# Different search engines for different purposes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 22, 2009, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930 "2009-02-22T07:54:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jakesteele](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@jakesteele](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakesteele)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/1 "2009-02-22T07:54:55Z")
It seems like I use google because it is the best known, but I was wondering if there are different s. engines that are better than google because they specialize in certain areas? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/2 "2009-02-22T23:28:18Z")
Certainly, for specialized applications. But to say which, we’d have to know what your specialized application is. For instance, for finding scientific papers in physics or astronomy, the Harvard-Smithsonian [Astrophysical Data Service](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html) is significantly better than Google Scholar. But you won’t be able to use it to find pictures of hot celebrities or the punchline to a joke you heard. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/3 "2009-02-23T01:20:44Z")
Pubmed is good search for journal articles, especially if you search them through a computer hooked up to the campus network. Then you have a button to click that takes you directly to the article. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/4 "2009-02-23T01:34:35Z")
I’m not sure you can call databases “search engines”. I mean, yeah, Literature Resource Center will kick Google’s ass every time, but it isn’t a search engine, it’s a database your library has bought for you. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/5 "2009-02-23T01:54:42Z")
I’m not sure if that was a response to me or **KarlGrenze** , but the ADS isn’t really a database, in that the final data (the articles themselves) aren’t stored on-site, but at the sites of the various journals. ADS just helps you find them. And it’s available to the general public for free, though you probably will need an institutional subscription to read the articles once you’ve found them. Pubmed I’m not as familiar with. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@Stan\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/6 "2009-02-23T02:00:31Z")
If you use Firefox, you have no doubt seen the search engines toolbar at the top right. Many different search engines are installed by default, and you can click on Manage Search Engines to add dozens more to your heart desire, such as IMDB for movies, etc. For those of us with more esoteric searching needs, in addition to the basic search engines offered, there is an awesome Firefox extension (Add-on) called [“Add to Search Bar”](http://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3682) that allows you to quickly add any search service that uses POST to the Firefox search bar. For example, I frequently need to look up scientific names, so I have added the Integrated Taxonomy Information System (ITIS) to my search bar. Hotkeys: In Windows, Ctrl-K sets the focus to the search toolbar and Ctrl-Up or Dwn scrolls through the installed search engines ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/7 "2009-02-23T02:20:56Z")
Pubmed is not a database. Pubmed CAN link you to databases that can contain the journal article you want (if your institution is subscribed to it). [www.pubmed.org](http://www.pubmed.org) 🙂 So, **Chronos** , it looks that it is similar to ADS. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/8 "2009-02-23T15:38:41Z")
Sorry, _electronic indexes_. Still not the same thing as a search engine. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/9 "2009-02-23T18:14:43Z")
I’m not sure I see the distinction. Isn’t that all that Google is, too? Obviously, Google has a much broader scope, but in both cases, you’ve got a thing that you can put search terms into and it’ll return a bunch of links to documents which match your search. ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/10 "2009-02-23T19:31:08Z")
In today’s NYTimes: [Exploring a ‘Deep Web’ That Google Can’t Grasp](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/technology/internet/23search.html) ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/11 "2009-02-24T02:45:53Z")
If you don’t want a search engine that keeps a permanent record of your visited sites, you might consider [http://us.ixquick.com/eng/](http://us.ixquick.com/eng/) It advertises that they don’t record any visited site. I started using it several months ago and find it to be perfectly saisfacory. And before I’m accused of being a paranoid perv, between Ixquick and Anonymizer, I get about zero spam. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/12 "2009-02-24T12:51:44Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > If you don’t want a search engine that keeps a permanent record of your visited sites, you might consider > > [http://us.ixquick.com/eng/](http://us.ixquick.com/eng/) > > It advertises that they don’t record any visited site. I started using it several months ago and find it to be perfectly saisfacory. > > And before I’m accused of being a paranoid perv, between Ixquick and Anonymizer, I get about zero spam. I just tried it, looking up something as mundane as Polar Tec Shirts. No luck but what the hell, I can’t find 'em with Google, either. Bookmarked the engine, though. Thanks **Daylate**. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/13 "2009-02-24T17:06:13Z")
Of course I had to try that Polar Tec thingy in Ixquick, and here is what came up. Looks pretty good to me. > **[Your Shopping Cart](https://www.taigaworks.com/cart?c=54&m=product_list)** > > Expertly designed & crafted in Canada TAIGA® products include: Outdoor Clothing, Active Wear, Equipment for Adventure Travel & Trekking Hiking, Backpacking I have no idea why this would work for me and not you. The Internet is a wierd and wonderful place! ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/14 "2009-02-24T17:07:17Z")
Forgot to say “You’re welcome”. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/15 "2009-02-24T17:26:30Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > Of course I had to try that Polar Tec thingy in Ixquick, and here is what came up. Looks pretty good to me. > > [Your Shopping Cart – Taiga Works](https://www.taigaworks.ca/cart.php?m=product_list&c=54) > > I have no idea why this would work for me and not you. The Internet is a wierd and wonderful place! I found that one. I was looking for an older, different style, which has disappeared. But TY, anyway. Maybe, I’ll buy the newer stuff after all. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/16 "2009-02-24T17:27:13Z")
FindLaw is handy for looking up US case law. LexisNexis and Westlaw are better but require a subscription. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/17 "2009-02-24T18:37:36Z")
Good video on this: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ibvwoTma3DM/hqdefault.jpg "Scott's Stuff - Moving on from Google") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibvwoTma3DM) Brian (Scott also does great Boardgame reviews) ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/18 "2009-02-24T21:58:04Z")
There used to be an interesting image search engine that, in addition tot he standard filename and surrounding text searches, also attempted to match based one visual similarity. For example rather than providing “barn” as a search phrase and getting back images with the text “barn” in some way associated you could provide it with a picture of a barn and it would try to return other pictures. I’m sure it or similar still exist but while the results weren’t nearly perfect it was a nice way to search not provided by Google (I don’t think). But it has been several years since I had a need and I have forgotten the name and am not finding anything. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/19 "2009-02-24T22:05:46Z")
> [@Stan\_Doubt](#): > > If you use Firefox, you have no doubt seen the search engines toolbar at the top right. Many different search engines are installed by default, and you can click on Manage Search Engines to add dozens more to your heart desire, such as IMDB for movies, etc. Cool tip. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![jakesteele](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@jakesteele](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakesteele)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930/20 "2009-02-25T01:45:38Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > Cool tip. Thanks! Thanks for the input. I’m glad data bases got brought up, I hadn’t thought them. I transcribe legal depositions that deal with wide variety of industries. I spend a lot of frustrating time on google just googling around. This will be a great help. Thanks [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-search-engines-for-different-purposes/486930.md?page=2)