Last term in an online writing class one of my students submitted an annotated bibliography for an upcoming research paper. In one of her entries, she cited Google Scholar as her source. Curious and skeptical, I looked up this Google Scholar, which I hadn't heard of before. Turns out, Google Scholar functions similarly to Google's regular search engine, only it returns only "scholarly literature," rather than just any old web page. I also turned to one of CGCC's trusty librarians, who told me that Google Scholar is pretty reliable, but like any information that is freely available on the web, "students will need to do some critical thinking to evaluate it." Another problem is that GS also "directs you to sites that require payment for the articles"-- a notion that is antithetical to what a student is usually trying to accomplish (ie, find freely available information).
My main concern, however, lies not with Google Scholar specifically. It's that GS signifies a growing number of information databases on the web-- information middlemen, essentially-- that obfuscate for students the true sources of information. When my student had cited Google Scholar, she should have actually been citing the journal that GS procured in her search. And GS may profess to value scholarly research, but can we say the same for WebMD, Wikipedia, and About.com? Some may say I'm comparing apples and oranges here, but I think the overall premise holds. A preponderance of online clearinghouses for information makes data easier to access, sure. But are these sources being responsible with their data? How can I make sure that my students are vetting their sources carefully without simply proscribing a long list of "database-type" web sites, or forcing them to only use the databases available in the college library?
As with innumerable technologies now available to students, I'm afraid a point gained for convenience means a point lost for learning. What is a teacher to do?
Labels: databases, Google Scholar, student research, Wikipedia
