Web metasearch engines. A comparative study on search capabilities using an evaluation check‐list
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520710764087 |
| Date | 26 June 2007 |
| Pages | 300-309 |
| Published date | 26 June 2007 |
| Author | Alireza Isfandyari Moghaddam |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Web metasearch engines
A comparative study on search capabilities
using an evaluation check-list
Alireza Isfandyari Moghaddam
Department of Library and Information Sciences, Islamic Azad University,
Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Purpose – Metasearch engines (MSEs) which have been designed to solve problems of internet users
in finding relevant resources are not seemingly as recognized as the other web search tools such as
search engines (SEs) and directories. As a result, this paper aims to compare and evaluate some of
them in terms of search features included in their interface so that users can be familiar with these
search tools.
Design/methodology/approach – This research compares and evaluates 20 general MSEs in
English, which are free of charge, based on a researcher-made checklist. Finally, those MSEs which
have better search features have been introduced.
Findings – According to results obtained, it is self-evident that most MSEs offer an excellent
alternative for users.
Research limitations/implications – MSEs which have great features and high facilities are not
necessarily user-friendly. So, usability studies or user-oriented ones on MSEs seem to be required.
Practical implications – Hopefully, these findings help users choose and make use of an MSE, MSE
developers design more efficient and effective ones and information professionals identify and retrieve
high relevant documents, meeting their information needs.
Originality/value – This paper provides clear and relatively comprehensive descriptive evidence for
evaluating search facilities and potentials of MSEs which are commonly used by internet users today.
Keywords Search engines,User interfaces, Information research,Information retrieval, Internet
Paper type Case study
Introduction
Though a latecomer in the internet family, the web has rapidly gained popularity and
become the second most widely used application of the internet (Courtois, 1995; Quoted
in Chu and Rosenthal, 1996). The publicity web has gained is so great that many people
naively equate it with the internet. The friendly user interface and the hypermedia
features of web have been attracting a significant number of users as well as
information providers. As a result, the web has become a sea of all kinds of data,
making any query into the huge information reservoir extremely difficult. In order to
overcome this difficulty in retrieving information from web, more than two dozen
companies and institutions quickly developed various search aids. Human efforts to
deal with web information retrieval can be traced back to more than a decade. In early
1990s, before browsers come into world, there was WAIS (Wide Area Information
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
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Special thanks to Professors Mehri Parirokh and Mohammad Reza Davarpanah and Dr Vahid
Ranjbar for their useful guidance. Also, I would like to appreciate Mrs Ameneh Beheshti.
OIR
31,3
300
Refereed article received
4 September 2006
Approved for publication
15 October 2006
Online Information Review
Vol. 31 No. 3, 2007
pp. 300-309
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1468-4527
DOI 10.1108/14684520710764087
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