what are advantages and disadvantages of using meta search services?

Question

http://www.sou.edu/library/searchtools/

1. Go through the different articles in the section entitled HOW TO SEARCH THE INTERNET.

2. Then try out some of the search engines in the METASEARCH TOOLS section.

You should be able to draw some pretty easy conclusions from there.

If you'll re-post with your answer, someone here will be happy to critique your work.

=)

Advantages:
1. The search engines they send your search terms to (size, content, number of search engines, your ability to choose the search engines you prefer). All of them search subject directories as well as search engines and intermix results from all.
2. How they handle your search terms and search syntax (Boolean operators, phrases, and defaults they impose).
3. How they display results (ranking, aggregated into one list, or with each search engine's results reported separately).
4.You save time.
5.Can often judge which search services are more likely to have indexed pages related to your questions.
6.Will likely pick up some new hits from search engines you haven't look at.
7. Several metasearch engines will group results by topic making it easier to zero in on an answer.

Disadvantages
1.Most metasearchers are limited to simple words or phrases. The advanced features and instructions of each search engine are available only by going to the individual search-engine site.
2. Results tend to be limited to 10 to 50 hits from each search engine. The meta-searchers give the impression of being comprehensive but rarely are.
They tend to search the lesser lights and usually pick up several of the pay-for-placement search engines like Miva or Kanoodle.
3. Search engines used by the metasearcher may duplicate each other.

Excellent work. Very thorough. I cannot think of anything I'd add.

=)

Thank you Writeacher