Remember Different Tools, Databases, Catalogs & Search Engines Search Different Universes.
Think about What the tool is searching, not just how good the search algorithm is.
Example: If you want to find articles in a specific journal, and that journal is not found or indexed on the public internet, then Google can't find it.
Database Chart ~ Descriptions & Source Types
|
Database Name |
Good For |
Source Types |
Irrelevancy ranking |
Universe |
|
MLA International Bibliography |
Literature & Film topics Will have more on African Writers |
Journal Articles Book Chapters Books & Dissertations |
Very Low |
Scholarly Print & Online Historical & Current |
|
Grinnell Library Catalog |
All topics
|
All Source types but mostly published |
Medium Low |
Scholarly & Popular Print & Online Historical & Current |
|
JSTOR |
Most topics Fewer Titles included |
Books, Book Chapters, Journal Articles |
Medium High |
Scholarly Print & Online Historical & Current |
|
Google Scholar |
All Topics |
All Source Types including some unpublished |
High |
Mostly Scholarly Mostly Online Mostly Current |
|
|
All Topics |
All Source Types including a lot of unpublished |
Very High |
Mostly Popular Mostly Online Mostly Current |
