IRIS 42: Information and Research Instruction Suite for two-year colleges

Google Scholar

An exceptional Exception

Let's be fair here: Google Scholar is an impressive tool, a tool with which you should become familiar. Google Scholar is an index that looks like a search engine. Through partnering with publishers and scholars, Google Scholar provides access to many thousands of articles as well as books.

Use Google Scholar in addition to, not instead of, your library's databases.

The following chart compares some of the features of the library's periodicals indexes and Google Scholar.

Library Indexes and Google Scholar
Library Indexes Google Scholar
Some (possibly all) full text Some (not all) full text
No ads No ads
Depending on the index, access to newspapers and magazines as well as scholarly journals. Primarily access to scholarly journals and books
Libraries pay an annual subscription fee Google partners with publishers
Libraries can borrow articles, usually for free Links to publishers may include offers to sell the article (Do not buy articles online - your library can get articles for you, usually for free.)
Some indexes focus on specific subject areas. Advanced search provides limiting to broad subjects.
Sophisticated searching options. Sophisticated searching options.


Next >>