How to Search the Web
Expand All Guide SectionsWhat Is the Internet?
Understanding what the Internet is and how it works can enhance your online ... read more »
Web Site Credibility
Finding information on the Web is like being a police detective: Your information is only as good ... read more »
How Search Engines Work
Search engines are online software programs designed to help users locate relevant Web sites, and ... read more »
Choosing a Search Engine
Aside from Google, there are hundreds of alternative search engines ... read more »
The Invisible Web
Many of the Web’s most extensive sites work like libraries. These database sites keep their ... read more »
Web Directories
Web directories are lists of hand-selected sites compiled by Web users and organized into categorical tree structures to help users locate sites with content that's relevant to their research. Web directories are very useful when you want to find sites related to a specific category.
Insights for Web Directories
- Web directories are browsable collections of links, assembled by humans and classified by subject.
- Web directories generally fall into two categories: scholarly (assembled, edited and annotated by experts and professionals) or commercial (rely on site traffic and advertising to operate).
- To find subject directories, simply add the term “directory” to your search query. This will lead you to a page of preselected sources on the topic you're searching.
- Each directory has a different focus, and you’ll need one that suits your individual needs. For instance, if you want to find sites on video game cheat codes, a commercial directory like the Open Directory Project or dmoz would be a good start. If you want access to sociology journals, try a scholarly directory such as ipl2.
- Because directories only contain the title, URL and sometimes a brief description of the sites listed and not a site’s full text, your searches within a directory will be most successful if you're more general than specific. Keep this in mind when forming your search terms: It may be best to begin with a broad topic to reduce the chances of eliminating valuable sites. For example, if you're looking for information on Picasso, start by searching for “modern art,” then explore the sites listed.
- Browse a directory only if it lacks a search function. If you’re browsing, you’ll need to guess which subject heading your topic would fall under at each layer. If at any point you follow an incorrect topic, you’ll miss the link that you're looking for.
- To ensure quality, ask yourself some questions: How are the links selected, and by what criteria are they judged? Are the links accompanied by descriptions? Are these descriptions written by directory staff or by Web site creators themselves? For answers to these questions, visit the "Web Site Credibility" section of this guide.
Top Sites for Web Directories
findingDulcinea
is a new take on Web directories. We’re a directory, insofar as our guides are organized in a tree structure and are composed of sites that our researchers deem to be the most useful the Web has to offer. We diverge from conventional directories by offering tips and insight into how you can conduct your own research, so you're not limited to using the sites we present. You’ll also find a valuable supplement to our guides: a customized search engine that indexes only findingDulcinea-approved sites.
ipl2
is a good spot to research any discipline. Search this directory of thousands of handpicked, screened and annotated Web sites assembled by the Internet Public Libary (IPL) and the Librarians' Internet Index (LII).
Go2web20
is a directory of Web 2.0 sites (the recent wave of community-driven sites emphasizing interaction and collaboration between their users). Filter your results by tags (descriptive words), and sort them alphabetically or by date. This is a great place to find some of the newest in Web 2.0 applications.
Intute
provides concise annotations with information on the publisher, the date published and the content to be found on each Web site in a search result.
Internet Scout Project
is part of the University of Wisconsin's College of Letters and Sciences. With a directory containing more than 25,000 carefully selected and annotated sites compiled over more than nine years, it's a valuable resource tool.
The WWW Virtual Library
is the oldest directory on the Web. Founded by Tim Berners-Lee (the creator of HTML), it's currently maintained and coordinated by “expert” volunteers. The number of topics included is staggering and quite specific.
The Educator's Reference Desk
is a directory of everything concerning education. From the Information Institute of Syracuse, this site provides parents and educators with plenty of useful educational information and resources.
Who knew?
IceCreamProfits.com
calls itself "the Internet’s Largest Ice Cream Business Directory" but is also a "one-stop source for everything you need to start and run a successful ice cream business." Web directories come in many flavors, so before you assume your topic is too specialized to warrant a directory, remember the existence of this site.
Social Bookmarking Tools
In social bookmarking, a community of users compiles an index by collectively ... read more »
Scholarly Sources Online
Most standard sources of information aren't adequate for academic purposes; what you need is the ... read more »
How to Cite a Source
Almost all of the information you find on the Internet is copyrighted. All copyright and ... read more »
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