Presentation as part of the Alvin Sherman Library instructional Boot Camp series.

1. VERSUS
Trisha Prevett
Reference Librarian
Library Boot Camp Series
Spring 2014

2. TOPICS COVERED
How search engines and Google
work
Google Scholar
How library databases work
Similarities & Differences
When to use Google or Library tools
Tips & Tricks to searching

6. GOOGLE SCHOLAR
Same algorithms as regular Google, focuses
on locating “academic papers”
Journals (open access especially)
Conference papers
Theses & Dissertations
Books
Technical reports
NO PEER REVIEWED OPTION
How is this information reviewed for inclusion?

7. GOOGLE VS GOOGLE SCHOLAR
 How do they compare to each other? Let’s try it!
 Search smoking and teenagers and depression in
both:
 www.google.com
 www.nova.edu/library/main GS tab (5th)

9. LIBRARY DATABASES
 Paid for collections of information that are searchable
 Library pays vendors like ProQuest, Ebsco & Gale for
their searchable databases that contain publishers’
information
 eBooks
 Dissertations
 Articles from newspapers, magazines, scholarly
journals
 Encyclopedias, dictionaries
 These types of information are NOT viewable from
Google

10. SEARCHING LIBRARY DATABASES
 Most default to advanced
search pages with multiple
boxes
 Can do keyword searches by
using AND OR NOT
 Direct database where to
search for these
keywords
 Anywhere in the text
 Title
 Abstract
 Author
 Many many options to control
and limit searches
 Date
 Publication type
 Scholarly & Peer
Reviewed
 Methodology and others
 Let’s try it with the same
smoking teenagers and
depression topic!

11. SIMILARITIES
 Both have keyword searching capabilities
 Both use algorithms to sort results
 Provide access to information

12. DIFFERENCES
 Never see the payment page for information (if you do
it’s a fluke, let us know)
 We can get you a copy through Interlibrary Loan
 Our resources are “librarian approved”
 Google just indexes information does not “judge” it
 Google’s algorithms look at your location, previous
searches and other histories to target and push you
results

13. USES
 Need reliable information? Use LIBRARY
RESOURCES
 Need to locate obscure information and can’t find it?
Check Google Scholar then regular Google
 Looking for statistics? Check out government websites
 www.nces.ed.gov Education Statistics
 www.cdc.gov.nchs Health Statistics
 Do a Google search with topic site: .gov
 Looking for peer reviewed journal articles? Use library
databases!

14. RECAP
Google & GS is OK when looking for
government information or obscure information
Library databases are best when you need
high quality, peer reviewed information
Our databases provide access to many
publications that you can only get through
publishers
Our resources provide free and equal access
to information, not like Google