How Scholarly is How Scholarly is ? ?

A Comparison of Google Scholar to A Comparison of Google Scholar to Library DatabasesLibrary Databases

Jared L. Howland | Thomas C. Wright | Rebecca A. Boughan | Brian C. RobertsJared L. Howland | Thomas C. Wright | Rebecca A. Boughan | Brian C. RobertsBrigham Young UniveristyBrigham Young Univeristy

IntroductionIntroduction

Literature ReviewLiterature Review

MethodologyMethodology

Subject specialistsSubject specialists

How does the How does the acquisition and use of a acquisition and use of a

second language in second language in children affect their children affect their general cognitive general cognitive

development?development?

(bilingual* OR L2) AND(bilingual* OR L2) AND(child* OR toddler) AND (child* OR toddler) AND

“cognitive “cognitive development”development”

Linguistic and Language Linguistic and Language Behavior AbstractsBehavior Abstracts

Academic Academic DisciplineDiscipline Database QueryDatabase Query Library DatabaseLibrary Database

ScienceScience

(ACL or “anterior cruciate (ACL or “anterior cruciate ligament*”) and injur* and (athlet* ligament*”) and injur* and (athlet* or sport or sports) and (therap* or or sport or sports) and (therap* or

treat* or rehab*)treat* or rehab*)

SportDiscusSportDiscus

ScienceSciencelung cancer and (etiol* or caus*) lung cancer and (etiol* or caus*)

and (cigarette* or smok* or and (cigarette* or smok* or nicotine*)nicotine*)

MedlineMedline

ScienceScience ““dark matter” and evidencedark matter” and evidence Applied Science and Applied Science and Technology AbstractsTechnology Abstracts

Social ScienceSocial Science

(“fast food” or mcdonald’s or (“fast food” or mcdonald’s or wendy’s or “burger king” or wendy’s or “burger king” or

restaurant) and franchis* and restaurant) and franchis* and (knowledge n3 transfer or (knowledge n3 transfer or

“knowledge management” or train*)“knowledge management” or train*)

Business Source Business Source PremierPremier

Social ScienceSocial Science

(“standardized test*” or “high (“standardized test*” or “high stakes test*”) and (“learning stakes test*”) and (“learning

disabilit*” or Dyslexia or “learning disabilit*” or Dyslexia or “learning problem”) and accommodat*problem”) and accommodat*

PsycINFOPsycINFO

HumanitiesHumanities(bilingual* or L2) and (child* or (bilingual* or L2) and (child* or

toddler) and “cognitive toddler) and “cognitive development”development”

Linguistics and Linguistics and Language Behavior Language Behavior

AbstractsAbstracts

HumanitiesHumanities(memor* or remembrance or (memor* or remembrance or memoir*) and (holocaust) and memoir*) and (holocaust) and

(Spiegelman or Maus)(Spiegelman or Maus)JSTORJSTOR

MethodologyMethodology

Search using querySearch using query

Native database resultsNative database results

Google Scholar resultsGoogle Scholar results

MethodologyMethodology

Search using citationsSearch using citations

Is this citation available Is this citation available in Google Scholar?in Google Scholar?

Yes, it is availableYes, it is available

in GSin GS ininDBDBin bothin both

ExclusivityExclusivity

MethodologyMethodology

Citation gradingCitation grading

Rubric and Full TextRubric and Full Text

Accuracy:Accuracy:AuthorityAuthority

::ObjectivitObjectivit

y:y:Currency:Currency:CoverageCoverage

::RelevancRelevanc

y:y:

reliability, fact checkers/editors, peer reviewreliability, fact checkers/editors, peer review

author’s qualifications, reputable publisherauthor’s qualifications, reputable publisher

minimum bias, extent to which persuasion is minimum bias, extent to which persuasion is

the goalthe goal

information up to date, date of publication information up to date, date of publication

indicatedindicated

depth of coveragedepth of coverage

related to research topicrelated to research topic

MethodologyMethodologytotal scholarliness score = μ + Etotal scholarliness score = μ + Eii + L + Ljj + EL + ELijij + + εεijklijkl

wherewhere

μμ = Average total score = Average total score

EE = Effect due to exclusivity ( = Effect due to exclusivity (ii = 1, 2, 3) = 1, 2, 3)

LL = Effect due to librarian ( = Effect due to librarian (jj = 1, 2, ... 7) = 1, 2, ... 7)

ELEL = Interaction between exclusivity and librarian = Interaction between exclusivity and librarian

εε = Error term = Error term

ResultsResults

Google Scholar was Google Scholar was 17.6%17.6% more scholarly more scholarly

ResultsResults

HighestHighest scholarliness scholarliness score when found in bothscore when found in both

ResultsResults

NoNo difference between difference between disciplinesdisciplines

Future StudiesFuture Studies

Generally applicable Generally applicable resultsresults

Future StudiesFuture Studies

Improved rubricImproved rubric

Future StudiesFuture Studies

Scholarliness Scholarliness calculationcalculation

Future StudiesFuture Studies

Comparison to Comparison to federated searchingfederated searching

Questions?Questions?jared_howland@byu.edujared_howland@byu.edu

tom_wright@byu.edutom_wright@byu.edu

rebecca_boughan@byu.edurebecca_boughan@byu.edu

http://dspace.byu.edu/handle/1877/634http://dspace.byu.edu/handle/1877/634