How Search Tools WorkGenerally when you are searching for information on the World Wide Web you will be using a Subject Guide (Directory), Search Engine, or Meta Search Engine. One general commonality amongst the search tools is that they will all have an Input Screen, a Database, and a Results Screen.Note: some Subject Guides (Directories) won't let you search them and they'll just be link lists. (I'm not a big fan of these).
The input screen will just about always have at least a search box and submit button that look something like this: Essentially all you do is click in the search box so that the appears. Once it is there type in the word or words you are going to search on and then click the search button. (Note: click the search button that's close to the Search box not the one on the toolbar).
In General you won't actually see the database, but what's in it matters more than just about anything. The database is the area where a Search Tool stores information that is being searched. A search tool doesn't go out and look all over the web when each new search takes place, rather the search tool collects information beforehand and stores it in a place known as the database. When you do a search you are merely searching this area (don't get upset - these databases can be HUGE). Some databases contain the full text from a website, some contain only short descriptions, some contain all the words-images-sounds, etc. etc.. It will help you immensely to know what it is you're searching. For example, ever wonder why you seem to get a lot of sites that have nothing to do with the word or words your searched for - well if you're looking in a full text search tool like HotBot or AltaVista it could be because the words you're looking for show up "somewhere" on the page.
The Results screen will generally be a list of URL's or Categories (if you're working with directories). Results screens are also sometimes called "hit" lists as these are the pages that were "hit" when a certain term was used. In the example below from HotBot, there are three hits from a Search I did on "toy poodle breeders"
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