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Investigating student's use of Google as a research tool

Author Affiliations

  • 1Scott Research and Collections, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3, CANADA

Res. J. Library Sci., Volume 3, Issue (7), Pages 1-7, August,21 (2015)

Abstract

This research paper is a result of an investigative study undertaken to identify several aspects of students' Google use behavior. The purpose of the investigation was to ascertain the extent to which students turn to Google for research purposes and most importantly, to ascertain the extent to which they utilize Google's search capabilities using its tools and advanced search options. Both graduate and undergraduate students were included in the study and although the study results have shown both student groups prefer Google as a first tool to search compared to other search engines, Wikipedia and library resources they still lack the necessary skills needed to utilize Google to its full potential and evaluate information. Graduate students by comparison tend to be savvier with using advanced search tools than undergraduate students.

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