Library Databases
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Contain content that has been paid for (licensed). These licenses let you access information that would otherwise be behind a paywall.
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Databases have a scope, meaning a database only contains content based on what they decide to collect. Content varies among databases and may be subject area-specific or general across many disciplines. A database might include specific formats like videos or newspapers or contain only information from particular journals.
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Databases often use controlled vocabulary to organize the content. Controlled vocabulary is sometimes called subject headings, thesaurus terms, or MeSH terms. When searching a database, results are more precise if you use matching vocabulary.
Google Scholar
- Google Scholar is an indexer. It uses bots to follow links or online chains to find content. The search engine won't find a website if it is solitarily created and isn't linked or referenced anywhere else.
- Because it searches broadly, it can include a large range of content, including open-access publications that wouldn't be included in paid-for databases. This is one reason it's possible to find content in Google Scholar and not in a library database.
- Google Scholar can locate search terms using natural language or the multitude of ways someone might talk about a topic. This ability enables Google Scholar to find articles using terms that might not work well in a database that uses controlled vocabulary.
- Google Scholar has limited filtering options, and it might be difficult to narrow a search appropriately.
- If you find an article in Google Scholar, one good idea is to search for that title in the databases to ensure it is a reputable source.
Searching both library databases and Google Scholar is a good research practice.