Visualizing overlap and rank differences among web-wide search engines: Some free tools and services

Author: Jacsó, Péter

Source: Online Information Review, Volume 29, Number 5, 2005 , pp. 554-560(7)

Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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Abstract:

Purpose - To compare the performance of different search engines, highlighting the overlap and rank differences. Design/methodology/approach - Presents results of an overlap test search series among traditional CD-ROM indexing/abstracting databases since the mid-1980s, web databases, and authors' own polysearch engine, and reviews Google Scholar. Findings - Finds that overlap is minimal among web-wide search engines which crawl and index the mostly unstructured open web; and that overlap among Google Scholar and the native search engines is far less than the ideal 100 per cent in the optimal context of crawling and indexing highly-structured and metadata-rich collections. Originality/value - Reinforces the existing view that for comprehensive searches one must search more than one database. Highlights and recommends several very good search engine sites.

Keywords: Search Output; Search Engines; Information Retrieval

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14684520510628927

Publication date: 2005-05-01