Quick Search Guide

I need ...

a few good hits fast

Try one of these for comprehensive coverage with good relevancy
Google | Yahoo | All the Web

Australian information only

Many of the larger search engines have specific Australian engines. You may need to click on an Australia only search button for some of these.
Google |  OzSearch | Yahoo | Sensis | Anzwers

Australian government information

Access information and services of the Australian, State, Territory & Local governments

basic facts

Infoplease and Answers allow searching across various almanacs, encyclopedias, dictionaries and atlases

images

Google images
Picture Australia for images of Australia

maps

Atlapedia has political and physical maps including factual information on each country.

statistics

Australian Bureau of Statistics
International statistics

info about a famous person

Biography Centre  |  Infoplease Biographies

a word spelling or meaning

A dictionary will provide correct spelling and meanings of words

good links compiled by subject experts

Weblinks compiled by NCI library staff.
Librarian's Index to the Internet
WWW Virtual Library

Searching Tips

I can't find anything

Your search may be too narrow or too broad. more

I need help in using keywords

Some search engines have special features to help you with your search. more

I need help to rerun a search I did before

The history button on your toolbar lists recent searches. more

I need help in choosing sites to look at

You will need to evaluate your search results for relevancy to your search. more

Technical Information

I want to know ...

what is a search engine?

A program that allows you to search for information on the web. more

what are the best search engines?

There isn't a 'best' search engine. Some are better than others at locating particular information. more

how do search engines work?

Search engines use programs called spiders to trawl the web looking for web sites. more

what is an advanced search?

A search option for making your searches more precise. more

what is the invisible web?

That part of the web not indexed by search engines. more