Searching the Web
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Introduction

The listing of search resources below is by no means exhaustive. The section on search engine resources contains links to web documents where teachers can find comprehensive listings of search engines and related resources. The lists of search resources below have been chosen with the needs of teachers in mind rather than students. The major search engines are adequate for most purposes however teachers who wish to research more obscure topics on the net will find subject directories and the major economic catalogues extremely useful.

General Search Engines

The search engines on the left are general all purpose search engines. Those at the top of the list are frequently used by teachers. Of particular interest to teachers are the graphical interface search engines such as Kartoo and the way search engines such as Vivisimo and infoGrid organise search results into categories.These are helpful for students who have a tendancy to conduct vague searches such as Economics. Teachers may also find the search refining capabilities of Infonetware useful.
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Other General Resources

These sites are directories of web sites many of which have been selected by subject experts or librarians. About.com is a well known example of this kind of site. The Berkeley Digital Library is a gateway to library resources on the Net. The first web index of this type was the Argus Clearinghouse and this has been listed for historical reasons however it has now been superseded by the Internet Public Library. Argus is no longer being actively maintained.SOSIG from the UK is an excellent source for web resources generally and Economics in particular.
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Australian Searches

These search engines concentrate on Australian resources. The National Library in Canberra and the ANU library offer guides and lists of major Australian Search engines. Yahoo. Looksmart and Google have been listed at the top as they have regional directories. OptusNet also possesses a search engine different from the others. Teachers should note most of the other search engines use the same technologies as the major global engines and hence many but not all Australian engines will return similar results to the majors. The www virtual library for Australia is included on the left although strictly speaking it is not a search engine but a directory.
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Economics Subject Guides

These resources are in the main compiled by experts for the benefit of other economists. Resources for Economists on the Internet by Bill Goffe, WebEc and SOSIG from the UK are comprehensive databases of electronic economic resources. These can be searched. NetEc,Inomics and Eco Meta Search are other places for conducting economic searches. Teachers should note that the main commercial search engines also contain directories of economic resources. The academic lists are well maintained and any new resources that emerge will eventually be indexed in these collections.
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Australian Subject Guides

These sites are collections of economic resources maintained by Australians and usually focusing on Australia. The Parliamentary Library in Canberra maintains an excellent list of Australian Economic Resources as does Trinity Grammar in Western Australia. The collections from Melbourne University and ANU are also extremely useful. Teachers will also find Mortgage Magazines directory of Business links and ABOL's directory of links useful sources for business and economic sites.

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Secondary Economics

These sites are directories and compilations of Economic resources directly relevant to the secondary classroom. Biz Ed and EcED Web by Kim Sosin are the oldest and largest collections on the Net. VCE Business Studies from Mildura SC was the first Australian resource of this type and is an excellent starting point for teachers seeking web resources for VCE classes. Robert Dixon's list remains an excellent collection of resources for secondary teachers. Yahooligans,Kids Clicks and Ask Jeeves for kids are search engines designed to be used by students.
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Search Engine Resources

Yahoo offers a comprehensive listing of the world's search engines. Search engine watch provides extensive resources on how search engines work and offers detailed descriptions and comparisions of the world's search engines. The relationship chart shows who buys search results from whom in Australia. Search Engine showdown compares search engines.
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Reference

The resources on the left are examples of online reference tools. Information Please is designed for students,the rest for adults. Investment terms is useful to keep track of the exploding jargon in this area.