How is Google Scholar different from library databases?
Researchers use Google Scholar as a discovery tool in conjunction with other disciplinary tools.
Google Scholar CAN be useful for:
- locating extremely recent publications
- searching the full text (when available) for deep discovery
- including materials outside a disciplinary database
However, Google & Google Scholar search only the visible internet. That means Google could miss:
- Information in subscription databases like PsycInfo
- Information in subscription content on publisher journal websites
- A comprehensive search of peer reviewed journal literature
Google & Google Scholar don't have some of the effective search features included in library databases like PsycInfo. These "cool" features include:
- Subject headings
- Abstracts
- Thesaurus and controlled vocabulary
- Tags by Age, Population Type, and Type of Study
