Monday, December 04, 2006

[practical 4 & 5; 3 resources, purposes, reflection]

Resources and Purposes
Type of Search facility: Google
Keywords used: Development in Cancer
URL: http://extoxnet.orst.edu/faqs/senspop/cancer.htm
Purpose: Information
Comments on Search Results : 142000000 search results and some relevant results.

Type of Search facility: MetaCrawler
Keywords used: Development in Cancer
URL: http://www.phrma.org/new_medicines_in_development_for_cancer/
Purpose: Information
Comments on Search Results : relevant information.

Type of Search facility: Yahoo
Keywords used: Development in Cancer
URL: http://nano.cancer.gov/meetings_events/nsti2005.asp
Purpose: Information
Comments on Search Results : 38500000 search results, not enough relevant results.

Reflections on Comparison and Evaluation on search effectiveness

1) Compare the search results. Identify 2 characteristics that make all 3 search facilities similar or different from one another.

• The number of hits defers from one another.
• Google provides more search results.
• Metacrawler actually provides other search engine that also contain the same results.

2) Do you find any strength/weakness of each of them, in terms of search capability?

• Yahoo doesn’t really give many search results that are relevant.

3) Overall, which search facility best meet your searching needs? Why?

• Google. This is because it provides me with more search results thus gives me more choices that can give more relevant answers.

4)Comment whether your research topic has any co-relation to the purposes of the resources retrieved.

• Some of the resourced retrieved are not linked to the research topic.