General Directories

General directories try to be everything to everyone.  

• Think of them as a sort of online encyclopedia organized by subject.  Click on the topic that interests you.  The directory will return a list web sites related to your topic.  
  
• Yahoo! is perhaps the most well-known Internet directory.  Others are the Open Directory, Librarians' Index to the Internet, INFOMINE and BUBL LINK.
  
  
• Many general directories are also searchable using keywords.  This can be very helpful if none of the categories displayed by the directory seem appropriate.

Specialized Directories  

There are also many specialized directories on the Internet that can help you find information about your topic.  

• A specialized directory is a page of hypertext links dedicated to one or more related subjects.  The links in the directory lead to subject specific sites on the Internet. 
  
  
• The example shown at right is a directory dedicated to United States government information resources. 
  
  
• Some of the best directories come from educational (.edu) or government (.gov) sites, although some excellent directories are maintained by companies and private individuals.

Search Engines

Search engines allow you to search for a very specific topic or concept using keywords.  There are several types of search engines you might use: 

• General--Similar to Yahoo! in that it searches all subjects. Example: Google, Teoma or AllTheWeb.

• Specialized--Allows you to search the Internet for Web sites in a specific subject, for instance, psychology, astronomy, literature etc.

• Metasearch--A search engine that will search several other search engines at one time and list the results for you to review.  Example: Dogpile; Ixquick.

 Many search engines also offer general or specialized directories as part of their service.

In the next section of this presentation you will learn how to evaluate the quality and usability of Internet sources.