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| Using Yahoo Pipes to Increase Search Efficiency Richard Torian December 22, 2009 Section 1. Introduction. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how using Yahoo Pipes can significantly enhance the efficiency of searching the Internet, compared to searching done customarily from a search engine’s home page. In Section 2, an explanation is provided on how this search efficiency is achieved. In section 3, examples are provided with the following searches: 1. Finding accounting standards; 2. Finding auditing standards; and 3. Finding tax laws, rules, and regulations. Section 2. Explanation on Using Yahoo Pipes for Increasing Search Efficiency. The Yahoo Pipes Search Product utilizes several strings of search terms which are related to the search objective. For example, if the objective is to find accounting standards, examples of search strings used would be “accounting standards”, “accounting procedures”, and “accounting methods”. In addition, several other search strings would be used. Before the set of strings are used in a search, the user of the Yahoo Pipes Search Product will add a term, or terms, to enhance the specificity of the search. For example, if the user is seeking accounting standards related to inventory, the term “inventory” is inserted in the search box. Once the search is initiated, each search string, with the added search term appended to the string, will simultaneously search the Internet and deliver the results down the Yahoo pipe. In other words, a dozen, or more searches, each with terms related to the search objective, are carried out simultaneously to deliver the results to the user. In addition, the search results coming down the Yahoo pipe are filtered to remove lesser relevant results. One way of doing this is to include only terms wanting to be seen in the title or by blocking subjects not wanted to be seen in the results. Section 3. Examples Where Using the Yahoo Pipes Search Product Increases Search Efficiency. 1. Finding Accounting Standards. Click here to see the results of using the Yahoo Pipes Search Product to find accounting standards related to revenue. The search product shows the results of a search where the term “revenue” is used to focus the search for accounting standards on that term. The user can replace revenue with another term (or terms) for which accounting standards information is being sought. A link to this Yahoo Pipes Search Product has been added to these Management Accounting Information Center content pages in order to assist the visitor to these pages in finding information about accounting standards: http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Accounting_Standards.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Government_Accounting.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Fixed_Assets_Accounting.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Mergers_Accounting.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Environmental_Accounting.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Non_Profits.html 2. Finding Auditing Standards. Click here to see the results of using the Yahoo Pipes Search Product to find auditing standards related to inventory. The search product shows the results of a search where the term “inventory” is used to focus the search for auditing standards on that term. The user can replace revenue with another term (or terms) for which auditing standards information is being sought. A link to this Yahoo Pipes Search Product has been added to these Management Accounting Information Center content pages in order to assist the visitor to these pages in finding information about auditing standards: http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Auditing_Internal_Control.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Auditing_United_States.html 3. Finding Tax Laws, Rules, and Regulations. Click here to see the results of using the Yahoo Pipes Search Product to find tax laws, rules, and regulations related to inventory. The search product shows the results of a search where the term “inventory” is used to focus the search for tax laws, rules, and regulations on that term. The user can replace revenue with another term (or terms) for which tax laws, rules, and regulations information is being sought. A link to this Yahoo Pipes Search Product has been added to these Management Accounting Information Center content pages in order to assist the visitor to these pages in finding information about tax laws, rules, and regulations: http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Taxes_Federal.html http://www.informationforaccountants.com/Taxes_State.html Section IV. Conclusions. Although the Yahoo Pipes Search Product being described in this article certainly does not achieve 100% efficiency by returning all relevant documents and websites related to the search terms, the efficiency that is obtained is believed to be much better than the customarily search, conducted at a search engine home page, would obtain. The author’s experience suggests that to obtain the same results of the Yahoo Pipes Search Product described in this article, several searches would be needed using the customary phrase searching conducted at a search engine home page. |