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COMST 450B: Health Communication

Spring 2022

Why Can't I just use Google?

Why can't I just use Google?

As a librarian I often get asked this question. Both Google and Google Scholar are good tools but sometimes they are not the best tool.

Google searches web pages.

Google indexes web pages which means it's great for searching websites and web pages but not as good with other types of information. Because many scholarly articles and reports are not published as web pages Google will not find them.

Google Scholar is really basic.

Compared to other scholarly databases, Google Scholar lacks key features. The ability to view and explore assigned keywords and references, as well as filters to modify searches are all missing or very limited. For this reason Google Scholar can waste your time because it doesn't let you research efficiently and effectively.

Tutorials to help with research