There are many places to begin your database search. And with every database, there are pros and cons to consider. Here is a quick comparison of Google Scholar and Medline.
Google Scholar pros:
- enormous amounts of data on all kinds of topics
- find full text articles in the Tufts’ collections quickly
- focuses search of Google’s content to scholarly resources
- features: find in a library; import citations into EndNote or another bibliographic management tool.
Google Scholar cons:
- source of content is unknown
- must follow a link to see a complete citation (it takes time to click through and back again)
- lacks sophisticated database search features that assist the research process (limit to publication date or language, precise field searching)
Medline pros:
- create precise search strategies
- database search features assist with alternate spelling, word endings and author searches
- view complete citations and abstracts making it easier to determine if an article is relevant
- create strategies that are automatically updated monthly and sent to your email
- features: limit to language, date or publication type; import multiple citations into a bibliographic management tool efficiently; cover-to-cover indexing of major journals
Medline cons:
- not as easy to use as Google Scholar
- includes predominately journal literature; doesn't index the "gray" literature, book chapters, or many conference proceedings