| Google Scholar | Library databases | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| + | Easy to use. | – | Not so easy to use. It takes some time to find out how a database works. |
| – | Limited search functionality. Enormous number of results and unsatisfactory options to filter results. Hence not much control over your searches. | + | Extensive search functionality. Compared to Google Scholar: a manageable number of results for a similar search. Many advanced filter options. Hence greater control over your searches. |
| – | Compiled by a web crawler that searches only the Surface Web. | + | Compiled by humans; materials come from the Surface Web as well as the Deep Web. |
| – | No helpful additional information about publications (e.g., topical terms such as subjects, descriptors, or keywords) is provided. | + | Additional information is provided for each publication (e.g., database-specific terms such as subjects, descriptors, or keywords, which are assigned by subject specialists). |
| – | Google Scholar's crawlers can be fooled, resulting in unreliable information being indexed (e.g., articles from predatory journals). | + | Only credible information is included. People (subject specialists) can't be fooled so easily. |
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