If you are a writer, researcher or student, you must have heard about google scholar. It is a globally used platform by researchers and students for academic and research purposes. There are many academic writeres and researchers who are using Google Scholar and it is getting more popular day by day.
It is possoible that you are already using google scholar but do you know about adavntage and disadvantage of using Google Shcolar. In this article, I have explained about Google Scholar and its advantages and disadvantages.
Contents
Introduction to Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a web search engine specially made for research and academic content. On Google scholar, you can search for different pre-published literature and journals. Google Scholar was launched by Google LLC on November 20, 2004.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Google Scholar
If you are using google scholar for literature review or for any academic or research purpose then you must be in doubt about the advantages and disadvantages of using Google Scholar.
I have analysed everything in detail and have done some findings for you. below I have explained some major advantages and disadvantages of using google scholar.
Advantages of Google Scholar
1. One Solution for all Scholarly Literature
The very first advantage of using Google Scholar is that you will be able to find all the scholarly literature on one platform on your smartphone or computer.
2. Finding resources for the literature of review
If you are writing a literature review, you can take advantage of Google Scholar to find previous research related to your topic.
3. User-Friendly Interface
Google Scholar is easy to use because it works exactly like a search engine. If you have used Google then you will be able to easily understand the functions of Google Scholar.
4. Cite Function for Citation
Google Scholar is helpful for finding citations. All resources listed on Google Scholar have a Cite function to show citations.
5. Checking Citation for your publication
Google Scholar allows you to check if someone is citing your publications.
6. Save and Read Later
Google Scholar allows you to save a resource to read it later. The save function is available at the bottom of each resource to save it. If you are already signed in to your google scholar account then you can save any resources with just one click for reading later.
7. Sort by Date
Google Scholar has a feature for sorting search results by date so that you can find the latest resources on the topic you are looking for.
Disadvantages of Google Scholar
1. Paid Content
Not everything is free on Google Scholar. Google Scholar works like a search engine and it provides links to third-party websites which may provide you with some paid content. There are many sites where that show only a few paragraphs of research and charge some amount for showing the complete resource.
2. Authenticity
Just because something is listed on Google Scholar doesn’t mean it is scholarly. Authenticity checking is really necessary before using the data listed on the sources pages. If you are not reviewing the sources listed on Google Scholar and using their data directly, this can lead to poor quality in your research.
3. Lack of Completeness
Some of the resources listed on Google Scholar may be incomplete because the websites listed sometimes only introduce or summarize resources, rather than showing complete resources. Sometimes there you will see articles about research rather than just a complete paper.
Final words on Google Scholar Advantages and Disadvantages
Google Scholar is a great tool for researchers and academic authors. It is getting better day by day with updates and more content coming in its bucket on daily basis. Still, there are some serious disadvantages of using it like the authenticity of the resources but this can be eliminated if you do some authenticity checks or review the resources you are using.
Advantages and Disadvantages all depend on how you are using it and how alert you are for using it as a resource. In my opinion, google scholar is the ultimate tool as it is giving all things in just one search but always checks before using any resource.
Also Read: A guide for avoiding plagiarism in research writing
FAQ: Google Scholar Advantages and Disadvantages
Why Google Scholar is better than Google?
Google scholar and google are both different things but it is better to use google scholar for academic researches and for finding resources for academic/research writing.
Is google scholar good for research?
Absolutely, Google Scholar is good for research purpose as it provides you the archive of all previous researches and scholarly articles but it is always recommended to do your own research before using any data or resources.
