Ingrid Hsieh-Yee, Catholic University of America, USA
- presents trends in scholarly communication and examines how Web search tools facilitate access to scholarly resources
- offers an in-depth analysis of Google Scholar
- provides helpful comparisons of Google Scholar and its competitors to help information seekers make effective use of these tools Explores the implications of search tools for scholarly resources for libraries
- examines the value of user-generated content for accessing scholarly resources
Google Scholar and Its Competitors introduces information seekers to web search tools that provide access to scholarly resources. It begins with a discussion of scholarly communication trends and their effects on access to scholarly resources in the digital environment. In this context the book examines Google Scholar and its competitors in terms of their databases, features, functionality, and strengths and weaknesses. Web search tools analyzed include major engines such as Google Scholar, Microsoft Live Academic, Yahoo Search, Ask, and specialized search engines, subject databases, aggregators, online catalogs, digital repositories, and subject portals. Because Google Scholar is a highly popular search engine for scholarly resources that has caused much concern in the library community, the book assesses studies of Google Scholar and the library community’s reactions to this tool. It also explores the implications of Google Scholar and its competitors for information seekers and libraries. The book concludes with a discussion of the role of user-generated content in scholarly communication and how such content can be used to facilitate access to scholarly resources.
Readership: Students and faculty of library and information science programs, librarians, professional searchers, information professionals, and people who need scholarly resources, such as high school students, college students, graduate students, faculty, researchers, journalists, decision makers, and the general public.
Available mid 2012
ISBN 1 84334 447 5
ISBN-13: 978 1 84334 447 6
200 pages 234 x 156mm paperback