Related Links:
Find UConn's journal titles:
Search library databases to find citations:
Google Scholar
What You Really Need to Know
- Google
Scholar Login (for UConn's full text)
--
Allows you to access items
held in UConn's subscription databases when you search
Google Scholar. Log in above, Google your topic,
then click on the
UConn Full-Text link when you find
an article.
- What is Google Scholar? Google Scholar (nicknamed "Schoogle")
is a free Web site that finds citations to scholarly articles,
papers, and books using Google technology. It has links
to UConn's electronic subscriptions of full text of articles,
and it identifies nearby libraries containing a books.
Google Scholar can be convenient for a quick search, allows you to do limited cross-database searching, and can point you to materials you might not have found otherwise, but it does NOT replace library databases. Browse Google Scholar anytime at http://scholar.google.com/, but use the UConn log in above if you want to access UConn's full-text articles.
Consider This When Using Google Scholar
"I like the way Google Scholar finds books in nearby libraries." Yes, but . . .
If you like this feature, then check out a library database called WorldCat. It does the same thing, but it includes many more useful items, gives more complete descriptions, and has easy-to-use yet powerful searches. It is especially useful for finding music. Also, you can request interlibrary loans through WorldCat.
"I like the way Google Scholar finds books at UConn." Yes, but . . .
Google Scholar is convenient (and will improve), but remember that only a fraction of UConn's materials are in Google Scholar. HOMER lists everything. Also, when it comes to music, HOMER has superior search and display capabilities.
"It's great that I can find journal articles and link to the full text." Yes, but . . .
This feature indeed has strong potential and is already useful, but please remember the following:
Articles are NOT free.
UConn has has electronic subscriptions
to some titles. UConn students, faculty, and staff can
access those articles by logging on first at Google
Scholar Login (for UConn's full text) or working
at an on-campus computer (non-wireless). However, if UConn does
not subscribe, you will not be able to access the article.
UConn's databases have ADDITIONAL full-text articles (not
in Google Scholar).
Google Scholar does NOT list all of UConn's full-text articles.
You WILL miss citations if you only search Google Scholar. Likewise,
Google Scholar may list some of UConn's articles, but links to full-text
articles do not always work, or there may not be any links. Those same
articles may be available through the library's electronic and print
subscriptions. Go to the eJournal Locator and HOMER to look up
specific journal titles. Also search UConn's drama
and music databases to find
hundreds of article citations and links to full
text.
"Google Scholar is so easy. Just type and go." Yes, but . . .
While Google Scholar is attractive in its simplicity, it currently offers no way to focus your search. Ultimately, this wastes your time and keeps you from finding material most suited to your needs. Library databases such as RILM, Music Index, JSTOR, and HOMER (the library catalog) have sophisticated features that allow more precise searching. For example, in RILM you can limit your search by broad classification (e.g., theory, pedagogy, or history), date, or publication type (dissertation, review, book, or article). You can use specialized (standardized) musical terms, search specific fields (e.g., journal title), and display and manipulate information in a variety of ways.
"Google Scholar tells me who else cited this source!" Yes, but . . .
This is a nifty feature (and is often critical in research), but Google Scholar's "Cited By's" are startlingly incomplete. Specialized library databases find significantly more "cited by" references and have powerful search and display features. (We have not yet compared results to see if Google Scholar finds additional cites.) Here is more information about citation indexes in the arts.
"I love how Google Scholar lists everything all in one place." Yes, but . . .
One-stop shopping sounds great, and the UConn Libraries will someday offer a similar service. Indeed, Google Scholar allows users to search across some full-text databases or sites at once (e.g., JSTOR, Project Muse, and some publisher sites). That is handy, even if the searches are crude. It is also convenient to just "pop into" Google Scholar and run a quick search. This sort of activity can be part of an effective search strategy involving both Google Scholar and subscription databases. Just remember that Google Scholar does not list everything (not even close!), and it may not have the best materials for your needs. Specialized databases are often the better choice for specialized needs.
"I can do all my research with Google Scholar now!" Yes, but . . .
Google Scholar finds some materials that you might not have found otherwise. Still, caveat emptor.
Google Scholar omits many significant
resources.
Google Scholar excludes many
resources (e.g., many full text articles, plus citations to
thousands of additional articles, books, essays, etc.) and
does not indicate what is included (e.g., dates covered,
publishers, etc.). Preliminary tests in the library show
that Google Scholar is NOT retrieving a good amount of
material. Try comparing author and title searches in Google
Scholar and specialized music
databases. The omissions are stunning. See Google Scholar reviews below for more information.
(Google Scholar's scope notes and content will probably improve
over time.)
Google Scholar is just one starting
point.
Google Scholar holds much potential
and may find useful material, but it does NOT replace HOMER
or specialized bibliographic databases. You will miss too
much otherwise. "Relying exclusively on any single source
is not recommended. Rigorous academic research requires
thorough searching across databases, varying your search
strategy to include synonyms and alternate spellings of
keywords, utilizing appropriate subject headings supplied
by the database, and understanding the breadth and depth of
literature indexed by each database. The library's
databases have been carefully selected to provide
comprehensive, retrospective and timely access to scholarly
literature" (from Google
Scholar vs. Library Databases at Oberlin, accessed
December 10, 2004).
Remember:
- To find library journals: eJournal Locator and HOMER
- To search library databases: drama, music, or all
Google Scholar Search Strategies
- Prefixes. Try using prefixes to limit your terms to a particular field. (Results are spotty.) This section may be obsolete since Google Scholar has added new search boxes. Check Google Scholar Help for other search strategies.
author: (e.g., author:antokoletz) Add other terms, such as author:antokoletz bartok.
intitle: (e.g., intitle:dreams)
site: (e.g., site:www.lib.uconn.edu) You may need the complete domain name. Also, some information providers have more than one domain name .)
- Resource Discovery. Use Google Scholar to identify books, articles, Web pages, publishers, and library resources that you might not have found otherwise. ALSO consult library catalogs and databases since they are more comprehensive and organized.
- Full-Text Searching. Library databases (each containing some full-text journals) and publishers' journal Web sites have better full-text searching, but Google Scholar lets you search across some of our full-text databases all at once. It's a handy albeit imperfect feature.
- Find Books at UConn and in Other
Libraries. TAKE NOTE: Google
and Google Scholar only have a few books listed so far
and they don't display the items' complete descriptions.
For faster and more complete results, search HOMER and WorldCat.
Still, Google and Google Scholar will improve on all
fronts. If you want a preview of things to come, go to
Google Scholar, search for a book, then click on its
title. Enter your zip code. You will see a list of nearby
libraries containing the books (broaden the list by
clicking on "regional"). UConn will also be listed if it
has the book. Click on the institution's name then search
its catalog to find the call number, library location,
and circulation status. (Note: WorldCat
does all of these things but is more complete and has a
powerful, easy-to-use search engine that is especially
useful when searching for music.)
Google Scholar's Sources
Below are some library services and publishers known to be participating in Google Scholar.
- Open WorldCat Program
- [Selectively] makes records of library-owned materials in OCLC's WorldCat database available to Web users on popular Internet search, bibliographic and bookselling sites. Here is a link to the "real" WorldCat (more complete and robust).
- CrossRef Search Pilot
- “The purpose of the Pilot, which will run during 2004, is to determine the value to the scholarly community of a free, federated, full-text, interdisciplinary, interpublisher search focused on the peer-reviewed scholarly literature” (pilot Web site). “In partnership with Google search technologies, participating publishers’ Web sites will offer search results that link to content via digital object identifiers (DOIs) or URLs. Publishers’ full-text content also will show up in results in the main Google.com index” (Library Journal Academic News Wire, 11 May 2004). The pilot includes at least five publishers of music journals: Blackwell Publishing, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Taylor & Francis, and University of California Press. This represents at least twenty-five scholarly music journals.
Reviews and Articles
- Google Scholar guide (PDF) distributed at UConn music faculty meeting December 2004.
- Google Scholar vs. Library Databases (from Oberlin) Inspired the creation of this page.
- Google Scholar Beta, reviewed at Péter's Digital Reference Shelf - December (tested November 18-27, 2004) Links dead 10/3/08.
- Google Scholar Focuses on Research-Quality Content by Barbara Quint at Information Today, Inc. (November 22, 2004).
- Google Offers Google Scholar (November 18, 2004)
- Big News: "Google Scholar" is Born by Shirl Kennedy and Gary Price at ResourceShelf (November 18, 2004) Links dead 10/3/08.
- Google Scholar vs. Real Scholarship at Traffick: Minding the Search Engine Business (November 18, 2004)
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This page was found at http://www.lib.uconn.edu/music/schoogle.html.