Sunday, October 18, 2009

Best Topic Suggestion Sites and Search Engines

“Google it” doesn’t mean exclusively search on Google.com these days.   As search engines and information portals evolve and continue to improve our ability to drill down results within tighter parameters, many effective ”first step” sites have been developed that deliver specific information.  We’ve put together the below list on how to find topics and then more specifically, by discipline, search engines and sites:

I NEED TO FIND:

TOPICS:   Bing Cool visuals; strong results.      Clusty Old fashioned layout but great result clusters.     Social Issues The latest hot topics and pro/con arguments.     Technorati Search for topic suggestions via “tags” resulting in related blogs.   TOPICS W/ANNOTATIONS:   InfoMine Researched critical comments and notes.      Intute Out of the U.K. but w/worldwide results.    RELATED TOPICS:   Grokker As stated, related topics (Yahoo based).      Ask.com Click “Expand Your Search”    REFINED TOPIC SEARCHES:   Ask.com Click “Narrow Your Search”.      Surfwax Click “Focus” to broaden or narrow your search results.   QUALITY SEARCHES:   Librarians’ Internet Index Extremely well defined search trees with authoritative sites chosen by topic experts.     Virtual LRC Scholarly search results based on a word or a phrase.   ADVICE FROM EXPERTS:     Sources and Experts A comprehensive listing of sources, compiled by a journalist.     Ask A Librarian The site of last-resort (but not for last minute homework help!) Library of Congress      

 

 

NOW I NEED TO FIND:

TOPICS WITHIN SPECIFIC DISCIPLINES:GOVERNMENT:   USA.gov Browse official U.S. information and services sites.     Foreign governments Search worldwide government sites.  LAW:   Law.com Legal stories, technology, firm identification and jobs in the field.     Findlaw.com Search U.S. cases, codes, news and commentary     LOUIS Amazing site, named for famed jurist Louis Brandeis, Search Congressional documents, Federal Register, GAO reports, bills and resolutions  SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY:   SCIRUS Science-specific portals.      Nat’l Science Digital Lab Science, technology, math and engineering.  ARTS & HUMANITY:   Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Browse peer-reviewed, continually-updated entries on contemporary philosophy.   HEALTH & MEDICINE:   Health & Medical Sleuth Find health information faster by searching multiple health search engines from one place.     Medical Search “Fast and productive medical searches” – The Washington Post.  NEWS & INFORMATION:   BBC Incredible source for searching worldwide issues, especially war coverage,     eHow Search and ye shall find; how to do just about anything.     FactCheck.org From the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the Univ. of Pennsylvania, research political speeches, press releases, TV ads, public statements…     FedStats.gov Useful compilation of stats and reports from 100+ official US agencies.

BNI Operatives: Street smart: Web savvy.

As always, be safe.

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