Searching the Internet
Google is not the only search engine out
there! Sometimes to find the
information you need you must dig
deeper and employ different search
strategies.
Use the recommended search engines below, along with the advanced search strategies, to help you get the most out of your internet searches.
Teacher/Librarian Evaluated Sites
Weblinks A searchable online database with thousands of teacher-reviewed and approved web sites to help with research. Will automatically connect from school. Click here for login details to access from home.
Santa Maria Library Catalogue Contains books, websites and videos relevant to your topic. Use the ‘By Collection’ filter on the search screen to select your desired media type, e.g. ‘Clickview recordings’, ‘Non Fiction’ or ‘Websites’.
SweetSearch Sites selected by educators.
Infotopia Sites selected by educators.
Internet Public Library Can search by subject or keyword
General Search
Engines
Google Advanced Search Filter your results by country, reading level, file type (e.g. pdf, doc) and more
iTools Search over 15 different search engines all on the one page
Mashpedia A video encyclopedia – type in your search term and watch related videos
Deeper Web Results include newspaper articles, blogs and statistics. Refine your results using the icons in the top-right corner
Base Search Provides access to over 50,000 academic open access web resources.
RefSeek Searches more than one billion documents, including web pages, encyclopedias, and journals.
Advanced Search Strategies
Understanding the Internet Some brief information about the internet, URLs and Domain Names that can help you in your searching.
99 Resources to Search the ‘Invisible Web’ The internet is like an iceberg, with a large percentage of information hidden – unless you know how to look for it, that is. Use the sites listed here to help uncover useful information that normal search engines would miss.
Practice your Search Strategies Play ‘A Google a Day’ by using everything you have learnt about effective searching.
Using Keywords
Choosing and Using Keywords A short video describing how to create keywords to use when searching online
Searching Strategies A simple guide outlining how to create keywords from your research topic.
Advanced Search Strategies – Infographics & Videos
Power Searching – Part 1
Power Searching – Part 2