Google & Ill-formed Searches
Neuroscience

Google & Ill-formed Searches


Great article in the online journal Library Philosophy and Practice (LPP) ("a peer-reviewed electronic journal that publishes articles exploring the connection between library practice and the philosophy and theory behind it.") about using Google in the reference interview. I'm probably going to use this article in my reference class this year, even though I don't want to recommend Google as a substitute for good reference services & sources. However, Jill Cirasella's article makes some excellent arguments on Google's behalf.

Cirasella lists three ways that Google is useful at the reference desk:
1. Completing incomplete citations (especially those missing a journal name!)
2. Correcting incorrect citations
3. Checking spelling with Google's "did you mean" feature

She also recommends using two elements in Google Labs to help at the desk:
Google Suggest and Google Sets.

Lots of things to think about!

For More Info
* Cirasella, Jill. You and Me and Google Makes Three: Welcoming Google into the Reference Interview, Library Philosophy and Practice, 2007.
* Library Philosophy and Practice current issue, on Shape Shifters: Librarians Evolve Yet Again in the Age of Google.




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