On this page:
General Search Engines
Allow complex searches and Boolean operators such as AND, OR and ADJ- Google: Returns only results
with all of your search words -- automatically ANDs terms together;
does not support the OR operator. Google
HELP.
- Google
Scholar: information subscribed to by the library can be
accessed by current faculty, staff and students.
- Google Advanced Search: includes PDF page searches. Allows "all of these words" which is the equivalent of a Boolean "and" search. Also allows limits to specific domains, searching in the title only and phrase searching without using parentheses. Highly Recommended!
- AltaVista
: Use quotation marks around phrases. The Boolean operators AND, OR,
NOT and NEAR can be used in an Advanced
Search. Can also limit by domain (.edu, .gov, for example.)AltaVista
HELP
- AlltheWeb: Uses + for
"and" and - for "not." AlltheWeb
Help
- Ask.com: enter phrases, questions or single words. Ask.com Help
- USA.gov: government information.
Supports wildcards * and ?. USA.gov
Help
- Yahoo : Allows the use of the + and - but not Boolean searching. Yahoo HELP
Specialized Search Engines
Searches can be limited to specific file types, such as images, subject areas, such as science, or to certain places on the Internet, such as FAQs or Internet Discussion Groups.- Ditto:
Search for images.
- USA.gov: Allows searching for information from government sites only. USA.gov Help.
- Google Books
- Google Groups: Search
or Browse usenet groups. Help.
- Google Maps
- L-Soft:
for finding electronic lists.
- Scirus: Searches preapproved scientific Web sites and databases.
Setting Preferences
Both the Google Scholar and Scirus search engines can be set so that you can access the University Libraries' subscribed materials remotely.Google Scholar
- Go to http://scholar.google.com/
- Choose Scholar Preferences next to the Search box
- In the Library Links box, type University of South Alabama
- You should get three choices: University of South Alabama (USA eText); Open WorldCat (Library Search); and University of South Alabama (Full Text@IngentaConnect)
- Check the boxes in front of each one
- Click Save Preferences
Scirus
- Go to http://www.scirus.com/
- Choose Preferences from above the search box
- Next to Library Partner Links, choose University of South Alabama from the drop-down menu and click the Enable radio button
- Choose Save Preferences
NOTE: Search engines update their interfaces frequently, and they vary widely in the language they accept as search syntax. We strongly recommend that you read the Help screens for each search engine or directory.