EXPLORING THE HIDDEN WEB

GET TO SITES WITH MATERIAL IN THE "DEEP" OR "INVISIBLE" WEB

Much information can be found by using a metasite to reach content-rich sites. Some of that information can also be found by using effective search engine searches. There are some areas of the web, however, that are not indexed by search engines. Such material is referred to as the deep or invisible web, and its treasures are hidden from search engines. Metasites call attention to such buried treasures.

TYPES OF MATERIAL IN THE DEEP WEB

a) Text Files - the fulltext of documents mounted in PDF (portable document format), WORD, and other text formats. (Search engines are improving indexing coverage of text documents, but some remain indexed only by their titles.)

Example 1:

From the metasite, go to "more sites on International Women's Issues, Networking, Communication, and Other Topics" ("Organizations and Other Sites Emphasizing Women's Communication, Networking, News, and Other Issues") and scroll down to "Women on the Net."

This project assists women around the world using the Internet for empowerment. After accessing their homepage, scroll down to Women on the Net (WoN)'s publications.

As you will note, many of the items link to PDF files. The Women on the Net Handbook reviews many ways women are using the Internet and offers tips on developing successful websites, training programs, etc.