Emory Law School Website

Major Search Engines
Archives
The Invisible Web
Law and Government
Staying Current

Use search engines to find specific legal documents by name when you don't know the source. Be sure to scrutinize websites found for their authority and reliability. Browse directories to find links arranged by topic, jurisdiction, or source. Try using advanced search features to limit your search.

1. Google
   Google has a well-deserved reputation as the top choice for those searching the web. Google provides the option to find more than web pages, though. Using "tabs" on the top of the search box on the Google home page, you can easily seek out images from across the web, discussions that are taking place on Usenet newsgroups, scan through human-compiled information provided from the Open Directory or locate news information. Check out Google labs where ideas that aren't quite ready for prime time can be explored. Have you tried Advanced Google?  Click here to improve your Google research skills.
   
   
2. Yahoo
   Consider Yahoo any time you think you might be well served by exploring a list of human-reviewed web sites. It's also a good choice for popular queries, since the category listings it provides may help you narrow in and refine your query. Doing a pure Yahoo Directory search provides a unique human view of the web.
   
   
3. Live Search
   Launched in September 2006, Live Search is the successor to MSN Search. It offers a large, fresh, unique database; query building Advanced Search and full Boolean searching; cached copies of Web pages, including date cached; and automatic local search options. Live Search also offers an adjustable, three-point relevancy scale and a site-clustering option that defaults to showing no more than two hits per web site.  Oddly, Live Search will not let you run an advanced search before you run an initial search.
   
   
4. Librarians' Index to the Internet
   Its motto says it all: "Information You Can Trust." Features a searchable, annotated subject directory of more than 12,000 Internet resources selected and evaluated by librarians for their usefulness to users of public libraries.
   
   
   

1. The Internet Archive
   An amazing digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts. Browse the Archive or search with the Internet Archive WaybackMachine. If you've lost track of a site, chances are good that you can catch up with it here.
   
   
2. The Memory Hole
   The Memory Hole preserves material that is in danger of being lost, is hard to find, or is not widely known. It includes government files, corporate memos, court documents (lawsuits and transcripts), police reports, Congressional testimony and more. The emphasis is on material that exposes things that we're not supposed to know or that we're supposed to forget.
   
   
   

1. Deep Web Research by Marcus Zillman
   The Web contains over 900 billion pages. Currently, traditional search engines max out at about 20 billion. This site contains links and articles to help you learn more about accessing this hidden world of information.
   
   
2. Bright Planet Deep Web White Paper
   
   
3. Complete Planet Deep Web Directory
   Allows you to access some areas of the Deep Web by topic.
   
   
   

1. Cornell University’s Legal Research engine
   Easy access to authoritative legal research guides on every subject.
   
   
2. Meta-Index for U.S. Legal Research
   Georgia State Law School Library's index of many of the searchable indexes of primary US legal sources on the Internet.
   
   
3. LawCrawler
   Searches the contents of FindLaw and other law sites.
   
   
4. Megalaw
   Search the legal world wide web with LawBot the legal search engine. Find cases, codes, forms, law jobs, law reviews, law schools, bar associations, experts, CLE and more.
   
   
5. USA.gov
   Use the searchbox at the top to search federal and state government websites.
   
   
6. Google U.S. Government Search
   Searches only in the .gov and .mil domains.
   
   
   

1. Search Engine Showdown
   Compares and evaluates Internet search engines from the searcher's perspective. Developed originally as a way to keep track of search engine features and search capabilities and to share that information with others, the site has grown to include an online newsletter, statistical analysis and search strategies. Search Engine Showdown is a Greg R. Notess Web site. Notess is a writer and speaker who has been researching and covering Internet information resources since 1990.
   
   
2. Search Engine Land
   Features news and information for search engine marketing, searching issues and the search engine industry. The site is led by journalist Danny Sullivan, who has been covering web search issues for more than a decade.
   
   
3. Search Engine Watch
   Provides tips and information about searching the web, analysis of the search engine industry and help to site owners trying to improve their ability to be found in search engines.