Problems with Google Scholar for Scholars

Google collaborated with many academic libraries to make many scholarly material easily searchable. But as Peter Jacso from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa points out in this article, the biggest problem with Google Scholar (and also Google's Book Search) is the poor job Google has been doing with the metadata associated with these materials. When Googling, most people don't care much about metadata, but faulty metadata can provide an inaccurate picture of the value of a resource to researchers. For example, materials are often categorized under incorrect author names or assigned bloated citations counts. All of this can be a factor for ECC students or faculty who are relying on Google Scholar as a research tool. It can mean inaccurate citations or search results that favor less valuable materials. It's good to keep this in mind when encouraging students to think critically about their information sources.

Computer Literacy Does Not Equal Research Literacy

In the article "Not Enough Time in the Library" from the Chronicle of Higher Education, Todd Gilman makes a case for why it is not enough just to give students (even digital natives) the technology and tools to do research; they still need research education provided by librarians. He writes, "Research education involves getting students to understand how information is organized physically in libraries, as well as electronically in library catalogs and in powerful, sometimes highly specialized commercial databases." This is critical for students hoping to "function effectively in our information-driven economy." Gilman suggests several ways faculty can work with the library to bolster research skills including dedicating class time to practicing search strategies, taking a tour, reinforcing a lesson with a library assignment, and encouraging students to use library materials in support of their class work. The ECC Library is happy to work with any faculty member interested in incorporating library instruction to strengthen their students' research skills in either the online or physical classroom.