Western Carolina University

WCU is a University of North Carolina Campus

Search Like the Pros:

Hunter Librarians Share Top Web Tools!

Best Search Engines | Specialized Tools | Don't Get Snookered! | Different Browser

Voted #1 Search Engine by Hunter Librarians!

Advanced search (Search tips)

Image searching

News

Specialized search engines:

for .gov sites

for .edu sites

Voted #2 Search Engine by Hunter Librarians!

Organizes results:
Example: A search for "John Bardo" separates results for the WCU Chancellor from Robert John Bardo, a stalker/killer.

Advanced search allows limits to specific types of info such as news, images, and jobs.

Runner Up

(Great news section!)

Try This New Search Engine

Uses a "visual map" to organize results.

Specialized Search Tools
Find research and educational websites.	Find sites for physical & life sciences, math, engineering, and technology.
"...well-organized, reliable, trustworthy, librarian-selected Internet resources..."	For books and articles. If you can't find what you need, try the library databases. Or get help from a reference librarian!

Don't Get Snookered!
Provides unbiased analysis of political ads. Gives no breaks to Democrats or Republicans. Discover the truth behind Penny Brown, coke, and all those other well-intentioned emails from friends.
This easy-to-use site is designed to connect lay people to reliable, high-quality medical information. Learn about drugs, diseases, and doctors as well as clinical trials and health news.

Try a Different Browser

Internet Explorer (IE) is the 800 pound gorilla of search engines because it is automatically installed on most new PCs. But just because it's the biggest, doesn't mean it's the best. This article* explains the security flaws in IE and lists pros, cons, and websites of several other browsers.

Firefox is currently the main competitor to IE and can be found on the desktops of many librarians. Click on the icon for download instructions.

*Krause, Jason. "Internet Explorers." ABA Journal 91.4 (2005): 58. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. 16 May 2005.
Off campus users must enter their names and ID numbers to access this article.