1. Val Forrestal
S.C. Williams Library
11/9/11

2. What is the deep web?
 Dynamic content (usually stored in protected databases,
changes frequently)
 Dynamic (session-based) or deep urls
 Files other than simple text-based formats (pictures,
videos, software, PDFs)
 Content behind a paywall (subscription services like The
New York Times or Wall Street Journal)
 Raw data (also stored in databases, requires a special
“language” to query, like SQL)
 Social content (blog posts/comments,
twitter/facebook/google+ updates, RSS feeds)

3. Deep web search tips:
 Vertical searching: there are search engines built
specifically to index certain kinds of information
 Split level searching: you can do a general search to
find the right search engine for a topic or kind of data
 Add the keywords database, directory or search to your
query
 Instead of searching for animal, search for animal
database, animal directory or animal search

4. Resources/contact:
 library.stevens.edu/DeepWeb
 libanswers.stevens.edu
 valerie.forrestal@stevens.edu