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Google Scholar: Comparing Google Scholar to Databases

A Tarleton Guide to using Google Scholar for research and coursework

Google Scholar Vs. Academic Databases


What are the differences between Google Scholar and Academic Databases?

Academic databases are collections of journal articles , white papers, industry reports, datasets, and more. Databases focus on specific disciplines or fields and have powerful filtering tools that allow for limiting by date, subject, language, etc.

Google Scholar is also a searchable collection of published works; books, journals and grey literature but does not contain the robust filtering tools that a database does. However, Google Scholar covers almost all disciplines and subjects. 

Pro's and Cons of Google Scholar

Google Scholar Search

Pro's

  • Accessibility: Free to use and accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
  • Broad Coverage: Indexes a wide range of scholarly articles, theses, books, conference papers, and patents.
  • User-Friendly: Simple and intuitive interface, similar to Google's main search engine.
  • Citation Tracker: Easily track citations and see how often a paper has been cited.

Con's

  • Quality control: Includes a mix of peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed content, which may require careful evaluation.
  • Limited Full-text Access: Some articles may be behind paywalls or require institutional access.
  • Search Precision: Can return a large number of irrelevant results due to broad search parameters.
  • Lack of Advance Features: Has fewer limiters or ways to narrow your search. 

Use Global Search and Academic Search Complete

Global Search

* Global Search searches approximately 70% of Tarleton's databases! (Click on "Global Search - OA & Databases" )

 

Pro's

  • Quality Assurance: Tarleton primarily includes peer-reviewed and scholarly content, from high-quality databases.
  • Full-Text Access: Provides full-text access to articles through institutional subscriptions and Open Access Content.
  • Advanced Search Options: Offers advanced search features like Boolean operators, filters, and subject-specific searches.
  • Citation Tools: Creates citations for your papers for your references
  • Stronger Filters capabilities: More filtering tools to narrow your topics such as subject, publication date, and peer-review status

Con's

  • Access Restrictions: Database Access will typically require institutional login or access, limiting use to Tarleton affiliated students and staff.
  • Learning Curve: May have a steeper learning curve due to more complex interfaces and extra search functionalities.
  • Coverage Limitations: Each database may not cover as broad a range of sources as Google Scholar, focusing more on specific disciplines or publishers.
  • Discovery: Finding the right database for research may require visiting different database subscriptions, with new search terms/keywords.