bare bones lesson 14: GIGABLAST

 

 

---

---

DESCRIPTION:

GigaBlast is a newer search engine, originating in 2002.  Its database is small, especially  when compared to Google, MSN, and Ask, but it has some very nice features.  One is "Giga-Bits," which displays "related concept listings" at the top of the results page. Also at the top of the results page are additional links to reference pages (for research purposes) and related pages that help you narrow and customize your subject search. On its basic page, GigaBlast offers separate search links for the Web and its subject directory. It also links to blog, travel, and gov. searches, but these are currently in BETA (test) phase. In its index, GigaBlast includes PDF, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, PostScript, and Excel files.  It has a nice date-reporting feature that links to both the date indexed and the date last modified. (See the URL line)   Its Advanced page, while lacking several advanced search features, is clean, simple, and easy to use.

SEARCHES IN:
Own database 

DEFAULTS TO:
AND, primarily
OR, at the end of results list

SEARCH OPTIONS:

Basic Search Page

• Supports (+) and (-) signs
• Supports double quotes (" ")

Advanced Search Page

• Supports Boolean-type searches for "all of these words," "this exact phrase," "any of these words," and "none of these words"
• Allows for two phrase searches at the same time with two "this exact phrase" boxes
• Restricts search to specific site, URL, or pages that link to a URL
• Allows site clustering 
• Allows up to 5 summary excerpts 
• Provides for viewing 10 to 100 results per page

OTHER SEARCH OPTIONS AND FEATURES:

• Features "Giga-Bits," i.e., related concept listings, Reference Pages, and Related Pages in shaded areas preceding search results
• Provides links to other search engines (Google, Yahoo, DMOZ, Ask, & MSN) at bottom of search page, with invitation to try your search there as well
• Maintains stop word list; will not search for stop words unless typed as part of a phrase within quotation marks or if preceded by a (+) plus sign
• Offers short answers to simple sentence queries, but this feature doesn't work very well and can be a waste of time.

---

ASSIGNMENT:

To see how the "Giga-Bits" feature works, go to the Basic search page, and search for:

    motor vehicle emissions

Note the related subject headings and their percentages.

---

Dogpile                                                     Google

---

[Table of Contents] [Search Engines] [Metasearchers] [Subject Directories] [Gateways & Databases] [Evaluating Web Pages] [Search Strategies] [Search Tips] [Boolean Operators] [Field Searching] [Troubleshooting] [Ask] [Clusty] [Dogpile] [GigaBlast] [Google] [MSN Search] [Yahoo!] [Graveyard] [Final Exam] [Beyond Bones] [User Agreement]

Last updated by E. Chamberlain, Thursday September 07, 2006