Few people realize that the search engines and directories they use have a direct impact on how information is accessed on the world wide web. An understanding of how search engines operate will make it easier to locate needed information. This handbook looks at the way search engines are put together, how they run, and how they locate information and display it. Section I provides an introduction, section II details how search engines work, section III gives information on where and how to do research on the Internet, section IV provides information about specific directories, section V provides information about specific search engines and section VI offers insights into the future of search engines. Practical suggestions provide a research platform.