LibGuides: Research Tips: Sources: Search Engines vs. Databases

Library Databases vs. Search Engines -
What's the Difference?

Library Databases vs. Search Engines - The only similarity between these two resources is that they are both accessible via the Internet. Now let's take a look at the major differences between them:

Databases vs. Search Engines
	Library Databases	Search Engines (i.e. Google)
Types of Information Retrieved	library catalog journal articles magazine articles newspaper articles reference book articles online books	very few journal, magazine & newspaper articles (may or may not be full text current news and information company information information from all levels of government personal web pages advertisements e-mail, chat rooms, newsgroups, listservs social media posts
Review Process	All information contained in library databases coves from publishing groups and goes through a review process before it is published in electronic or print format. This means the information has been checked for accuracy and reliability by the publisher's editors. Students should still evaluate the information found in library databases since there is plenty of published information that can be inaccurate or biased. It is also important to determine if the information is relevant or appropriate for your research topic.	The Internet is not owned or controlled by any one organization or group which means information or web pages found through search engines DOES NOT go through a review process. This lack of authority allows anybody to publish their opinions and ideas on the Internet. While this information may be interesting, some of it may not be useful for academic research. Pages may be written by an expert on a topic or a journalist but many pages may also be written by a disgruntled consumer or sixth grader. In view of this, web pages found through search engines should be carefully evaluated for their accuracy and reliability.
Cost/Accessibility	Library databases are NOT FREE. The library pays each database service vendor (company) a yearly fee for access to their databases. Forsyth Tech students may access many of these databases from home or outside the library by using a username and password.	Most search engines and web pages found through search engines are FREE. Search engines will also find links to proprietary web sites or databases that are not free or do not allow access without a username and password.