Class Recommendations Spring 2000 (URLs)

Search Engines	Includes broad and subject specific search engines
Meta Engines	Search more than one Search Engine at a time
Directories	email, phone, etc
Full Text Journals/Magazines	Free fulltext journals
Reference Sources	Almanacs, maps, dictionaries, encyclopedias
Suggested Readings	Articles of interest to our class
Education Sources	For teachers: k-12
Web Tools	Guides, Icons, Design, Headings
Business Sources	Finance, Investments, Marketing
Science Sources	Weather, Environment, Animal, Plant, etc.
Online Radio	Radio Waves
Evaluation Sites	Evaluating Web sites
Miscellaneous	The kitchen sink

AltaVista
http://www.altavista.com
My favorite search engine is Alta Vista, http://www.altavista.com/, the advanced search screen. This is partly because I have used it the most and I am more comfortable with it than other search engines. It is also one of the large databases and includes all of the major search techniques, including use of Boolean connectors, proximity searches, truncation, and the ability to sort your searches. It is also set up in a visually pleasing way that makes it easy for the novice to navigate around the various search alternatives. You can search easily for images, sound and video clips, and limit these searches by type. The help menu is useful, although you can’t search the help area by keyword. It includes tutorials that walk the user through various search techniques. [Marie]

Alta Vista Advance and Northern Light
http://www.northernlight.com/ or http://www.altavista.com
I liked these two search engines the best. The most important feature is the ability to do Boolean Searching. For the work I do I need to narrow the search and have flexibility. Free text searching is not very useful. Both Search Engines provided this flexibility. The best feature of Alta Vista Advance is the ability to specify the sort order. I found the screens very busy and it was easy to get lost with all the options. The use of the not statement in the advanced search was effective in limiting the size of the search. Northern Lights provided more flexibility in searching. The ability exists to limit searches by subject. Also to search on title and publication as well as doing Boolean searching. The biggest limitation is the inability to select sort order. [Joan]

AltaVista
http://www.altavista.com
Of the free text search engines we reviewed in our homework assignment, www.altavista.com was my favorite. This site allows an individual to search for information using simple and advanced techniques, both of which are useful in different circumstances. The searching techniques are also very user-friendly, and the help function is indeed helpful. The AltaVista site also allows proximity searching (e.g. NEAR) within the advanced search, which I seem to utilize a great deal in my searches. It is also one of the three largest databases available for search purposes, so the opportunity for good information to be received from a search is high. [Judy]

AltaVista
http://www.altavista.com
To tell you the truth Altavista has been my favorite search engine for the past few years. Someone once told me that Altavista searched all web sites on the www while Yahoo only searched through it's own directory of sites. In reading some of the comparisons that have been done online, it does say that when Altavista first began, it had the largest database of sites to search through. That must be where the half-true comment from one of my colleagues came from. One of the things I love most about altavista is it's ability to search for images, sounds and video clips. My students are always looking for different media elements to add to their multimedia presentations. Altavista's ability to search for those elements has simplified a somewhat overwhelming task for students. Before last weeks class I had never used the advanced search feature and now I LOVE ALTAVISTA EVEN MORE! To think I was missing out on advanced searching. My allegiance may be swayed though... when I was searching for info on General Dynamics Armament in Burlington, Altavista didn't come through for me. Northernlight did. I guess the secret is to learn how to use a few search engines well, rather than only 1. I will have to broaden my horizens. :) [Melissa]

AskJeeves & Ask Jeeves for Kids
www.ask.com / www.ajkids.com
I would recommend search engines Ask Jeezes (www.ask.com) and Ask Jeeves for Kids (www.ajkids.com). The unique format of asking questions is clear and easy to use. This search engine has millions of answers cataloged. It has had over 150 million questions already asked, and is always in the process of researching new questions. They report they are constantly expanding and revising their database. In using this search engine you are guided by a butler. I have found 5th and 6th graders new to researching on the internet very successful with this format. Ask Jeeves for Kids, is targeted to children 7 - 14 and is safeguarded against sites you may not want your student to view. I have found in starting with Ask Jeeves for Kids other search engines were easier to navigate with the confidence gained with Jeeves. [Jan]

Google
http://www.google.com
My favorite search engine is Google. It uses next generation technology to actually "vote" for the best pages. Pages that are important and link to other pages on the same subject actually hold more weight in the process and cause the link to rank higher. All of your search terms must be met and in close proximity in Google to be included in your returned list. Google does not support "OR", thus the logical operator is "AND". You must type in entire words since Google does not support "stemming" or "wildcard" searches. There is no case sensitivity in Google and everything is searched in lower case letters. You may include a "stop word" in your search by inserting a space +(plus) before the word that would normally be excluded in the search. The opposite is also true in that you may choose to exclude a word in a search by preceding the word with space –(minus). The age-old page summaries are not used in Google returns, but the terms from your search are included in the customized preview of each page. Google stores all of your returns in its cache so that the searcher can retrieve the information more quickly. While other search engines try to be everything to their customers, Google focuses on performing powerful searches and returning quality sites to their users. [Harriette]

Lycos
http://point.lycos.com/ - Lycos top 5% is an easy guide to use. The indexes are well organized. I found I only had to drop down one or two levels to get to the information I needed. The links to other sites provided extensive access to many subjects. When you find your subject area there is a connection to Barnes & Noble to locate books on the subject. In addition to the indexing there is a search tool that can use some simple Boolean commands. In each subject area there are links to message boards and chat rooms. I did not find these helpful since they were for consumers and not research orientated. [Joan]

Northern Lights
http://www.northernlight.com/
While it's really too early for me to decide on a favorite search engine, I had fun trying Northern Lights which has several things I like:
1) I like the name of this search engine! It may be silly, but I "connect" with it since it sounds like Vermont outdoors on a winter night, in contrast to other search engines with goofy or hi-tech names. I figure that if I have to sit inside doing research, at least I can have this hint of the outdoors.
2) The language for doing searches is flexible. The natural language which Northern Lights accepts is very "user friendly", and yet it also has full capability for Boolean searches for those with more finesse. One can opt for either method. Of course, the "Power Search" (like Advanced)adds another level, too.
3) The Custom Folders help sort the web pages found for a search: about a dozen categories were automatically provided for a search I did on family literacy assessment and evaluation. The categories made sense to me, and by choosing one I was able to greatly reduce the pages which I might want to scan. For instance, in doing my search, over 10,000 pages were found, but by clicking on one Custom Folder, "Parent Involvement in Education", this number was reduced to 200. I'm sure this could be further reduced if I refined my search.
P.S. I also was intrigued by the Meta-search Dogpile.com. This name certainly doesn't attract me, but it IS easy to remember, as my school librarian friend said when she recommended it. [Janet]

Snap.Com
http://www.snap.com/
I prefer snap.com as a search engine. Most of the time I happen to be searching for information about France or things French and I'm in a rush. My students have asked a question and I want to give them accurate background information.. Snap brings back more items with higher relevance than others I've tried. I did one specific search kings + france to see.Yahoo and altavista 's results were very varied and 64,000. Northern Lights' results were narrower and very relevant but Snap.com was the best.I love the way they really tell you what you can expect from the references they bring back. They also tell you the what the material consists of (journal, periodical, etc.) [Barbara]

Yahoo and Northern Light
www.yahoo.com and http://www.northernlight.com/
Up to this point, when I use a search engine (which is not very often), my favorite search engine has been Yahoo. I have no good reasons other than it was the first search engine that I learned to use and it seemed relatively easy to use. It was not until this week that I understood the difference between a free-text and index -based search engine. I thought they all worked pretty much the same way. Now that I have explored search engines like Northern Light, I am beginning to like the free-text style of searching better. [Scott]

WebTop.com (The former Euroferret.com)
http://www.webtop.com/servlets/ssi/index.html?PAGE=search&LOOK=euroferret
WebTop.com is the new and "upgraded" edition of Euroferret. This sleek new version now includes .com sites, provides six language selections, and lets you restrict a search by domain address, e.g. country code, .com or .edu address, etc. WebTop allows you to search traditionally using natural language, including sentences to provide context. Of special interest are the innovative new options provided by its concept search approach. WebTop lets you copy and paste or drag and drop text into it from another webpage, an article from your desktop, or an email, from which it will extract key concepts while taking into account the context of your search topic. Following the title of each relevant website found is a concise summary of the document. Results are ranked by concept relevance, as indicated by the degree of flare in the red icons to the left of each site. Placing the cursor over the red icon reveals the URL and size of the site and the date the document was last modfied. You can see other relevant documents from the same website with the click of a button. The one drawback in terms of user-friendliness is that in order to find an explanation of the symbols for relevance, additional sites, etc. found with each document, you must click on the appropriate topic in an adjacent column. Unfortunately the respective symbols are not given with the topic choices, so finding an interpretation of the symbols that go with websites is a bit of a hit or miss affair. Aside from that, WebTop is a site for the new millennium, both in terms of its clean, minimalist layout and its creative concept search options. [Elizabeth]

BookMarks - Research Fast Track.
http://www.moneywords.com/links.cfm
This site contains hundreds of websites which are categorized under the following headings: Business and Finance, Government, Internet, Media, Online Services, Reference Science and Technology, and Project Management. Moreover, the site gives a list of "traditional" sources that can be searched to find out more information on: Marketing, Financial, Industry, Associations, and Competitors. This site is truly a researchers dream. [David]

www.ditto.com
Since my students are always looking for images, www.ditto.com looked like a good site for me to check out. It has some great features in it's advanced search, like file size and picture height and width. There is also a directory of categories if you prefer to look through that for an image. [Melissa]

DocFinder
http://www.docboard.org/
The Medical Boards of 16 states, including Vermont, have now made their health professional licensing databases available on the Internet. Although this data has been public information, never has it been so readily accessible to the public as it now is on the Web. Probably the most popular feature of this site is DocFinder. By clicking on "Vermont," you can bring up search boxes for a provider's last and first names. As the Search Tips explain, searches are not case-sensitive. However, correct spelling of a provider's name is necessary. If you are unsure of the spelling, enter only the first few letters of the last name to bring up a list from which to choose. If you don't know or aren't sure of the doctor's full or exact first name, simply enter the last name and choose from the list that appears. You may limit your search by selecting physician, physician's assistant, podiatrist, etc. if you wish, or you may search all professions, which is the default. A search will yield such info as a provider's license status, birthdate, dates of license origin and expiration, medical school and graduation date, specialty, and perhaps most important, any disciplinary actions on file. If this last category has any comment other than "No Disciplinary Action on File," go back to the main DocBoard page and click Vermont Medical Board Home Page, then Board Action Report. Here you will find an alphabetical list of providers against whom action has been taken by the Board from January 1996-January 6, 2000. Details will be given of the action taken, the reasons for said action, and the date that any resulting decision takes effect, e.g. suspension, conditioned license, reinstatement, etc. If you do not find the provider's name listed here and it appears that it should be, contact Barbara Neuman, the Executive Director of the VT Medical Board. The VT Medical Board homepage offers other helpful links, such as those to Healthfinder and Medline for reliable health info and a health care glossary. Concerns about managed care plans can be addressed through the link to the Division of Health Care Administration. A Kids' Page offers an online tour of the human heart. You may also search for a board-certified doctor by specialty and geographic area, but be aware that to be listed, a doctor must be a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties and must subscribe to this listing service. It is interesting to note that neither NH nor NY has put its Medical Board database on the Web to date. Massachusetts, on the other hand, has very extensive data on the Web in its Physician Profiles System. Doctors submit their own info on such topics as insurance plans accepted, hospital affiliations, education and training, specialty, honors and awards, and professional publications. Additional info not provided by providers themselves includes malpractive info, disciplinary action by hospitals or the Board, and criminal convictions. [Elizabeth]

Healthfinder
http://www.healthfinder.gov/searchoptions/topicsaz.htm
Healthfinder provides the public with links to reliable medical websites, databases, online publications, and nonprofit organizations that offer information and support. This user-friendly clearinghouse is a free service provided by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Consumers have several options for accessing information. If they know the term they are seeking and how to spell it, they can enter the term in the search box. If they are uncertain of the term or its spelling, they can choose a letter from an alphabetical listing to see all topics beginning with that letter, or they can browse all 1000 topics from A-Z in the index. Two additional features give the searcher the option to limit the search to a particular age group or population (children, men, women, seniors, teens, minorities, foreign language) or to the type of resource desired (web only, organizations only, all resources). A navigation bar at the bottom of the page offers useful links to "hot topics" (those most frequently requested) and the latest health stories in the news. A category on "smart choices" for consumers offers guidance on choosing a doctor, nursing home, or health plan; finding and evaluating online health info; preventing illness and injury; and handling health care complaints. "More tools" provides links to medical dictionaries, online journals, toll-free health info numbers, and more. A click on the help button at the top of the page will yield straightforward navigational help as well as search hints. All words entered in the search box are treated as a single phrase in the text search. Plurals and other common variations are automatically searched as well. To search for combinations of words and phrases, use AND, OR (or a comma in place of OR), and quotation marks for phrases. Healthfinder is a reliable, user-friendly health information source designed with the consumer in mind. It provides the public with the tools to ask better questions and make more informed health care decisions for themselves and for their families. [Elizabeth]

HealthFinder
http://www.healthfinder.gov
HealthFinder is a search engine that provides consumer health and human services information. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services developed this web site in collaboration with other federal agencies. It can direct you to selected online publications, clearinghouses, databases, websites, and support and self-help groups. There is a text search and an index covering 1000 topics. The Web site is easy to read and use since it is free of advertising. Some of the highlight of the site include:
1. Links to 101 health journals online
2. Links to listservs
3. Links to 25 meta sited for searching health issues
The site is good for the consumer as well as the researcher. The site is easily indexed so both consumers and researchers can negotiate the site efficiently. [Joan]

KidsClick!
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/KidsClick!/
Kidclick! was "created by a group of librarians at the Ramapo Catskill Library System, as a logical step in addressing concerns about the role of public libraries in guiding their young users to valuable and age appropriate web sites". It has a search and advanced search by work. You can also search by subject. Unique to this search engine is a tutorial for kids in how to use a search engine most effectively. This search engine includes "through a librarians eyes" option so that students can see how the librarian categorize subjects. In a test, of the "midnight zone of oceans" I found it gave me useful information. I would use this with intermediate age students as a research tool. [Jan]

Yah-biz news
www.dailynews.yahoo.com
After much trial and error, I stumbled upon the Yah-biz news search engine at www.dailynews.yahoo.com, a subject specific search engine. Many of the other finance related sites I visited really did not provide me with a great deal of information. However, this Yahoo news site was very intriguing and I spent a bit of time just searching and exploring. I concentrated on the Business area, but Yahoo news also has areas of Top Stories, Tech, Politics and more. In the Business section, the site gave market snapshots and business headlines, for example. It also allows for specific searches by stories, photos or full coverage, for the current day and up to 10 days prior. I was very impressed with the site, and I am certain I will be utilizing it in the future, if not for work or school related research, then certainly for my own curiosity! [Judy]

International directory of search engines.
http://www.searchenginecolossus.com/
I visited the French list of search engines and it was incredible. The sites are all in French so they could be a challenge for those who don't know the language but a real rich search media for French teachers and students. The lists in countries all over the world were a treat and well worth exploring. The business and academic links were also excellent. [Barb]

Full Text Journals/Magazines

News Index.com
www.newsindex.com
I was interested in the avalanche on Mt. Washington on Sunday. I was able to find several news articles fairly easily from a number of different sources. Being able to read the different articles, both local and national, gave me a broader perspective on the event. [Mark]

The Internet Public Library
http://ipl.org
"The Internet Public Library" should be included on our "Class Recommendation Site". The design of the site provides an uncluttered place to begin numerous types of searches: reference, exhibits, especially for librarians, magazines and serials, newspapers, online texts, and web searching. The teen and youth choices are excellent for parents or teachers who work with young people. Librarians maintain this site and include links based on evaluation, selection, organization, and quality information resources. [Harriette]

The Internet Public Library
http://www.ipl.org
The Internet Public Library should be on the class recommendations, but I thought it had some limitations. I found it slow when
linking to other sites. The site did not have a query tool to easily locate information. The site is indexed, but the lists are long and hard to search. There is lots of information available but patience is needed. [Joan]

National Geographic
http://nationalgeographic.com
This searchable website lives up to the quality its name implies. There are several extensive stories and interactive features from which to choose, some selected for their timeliness, all with the quality photographs that National Geographic is known for. The feature article includes a lesson plan that can be used at home or at school and includes an extensive bibliography with links to other great sites. The National Geographic Outpost articles are incredible live coverage video from the field! Place bookmark this site and visit it often. [Harriette]

www.refdesk.com
I recommend www.refdesk.com as an internet resource. It is almost overwhelming in it's content and links. It contains links to dictionaries, encyclopedias, newspapers, almanacs, and tutorials to all kinds of internet related things. It is divided into these main categories: Today, Reference Site-of-the-Day, Features, Facts at a Glance, Facts Search Desk, Help and Advice, Current News, Just For Fun, and Index Categories. I recommend you take a look at the site BEFORE you are looking for something specific so that you know the what the site has to offer when the need arrises. [Melissa]

I found an educational web site that is fantastic at
http://www.teachnet.com/resources/allsubjects.html
it offers a wide variety of resources for teachers including lesson plans, curriculum links, professional organization links, internet resources, multiple intelligences, webquests, Listserv, and more. [Barb]

Another educational site I highly recommend is
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/
Kathy Schrock's very rich site with great resources for teachers and parents. The links I found for foreign language were far better than any I've seen. The site is well organized and very easy to navigate. [Barb]

Children's Literature Web Guide
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html
This very inclusive web guide to the on-line world of children's literature is well designed and easy to navigate. Features include the Web Traveler's Toolkit: Essential Kid Lit Websites, and a Quick Reference sections that includes links to information on awards, best sellers, and teaching ideas. [Marie]

Ask the Author
http://www.ipl.org/youth/AskAuthor
Part of the Internet Public Library, Ask the Author provides a form to fill out to ask an author a question via e-mail. The site includes many links to other websites concerning authors, authors on-line, and publisher information. [Marie]

Newbery Medal Home Page
http://www.ala.org/alsc/newbery.html
Part of the American Library Association website, the Newbery Medal Home Page provides back ground information about this children's book award, a printable list of winners, timely announcements about each year's winners and honor books, and criteria of the award. It also includes links to other prestigious children's book award websites. [Marie]

Web Site Garage
http://www.websitegarage.com [DL]
Offers free online diagnostic tools that automatically scan your Web pages to check for Internet browser compatibility, search engine readiness, load time, dead links, and HTML design.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION TIPS
http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?21903:3859768
Got a website? Want the search engines to list it? Click on thelink. We'll show you how to make sure the spiders find your site.[Robert]

Clip Art Searcher [Gail]
www.webplaces.com/search/
This may be quite helpful when we are creating our web pages and wish to add icons, pictures, clip art, etc. The site is: They use Anzwers (images and sounds), HotBot (clipart, icons & more), Lycos (image gallery, pictures), Filez (graphics, icons), and ArtToday.

http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?/adeska/adt0215ba/4469:3859768
Anyone can run a Web store the right way. What you really need is a sure-fire way to mess yours up. It's not hard. There are plenty of examples. Come to the site for my list of six dumb ecommerce moves. [Robert]

Management Assistance Program for Non-Profits
http://www.mapnp.org/
The Management Assistance Program for Non-Profits at http://www.mapnp.org/ has a very helpful site for individuals interested in non-profits, from fundraising ideas to various workshops offered (although I believe these are just in Minnesota!). What peaked my interest was the link to the Free Management Library within the website. I spent a great deal of time looking at the information provided regarding the role of a Board of Trustees, since I serve in this capacity in a few organizations. This is one area of many that the Free Management Library link offered. Anyone who has any interest in non-profits can benefit from reviewing this site. It provides a wonderful insight into non-profits - forming, managing, overseeing, etc. [Judy]

Birdsource
www.birdsource.org
The URL I chose was one that I use frequently but is some what specific to my interests (birds). The site is Birdsource (www.birdsource.org) and is maintained by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I like the site because it has a fair bit of data presented in a way that non-ornithologists can understand and use. It has good graphics and maps which are easy to comprehend. I have given this site out to numerous individuals as a good place to find information on a variety of bird related topics. The other nice feature is that it is participatory. Visitors to the site can take part in a number of projects that provide scientists with important data. I is a great site for students interested in birds and some of the research projects could be easily used in the classroom. [Mark]

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/
From NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the National Weather Service provides an Internet Weather Source. At this site you are able to customize the area in which you would like weather information. It provides current weather data, past history, and any weather warning or watches being issued by the National Weather Service. [Jan]

Weather Channel
http://www.weather.com/weather/us/
From the Weather Channel a commercial site provides a forecast and current weather conditions, as with the National Weather Service it is specific to a local area. This site is more graphic and easier to read, but has less data available. [Jan]

www.departments.dsu.edu/library
Through using the WWW Virtual Library I was led to an interesting site at www.departments.dsu.edu/library. This is for the Mundt Library at Dakota State University in Madison, SD, and has a great short overview of much of the information we've been discussing so far in class. This would be a good place to steer novices and students to help them learn in a nutshell what we're learning. Click on "Search the Internet" for Internet Search: Subject Directories, Search Engines, and more. It includes how to evaluate, finding good sites for kids, etc. [Janet]

Tips for Developing School Web Pages
http://www.siec.k12.in.us/~west/online/eval.htm
This is a how to on web page development for schools. Includes design tips, copyright issues, and a Front Page tutorial. Be sure to check the Evaluations link, this is what brought me here in the first place. It includes three rubrics for students to use to evaluate web pages, one each for elementary, middle and high school students. [Marie]