Search Strategies

Hello everyone,

It has been a couple of weeks since we have had to make a blog post. Time to get back into the swing of things!

I have been in University for a few years now, and I have utilized both Google Scholar and Library Databases. They are both very useful and beneficial types of technological resources. However, I personally prefer the various databases the University has to offer. The University E-Resources provide the student with a much greater variety and stronger choice of academic literature. When search results appear within the database, it provides you with many different academic journals. As a researcher, you have a greater number of sources with databases than Google Scholar.

            The scholarly journals that can be obtained through library databases are much more detailed than the articles found in Google Scholar. A noticeable difference between the Library Databases and Google Scholar is that some scholarly articles gathered through Google Scholar require payment in order to view the document. Another discernable feature of Google Scholar is that it does not allow you to conduct a Boolean logic search to narrow and categorize your topic. Library Databases allow you to formulate a specific search that, in turn, leads to a greater likelihood of a student finding research aligned with his/her particular topic.

            It can be beneficial to use both the Library Databases and Google Scholar. Sometimes when researching, articles found within Library Databases cannot be accessed. Therefore, by default, I would go to Google Scholar and find the source that I could not access through the Library Databases. Another example whereby I would consult with Google Scholar is when I collect a source from a Library Database, but cannot access the document in its entirety. In addition, I would use Google Scholar in combination with Library Databases to find quality popular sources about the topic I was researching.

            In future assignments that require extensive research, I would rely on Library Databases such as JSTOR or ProQuest as they are free to access through the University website, contains peer-reviewed scholarly articles and access to all of the major academic journals in circulation.