Q. Should I use library databases to find research instead of Google?

What are some of the benefits of using databases?

• They're ideal for in-depth research on complex topics
• They contain a large amount of research written by professionals
• They include easy to add limits to help refine searches and pinpoint topics
• Authorship and publication information is clear, along with citation information
• There are no advertisements or paid placements
• They're free for you through the library

And some of the downsides?

• It can be hard to find simple explanations or topic overviews
• Full-text isn’t available for everything, and you always need to log in
• They often have different interfaces and look more intimidating to search with
• Aggregated searches (like the library home page) may not search within all databases, so you may miss content

What are some of the benefits of using websites?

• They're familiar, easy to search and use
• Great sources for background information on a subject or topic overviews
• Great for finding recent, local, or personal information such as current news, government information, organizations, opinions, personal stories, and more
• Tons of information, usually freely available to you
• There are lots of credible, open access articles and journals out there; many can be found with Google Scholar or through directories like DOAJ.

And some of the downsides?

• The internet is full of advertising and paywalls
• There's no quality control; anyone can create content, and it's often hard to figure out where information came from
• Top search results are often paid for; you may not be seeing the whole picture
• There's misinformation and “fake news” to dig through, so you need to spend more time judging the credibility of sources