Google Scholar and other Information Resource Tools: Constructive Analysis

Jay BhattW. W. Hagerty Library

Drexel University

What is Google Scholar?

Search tool that links to scholarly research materialshttp://scholar.google.com

Easy to search Increases visibility of scholarly literature Peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints,

abstracts and technical reports, author web pages that link their own research papers

Indexes a subset of scholarly literature in all fields. Search results include cited references

What is Google Scholar?

Literature from journal articles in different subject areas but mainly science and technology related

Many of Drexel’s subscription based databases such as ScienceDirect, and Cambridge Scientific Abstracts are searchable in GS – on campus link to full text

Provides citation information about the article Variety of academic publishers, professional

societies, preprint repositories and universities

When Google Scholar is best to use?

Initial searching for scholarly literature When a particular article from a specific journal

needed Quickly find a relevant article - search results sorted

by relevancy. Relevance ranking takes into account the full text of each article, the article's author, the publication in which the article appeared and how often it has been cited in scholarly literature.

Anticipated more “use by beginning level researchers who want a few articles on a topic rather than serious scholars who need to do thorough research using a variety of resources”http://libwww.syr.edu/instruction/questions/Google-Scholar.htm

When Google Scholar is best to use?

Article title Author name (can use quotes)

author:barsoum mw Author name and title keywords Brain storming across many disciplines Keyword searching Advanced Search feature.

Restrict your search to a single journal, search for a particular author or title, limit by years

When Google Scholar is best to use? -Examples When we know title of the paper needed

Highly-ordered carbon nanotube arrays for electronics applications. [AppliedPhysics Letters 75, 367 (1999)] GS finds it easily

Quick search on a particular topic‘Carbon Nanotube arrays’ – Nice looking resultswith citations coming from different journals including books

Quick overview of works by a particular authorauthor:bilgutay, N

Articles in a particular journal on a particular topic (Using ‘Advanced Keyword’) See: ‘Carbon Nanotubes’ in ‘Nature Materials’ http://scholar.google.com/scholar/refinesearch.html

Tips on using from Remote

On campus, takes one to full text directly from the link (provided library has subscribed to the journal)

From remote, asks for username and password or purchase article

Check the library site to see if available (based on library subscription; access by proxy, DrexelONE)

DO NOT PAY FOR THE ARTICLE – USE INTERLIBRARY LOAN

Library has paid subscriptions for thousands of journals; Google Scholar is a convenient way of finding an article but access to full text based on library subscription

Coverage in Google Scholar

What is covered? How do we know what is covered? At present, limited subset of scholarly literature. It is large, but it’s only a small fraction of what’s

available. What journals and databases are covered? How far

back? Can not browse journals Beta version – growing and has a great potential See examples in next few slides Some Humanities and Social Sciences covered but

mainly science and technology

Coverage in Google Scholar-History

America: History and life(Database subscribed by Library) Title:ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA IN LATIN AMERICA.Citation:Historical Archaeology 2004 38(1): 32-49(Not in Google Scholar)

[CITATION] Teaching the Modern African Diaspora: A Case Study of the Atlantic Slave TradeJH Sweet - Cited by 1 - Web SearchRadical History Review, 2000 (Finds only a citation in Google Scholar)

Coverage in Google Scholar- Scitech Journals Carbon nanotubes from catalytic pyrolysis of polypropylene,

Materials Chemistry and Physics, Volume 92, Issue 1, 15 July 2005, Pages 256-259 (article 1)

Thermal and mechanical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes–polypropylene composites prepared by melt

processing, Carbon, Volume 43, Issue 7, June 2005, Pages 1499-

1505 (article 2) Both articles could not be located in Google Scholar – (article 1) why?

Both articles were found in ScienceDirect (article 1)

Nanocomposites: issues at the interface  • Materials Today,

Volume 7, Issue 11, November 2004, Pages 38-42 Found in both Google Scholar and ScienceDirect

Coverage in Google Scholar-Cited References “Cited By" link. Warning: links from the Google Scholar database.

May not include all the citations of the paper cited. Use Web of Science or Science Citation Index for comprehensive searching.

[CITATION] Synthesis and characterization of a remarkable ceramic: Ti 3 SiC 2 MW Barsoum, T El-Raghy - Cited by 93 - Web SearchJ. Am. Ceram. Soc, 1996 (In Google Scholar)

BARSOUM MW J AM CERAM SOC 1996 79 1953 Cited 277 times in Science Citation Index (compared to 93 times in Google Scholar)

NOTE: Google Scholar is still in Beta version; Content is expected to increase. Time frame not clear. Keep watching.

Other Information Sources

Analysis of Google Scholarhttp://stlq.info/archives/001683.html

Undergraduate Engineering students need to develop subject background

They use online encyclopedias, handbooks, and other reference books to find properties

Online reference material is available in other resources NOT Google Scholar. For example:

ENGnetBASE, NEUROSCIENCEnetBASE, ENVIROnetBASE, INFOSECURITYnetBASE, MATERIALSnetBASE, and Knovel

Other Information Sources - Ei Compendex/INSPEC Example:’Onaral’ and ‘Drexel’ in Google Scholar finds

61 citations Ei Compendex (Engineering Index) and INSPEC

combined finds 132 citations Both Ei and INSPEC cover several conference

proceedings that are not yet indexed in GS Engineering Village2 - access to electronic books

through ENGnetBASE and Referex ; not in GS Citation to the books may be found but not Full text

chapters Useful for Undergraduate students for developing

subject background

Other Information Resources – MAD CAD MAD CAD used by our Senior Design students.

Subscription based MAD-CAD contains the building codes.

MAD-CAD provides access to a comprehensive cross-referenced collection of building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fire, maintenance codes from BOCA, SBCCI, ICBO, ICC, and NFPA.

This comprehensive set of codes is important for architectural, engineering and educational solutions.

Computer Science/IST - Books24x7, Safari, Lecture Notes in Computer Science - are important not yet available in Google Scholar..

Other Information Resources –Online Handbooks and Encyclopedias Online Encyclopedias

Ullmann's encyclopedia of industrial chemistry [electronic resource] Encyclopedia of biomaterials and biomedical engineering [electronic resource] Encyclopedia of medical genomics and proteomics [electronic resource]

Encyclopedia of optical engineering [electronic resource]

(Full text not in GS; Students can find very useful information here to help them understand concepts better)

Other Information Resources –Online Handbooks and Encyclopedias Knovel -Database of some of the leading engineering

reference handbooks, databases, and conference proceedings.

Provides tabular and graphical data, including facts, figures, formulas and definitions

[BOOK] Electrical construction databookRB Hickey, B Hickey - Library Search - Web SearchMcGraw-Hill Professional Publishing, 2001

DOI: 10.1036/0256246394RT by Category - Web Search... 1999 $123.75 US Product Line: McGraw-Hill by... dx.doi.org (Sorry - The product you requested is no longer available, restricted, or is out of print) –in GS

Book full text in Knovel

Other Information Resources-Business and Entrepreneurship CORPTECH – High Tech companies in specific

technology areas such as ‘Biotechnology’ and ‘Photonics’ Extended profiles, including financial information

and business practices. Finds company information in specific industries

dealing with biosensors and bioelectronics Very useful resource for students looking for

coops, jobs, researching on innovative technologies, business start-ups and market research

Other Information Resources-Business and Entrepreneurship Business and Industry Information Statistical information through Tablebase

Statistical/tabular data on companies, industries, products, countries and markets.

Limiting by Industry such as ‘broadcasting’, concept term such as ‘company forecasts’, plus more

Business and Industry Information, Tablebase and Business source Premier, Countrywatch and Faulkner's Advisory for IT Studies (FAITS) are unique resources not in GS at present– Many more offered through Library’s subscription

Other Information Resources – Online Bibliographies Refworks – importing references into Refworks need

subscription based database At present, no importing through GS Students need to create bibliography Refworks helps Shared citations through Refworks among

group members Refworks help organize citations through different

folders; citations are saved for later use Library offers workshop on Refworks

Conclusions

Google Scholar is a Beta version Improvement and better features are expected Quick and easy to search Useful research tool Depending on your information need, select your

resource Valuable supplement but certainly not a substitute More important than ever that researchers know how

to search effectively and think critically http://www.library.gardner-webb.edu/googlescholar.htm

Additional Links

About Google Scholar and FAQ Carol Tenopir, "Google in the Academic Library," Library

Journal, February 2005, Vol.130 Issue 2,p.32 Brian Kenney, "Googlizers vs. Resistors," Library Journal,

December 2004, Vol. 129, Issue 20, p.44-46. Shirl Kennedy and Gary Price, "

Web Search--Google Big News: 'Google Scholar' is Born," Resourceshelf.com, Thursday, November 18, 2004.

Barbara Quint, "Google Scholar Focuses on Research-Quality Content," Information Today, Inc., November 22, 2004.

Danny Sullivan, "Google Scholar Offers Access to Academic Information," SearchEngineWatch, November 18, 2004.

Additional Links

Peter Jasco, " Peter's Digital Reference Shelf," December 2004

Andrew Goodman, "Google Scholar vs. Real Scholarship“

Jay Bhatt, “Google Scholar – Commentary by Jay Bhatt”

Adina Mulliken and Abby Kasowitz-Scheer, “Google Scholar”

Questions and other ideas Email: bhattjj@drexel.edu Phone: 215 895-1873

Hagerty Library, Office 121 inside suite 127 Tim Siftar – Education/IST Lib – siftar@drexel.edu