Characteristics and working of Meta-search engines

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Search engines

Everybody knows what a search engine basically is, wanna find out about something type it in the search box, press enter and boom! You get what you were looking for.
A search engine is a web application that is used by the people to search out information. Google is the most popular search engine world wide. It supports multiple languages, produces result in various formats such as images, graphs, videos etc. Example of other search engines are yahoo, ask, bing etc.

Meta-search engines

Not many are aware of meta-search engines. It is also a web search tool which sends the searches request into several other search engine and provide the user a single display of results according to their sources.

It works on the criteria that a web is very large consisting of several webpages. There is no database within the database of meta-search engines and directories, but other search engines.

Advantages

1. It access several search engines on the basis of the entered request.

2. User does not have to use multiple search engine for detailed information as meta-search engine provide multiple search results in single display.

3. Meta-search engine produces more aggregated information in less time.

Disadvantages

1. The output display is connected to other search engines, if any of them is busy or unreachable it effects the result to be displayed.

2. The success of meta-search engine depends upon the number of search engine to which it is connected and its connectivity status.

3. Meta-search engine produces limited number of queries, and hence the user does not get sufficient result.

Working of meta-search engine

A meta search engine performs an exclusive search and provide more productive result to the user. The working procedure of meta-search engine is quite different from other search engines. As the search is entered by the user, meta-search engine passes it to other search engines to which it is connected. It produces the output of related topics according to their sources.

Characteristics of meta-search engine

1. Quality: The quality of a meta-search engine can not be assume. However, it depends on the number of search engines it uses to produce the final outcome. A meta-search engine with less number of high quality search engines is preferred.

2. Fast and efficient: A meta-search is able to provide more effective result as compared to a search engine in the same amount of time.

3. Focus: The meta-search engine only focuses on the requested query other than the related unnecessary details which is usually provided by the search engines.

4. Subset: Some meta-search engines provide a very effective aggregated result display in a specific field, as it is a subset of other search engines it can provide more information vastly.

5. Effectiveness: Meta-search engines are more effective and produces more productive results. It can access several search engines without affecting its internal working.