From: "Erwin, Patricia J." <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:47:46 -0500

There is a great deal of difference between coverage and search retrieval
that can be documented so that it can be replicated. Word order, terms
included, unknown filters can all make the exact search very different
performed on my office workstation, or my home laptop.

Patricia J. Erwin, MLS
Lead Reference Librarian
Mayo Clinic Libraries
Email: [log in to unmask]
_______________________________
Mayo Clinic
200 First Street SW
Rochester, MN 55905
www.mayoclinic.org


-----Original Message-----

Subject: Re: Google Scholar rather than academic data bases?
From: Xiaotian Chen <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2012 08:02:29 -0500

I did two empirical studies comparing Google Scholar and
subscription-based databases.  My findings/conclusions are that there
are virtually no journals GS does not cover, and that traditional
indexes and abstracts have lost their value.

Here are the citations of the 2 studies:

Chen, Xiaotian. (2010). Google Scholar's Dramatic Coverage Improvement
Five Years after Debut. Serials Review. 36 (4), 221-226.

Chen, Xiaotian. (2010). The Declining Value of Subscription-Based
Abstracting and Indexing Services in the New Knowledge Dissemination
Era. Serials Review. 36 (2), 79-85.

---
Xiaotian Chen
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois, USA
http://hilltop.bradley.edu/~chen/



On Wed, Sep 12, 2012 at 5:48 AM, LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> From: Ken Masters <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2012 14:13:00 +0400
>
> Hi All
>
> When conducting literature reviews, especially systematic literature
> reviews, academic researchers usually consult a number of data bases
> (Medline, EBSCO, etc.).  Given that Google Scholar indexes so much, is

> there any reason to use these other data bases at all, rather than to
> simply go to Google Scholar?
>
> I am aware that some of these data bases allow for a more detailed
> type of search (e.g. terms found in abstract only, etc), but if I were

> doing a search for all articles that have, for example, "mobile
> learning" in the their text, would it not make more sense to simply
> perform that initial search in Google Scholar, and ignore the other
> academic databases?  What reference could they offer me that Google
> Scholar doesn't?
>
> (And yes, I'm aware, that Google Scholar will pull up far more grey
> literature, but that is part of the manual sifting process that I
> would have to perform anyway.).
>
> Does anyone know of a comparison study that has been performed?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Regards
>
> Ken
>
> Dr. Ken Masters
> Asst. Professor: Medical Informatics
> Medical Education Unit
> College of Medicine & Health Sciences
> Sultan Qaboos University
> Sultanate of Oman
> E-i-C: The Internet Journal of Medical Education