A Swedish research project om a comparison on students search behaviour for information with Google Scholar and Metalib concluded with “The study concludes that overall, students were not very satisfied with either tool“. I could leave it at that, but there was this really important paragraph towards the end that concluded:
Our study showed that almost half of searches launched in Metalib by users without training resulted in 0 results and a large part of the reason was the expectation that a search was Google-like in nature, in other words keyword searching with quotation marks used to indicate a phrase. Instead Metalib often uses a default phrase search. The result is a disaster. Libraries need to work with Libris and Fujitsu to do whatever possible to change this discrepancy between student expectations and search rules in Metalib otherwise the product will remain seriously flawed. [Emphasis added]
We, at our library, have to give this conclusion really serious attention. Databases like Scopus and nowadays WoK as well have adapted themselves to become Google like. Our own catalog however, is more Metalib like.
Reading tip: the report consists for more than half of appendices.
Hattip: Nicole C. Engard
Nygren, E., G. Haya & W. Widmark (2007). Students experience of Metalib and Google Scholar. Stockholm, Sweden, Stockholm university library. 158 pp. http://www.diva-portal.org/diva/getDocument?urn_nbn_se_su_diva-1264-2__fulltext.pdf
Latest Comments