[Sigia-l] Google Scholar

[Tanya Rabourn]

On Nov 18, 2004, at 12:28 PM, Donna Timara wrote:
> What value does it add, looking at Google does not own any database of
> Scholarly content?
>
> I am comparing it with some of the already established ones - Factiva
> for business/financial, ACM for HCI, HBR etc... Is the search
> capability that big a deal?
>
> I am sure it is good for Open Access Journals, but then what's the
> difference with what was Google search before. I want to understand
> why this is making headlines today.
>

It's just the packaging of something that was actually worthy of some 
headlines (but not limited to google).  I'm sure you've heard about 
efforts to get at the "deep web" which include some of the resources 
you mention. Even though the free access might be limited to just the 
citation and abstract, that's still valuable. However I think the big 
deal was probably the addition of Worldcat a few months ago.
"All  of OCLC’s WorldCat Heading Toward the Open  Web"
http://www.infotoday.com/newsbreaks/nb041011-2.shtml

-Tanya