Not all research is created equal; take time to make informed research decisions.
Google scholar is a good resource for general - and wide - coverage of a topic. Indexed are “research articles and abstracts from most major academic publishers and repositories worldwide, including both free and subscription sources” (Google Scholar). Not all of what is found will be accessible to users, nor will it be appropriate for research purposes. Even after adjusting settings to return Archer Library results, only a small percentage of resources available to Archer Library users will be returned in Google Scholar.
Archer Library databases provide results of a higher quality for research. Within a library database, you have access to scholarly and peer-reviewed articles written by experts in the field. They also include other published works such as practitioner journals, magazines, newspapers, images, and primary sources.
Selecting a subject specific database, such as Education Research Complete or Education Full Text, will provide solid research results. When determining to search more than one resource, make the selection within the database or use OneSearch.
OneSearch is Archer Library’s discovery layer; it provides opportunity for users to search multiple library collections including Ebsco and other selected databases, Archer library and OhioLINK catalog records, e-book collections, and digital resources in a single search box. OneSearch “features and functionality that guide a student to select, evaluate and implement relevant and reliable information in an ethical manner” (Ebsco, 2019) while conducting research.
Google. (n.d.). Google Scholar search tips: Content coverage. Retrieved January 9, 2020 from https://scholar.google.com/intl/en/scholar/help.html#coverage
Ebsco Discovery Service (2020). The Google generation is at your library’s door: How (information) literate are today’s college students? [White Paper]. Retrieved from https://www.ebsco.com/sites/g/files/nabnos191/files/acquiadam-assets/The-Google-Generation-is-at-Your-Library-Door-White-Paper.pdf
Ebsco Industries, Inc. (2019, June 12). Breaking Down Discovery Platforms and Information Literacy [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.ebsco.com/blog/article/breaking-down-discovery-platforms-and-information-literacy