine guides that is graphically attractive, in addition to being extremely clear and well-designed.
Internet Oracle contains hundreds of search engines divided into 26 subject categories, some with several subdivisions. Short lists of important websites are included for many of the topics.
Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
The quantity of search engines that are listed for the various subjects varies from quite large and comprehensive to medium. Some subjects that Internet Oracle covers especially well are Arts and Entertainment, Travel, and Reference and Research (dictionaries, encyclopedias, biographies, etc.). Some uncommon separate categories are New York City, Film, and Gay and Lesbian.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are listed by title, many with a short, informative phrase.
A search box (sometimes with a drop-down menu) is included for most search engines so you can begin your search from
InternetOracle. The name of the search engine and its search box appear on the same line. This arrangement makes it easy to see all the search engines in a category.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Finding a wide variety of search engines that cover popular subjects. Inexperienced searchers will appreciate its extraordinarily friendly, well-organized design.
Search and Submit OVERALL - Although Search and Submit's main business is submitting people's websites to search engines, it's also a worthy specialized search engine guide.
Search and Submit's Directory Listing contains close to 1000 special search engines, arranged alphabetically in 25 subject categories with very few subcategories. It’s keyword searchable - use the search box under the words Search in our directory.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Search and Submitconcentrates on commonly-searched-for topics, but also includes some academic and general topics (definitions). The collections of search engines for most subjects are fairly full.
Popular and Internet-related topics are covered most extensively. For example, 54 employment search engines are listed as well as 21 engines for finding schools and getting student aid.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are not described.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Getting a quick idea of the search engines available for various subjects. Finding search engines specializing in web-related topics.
A Collection of Special Search Engines OVERALL - A Collection of Special Search Engines was developed by librarians at Leiden University, Netherlands. It’s large (hundreds of search engines, over a hundred subjects), well-designed, and easy to use.
The subjects in A Collection of Special Search Engines are arranged alphabetically rather than by broad category. Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
The lists of search engines for most subjects, are fairly small but interesting. Often, you’ll find engines here that aren’t included in other guides. Some of the subject areas covered especially fully are medicine, graphical images, and religion.
Some unusual topics are included, for example, Astrophysics, Celebrities, and Classical Antiquity, Middle Ages, Medieval, Mediaeval.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Most of the search engines in A Collection of Special Search Enginesare listed by title only or include an informative phrase. Some have a longer description.
When you select a search engine, its search page appears in a separate frame (which can be enlarged). This keeps some of the other search engine choices visible and and is a significant time-saver.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Academics, researchers, students and people looking for engines that are web-related (e.g. images, audio, MP3 files, etc.).
FinderSeeker OVERALL - FinderSeeker bills itself as the search engine for search engines. It contains hundreds of search engines organized into 27 subject categories.
Instead of displaying a subject directory on its home page, FinderSeeker contains a search box and two drop-down menus. One of the drop-down menus contains the names of 27 subject categories. The other contains the names of about 160 countries.
By combining choices from both of these menus, you can search for search engines about a topic from a specific country, for example legal search engines from Australia.
You can also search for a search engine by keyword in FinderSeeker. In fact, keyword searching can be surprisingly effective. Results of searches are arranged by country (if you don’t select one).
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
FinderSeeker's strength is its coverage of search engines from even the smallest countries such as Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan. It also lists engines from individual cities and states of the US.
The subjects included are mainly popular and general
(definitions). Some of the less common individual categories are Dining, Hobbies, Aviation, Religion and Adult.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
An enlightening description is included for each search engine.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
People looking for information originating in various countries and regions.
About.com - Web Search OVERALL - About.com - Web Search (which was formerly the Search Engines topic area of The Mining Company) contains a commendable collection of about 800 search engines relating to 26 topics, most with several subcategories.
A keyword search will produce a list of relevant About.com - Web Search subject categories and articles.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
About.com - Web Search covers a wide range of subject categories, with an emphasis on popular and Internet-related topics (definitions). Some of the subjects not commonly found in other guides are Webcam Search, Real Time Tracking, Religion and Beliefs, and Celebrity Search.
The majority of sites listed are search engines, but other types of sites are included. Search engine selections for all subjects are thoughtful and comprehensive.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
The one-sentence descriptions given to each of the search engines are particularly informative and well written.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
The general searcher and researcher. Beginners also will appreciate this site because of its general search information and advice, and clear design.
LincOn.com OVERALL - LincOn.com contains over 3,000 "search utilities" organized into 34 categories. Not every search site included is a search engine. For example, some are the searchable websites of large companies which contain information about their products.
LincOn's confusing design and lack of detailed subject organization make this guide less useful than it could be.
You can search for search engines by keyword.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
The majority of subjects covered are popular or general topics (definitions). Looking at the main page of LincOn's Search Utility Index, it appears that each category is organized into subcategories, but actually the search engines are arranged alphabetically.
Some of the subjects included are not covered in most guides, for example, Fuel and Energy, Photography, Postal Services, Telephone Services, and Farming. The quality of search engine selection varies according to the topic.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are not described, however search boxes or (sometimes extensive) search menus are included for each engine.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
The general searcher.
SearchPower.com OVERALL - SearchPower.com is a medium/large specialized search engine guide organized into 14 categories and many subcategories. Over 800 of the approximately 2,000 search engines it includes are listed in geography-related categories.
Keyword searching for search engines is available.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Most of the subjects covered are popular and general topics (definitions). The quality of search engine selection varies according to subject, with the coverage for a few being sparse to nonexistent.
Subject organization is often unusual. For example, Health is listed as a subcategory under the Reference category. Subject categories with the most substantial search engine collections are Business and Financial, City and State Guide and Arts and Humanities (subcategory under Educational).
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Many of the listings for search engines in SearchPower.com include descriptions. When you select a search engine, it opens in a separate window.
It lists hundreds of specialized search engines in 37 categories, including some obscure but useful engines. The clear layout lets you see all the search engines in a category.
Many academic and professional search engines are listed in the Science, Literature and Legal categories. Search engines from the major continents (which appear as separate categories) are covered particularly well as are Internet-related engines.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are listed by title and given ratings (which I would disregard).
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
General searchers, students and researchers who want to take a look at some fairly scholarly search engines in addition to popular engines.
AllSearchEngines OVERALL - AllSearchEngines, a site providing general information about search engines, maintains a small/mid-sized collection of special search engines. There are about 500 engines organized into 27 subject categories.
Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Popular and general subjects (definitions) make up the majority of topics in AllSearchEngines. There are wide differences in the quality of search engine selection for different subjects, with business and government-related subjects covered most comprehensively.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
A descriptive phrase is included for most search engines.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
The general searcher.
SearchEngineGuide.Com OVERALL - Although SearchEngineGuide.Com contains over 1000 search engines, about one-third are listed in the Health category and lead back to one large search site. The engines are organized into 16 subject categories.
You can search for search engines by keyword.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
All types of subjects are covered - popular, general and academic (definitions). There are many subcategories and subsubcategories, but search engine selections are limited.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Each search engine includes a descriptive phrase or sentence.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
The general searcher.
SearchIQ - Directory of Specialty Engines OVERALL - SearchIQ - Directory of Specialty Engines contains hundreds of specialized search engines organized into 21 subject categories and quite a few subcategories. It's part of SearchIQ, a site containing information about general search engines, advice about web searching, and search engine reviews.
Keyword searching for search engines retrieves search engine subject categories rather than the names of individual search engines.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Popular subjects are covered the most fully although some general and academic subjects are included.
Newcomers to the Internet, inexperienced searchers and general searchers.
A Search Engines Galore World OVERALL - A Search Engines Galore World contains hundreds of mainly popular (definitions) specialized search engines organized into 14 categories and several subcategories.
Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
The quality of search engine selection varies quite a bit according to subject. Several topics with particularly interesting collections are Art, Auto Search, Genealogy, and Maps.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Some of the listings for search engines include descriptions and search boxes or menus, and some include only the name.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
The general searcher.
Special Search Engines OVERALL - Special Search Engines was developed by the Nanyang Technological University Library in Singapore. Its approximately 250 search engines are divided into 25 categories. The Regional category contains numerous subcategories.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Regional search engines are covered in the most depth in Special Search Engines. There are exceptionally good collections of search engines from Singapore, Japan, and China. Search engines from many of the smaller Eastern countries are listed as well as those from some countries in Europe.
Search engine collections for most academic and popular
Many (but not all) of the search engines in Special Search Engines include descriptions, some of them quite full and useful.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Anyone doing business with companies located in Japan, Singapore, or China, or with firms in other Eastern or European countries.
SearchBug.com OVERALL - SearchBug.com includes a small, well-crafted, specialized search engine collection (on the left side of the homepage) which aims to cover the best specialized search engines on the web. It contains over 200 engines organized into 15 categories covering popular topics (definitions).
SearchBug.com's clear, logical design is easy for the searcher to use. Keyword searching for search engines is available from the drop-down menu on the home page.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Search engine selection is consistently excellent. Although there are only between 10 and 20 search engines in most categories, they cover many important aspects of the subject. The category, All Searches, contains a useful index of all the engines included in SearchBug.com.
An unusual category is Packages which includes search engines concerned with package tracking and drop-off locations (e.g., FedEx, UPS).
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Search engines are listed by what they do or by their main subject rather than by name. For example, bankrate.com is listed as Best Credit Cards. A drawback is that the only way to get to a search engine or, in some cases, even to find out its name is to begin your search from SearchBug.com.
When you select a search engine, its search menu (which can be elaborate) appears.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
SearchBug.com is ideal for people who are looking for a small but high-quality collection of search engines about commonly-searched-for subjects. Internet beginners or inexperienced searchers will appreciate its easily understandable design.
Search.com OVERALL - Search.com was one of the first special search engine guides, and it remains a quick and effective place to find engines about commonly-searched-for topics. It lists over 100 special search engines in 14 subject categories and numerous subcategories.
You can also search for search engines by keyword.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Search.com is best for finding search engines relating to the most popular topics (definitions) that people search for on the web. For example, buying or selling a car, finding a job, locating a movie review, and shopping.
The Entertainment category contains a fairly full, well-rounded collection of engines.. The Living category, which includes a variety of search engines relating to food, the home, hobbies, etc., is particularly interesting.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Each search engine is given a short but helpful description.
When you choose a search engine, the basic search menu for that engine appears so you can begin your search from
Search.com. A brief, useful search tip is included for most of the search engines.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
People searching the web for popular topics.
Search Engines Worldwide OVERALL - Search Engines Worldwide is a large search guide specializing in regional search engines. It lists close to 800 search engines from 124 countries.
Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Search engines from countries of every size, all over the world are included.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
For each search engine, there's an indication of which language it's in and a short descriptive phrase or sentence. In addition, the logo of each search engine is displayed.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Finding information originating in various countries.
FormSeek OVERALL - FormSeek covers search engines pertinent to 14 mainly popular topics. It contains 344 search engines.
You can search for search engines by keyword.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Regional search engines (definitions) are covered most comprehensively in FormSeek. The collections of search engines for other subjects are useful, but relatively short.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Each search engine includes a fairly full description which can be exceptionally helpful. You can begin your search in search boxes and (sometimes extensive) menus from each engine.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
The general searcher.
Search Engine Colossus OVERALL - Search Engine Colossus provides comprehensive access to search engines (both general and specialized) from 90 countries. In addition, it offers small selections of specialized search engines in eight broad subject categories.
Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
The collections of general and specialized search engines from some of the larger countries (particularly the US) are extensive. Unfortunately, they are not organized into subject categories.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
A short informational phrase is included for each search engine.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
People who are looking for search engines originating in specific countries.
My Search Engines OVERALL - My Search Engines is part of Reference.com, a general directory and reference site. There are 19 subject categories with approximately 5-10 search engines per category.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
The majority of subjects included are popular topics (definitions). Because there are so few search engines per category, the scope of subject coverage is limited.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Most of the search engines in My Search Enginesinclude descriptions. You can begin your search in the rather extensive search forms and menus that are provided from each engine.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
People who want to look at just a few search engines in a subject category.
The Ultimate WWW Search Engine Collection OVERALL - The Ultimate WWW Search Engine Collection includes 290 search engines in 14 subject categories. Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Only popular subjects (definitions) are covered. Search engine selections are small, but useful.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Each search engine has a short, informative description.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
People who want a simple guide with a fairly small selection of search engines.
Little-Red-Schoolhouse Library - Specialty Search Engines OVERALL - Little-Red-Schoolhouse Library - Specialty Search Engines is a search engine and site guide designed for elementary and high-school age children. Close to 200 sites and search engines are included, divided into 42 subject categories geared to children’s interests, hobbies, and school subjects.
Some of the subject categories especially designed to appeal to children’s interests or that are relevant to their schoolwork are Bibliographies, Virtual Greetings (sites for creating greeting cards), Keypals, SchoolHelp, Just-4-Kids, Space Exploration, Television, Bill of Rights/Civil Liberties, U.S. Politics, News, Environment and Federal Government.
The number of search engines and sites per category ranges from 1-18.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Titles only are given with no descriptions.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Children and teenagers.
Starting Point OVERALL - Starting Point is a general web search engine that contains a relatively small collection of specialized search engines divided into 11 categories.
To access the specialized engines, choose Other Search Engines from the drop-down menu under Other Resources, and perform a search. Select one of the Subject Channels listed on the left side of the page with your search results. Select Target Search, which is listed as one of the categories for each subject. You’ll see a list of specialized search engines for that subject.
Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
Each search engine includes a compact, instructive description.When you select a search engine, its search box (sometimes including menus) appears so you can begin your search from Starting Point.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
The general searcher.
The Search Page OVERALL - The Search Page is a directory of over 200 search engines and other sites organized into 40 categories. The majority of listings are search engines.
Keyword searching for search engines is not available.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Many of the The Search Page's categories are especially helpful for children, for example, Education, Puzzles, Dogs, General Information, Kids Information and Outer Space.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Each search engine is given a concise description.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Children and families.
TekMom Search Tools for Students OVERALL - TekMom is a specialized search engine guide for students, from elementary school through high school. It contains 26 well-chosen search engines organized into 8 subject categories. Its simple, uncluttered design is understandable to children.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
There are collections of search engines for science, history, children's sites in general, educational sites for children, encyclopedias, dictionaries and thesauruses, and biographies and authors. Each category contains 2-4 search engines.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Most of the search engines include a descriptive phrase or sentence and display a search box or search menu.
ESPECIALLY USEFUL FOR -
Students from elementary school through high school.
Kids Search Tools OVERALL - Kid's Search Tools is a useful specialized search engine guide for children, particularly ages 7 through 12. It contains 19 search engines in 4 subject categories.
SUBJECT COVERAGE -
Subject categories covered by Kid's Search Tools include: Selected Sites for Kids, Screened Sites for Kids, Sites for Teachers and Kids, and (sites) Strictly for Fun.
SEARCH ENGINE INFORMATION -
Each search engine includes a description and search box and/or search menu.
