Google and Beyond:
What Sources are Students
Really Using?
Don MacMillan
University of Calgary
WILU 2007, Toronto
May 17, 2007
Introduction

University of Calgary (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
 30,000 FT and PT Students

Long-standing integration of IL skills into the
Biological Sciences Curriculum

Ongoing assessment of IL program

Survey questions generated more information than
anticipated
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
2
Why?

Promote student reflection on research skills

What sources were upper-level biology students actually
using?

Have research habits changed over time-why?

Do students use different sources at different stages?

Is IL instructional content aligned with student needs?
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
3
Who?

25 third and fourth year biological sciences students
in CMMB421-Virology Fall 2006

Most students have had at least one instruction
session (BIOL231)

More than 20 students considering graduate studies
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
4
How?

FAST-Free Assessment Summary Tool
http://www.getfast.ca/

Anonymous online survey tool that summarizes
students impressions of a course/instructor

Numerical and textual data easily gathered and
collated

16 question survey administered at the end of
instruction session
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
5
Table 1 - Resources used by
Virology Undergraduate Students (N=25)
Resource
Biological Abstracts
Rank
???
Google/Scholar
Library Catalogue
Patents
PubMed
Web of Science
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
6
Table 1 - Resources used by
Virology Undergraduate Students (N=25)
Resource
Rank
Biological Abstracts
2
Google/Scholar
4
Library Catalogue
3
Patents
6
PubMed
1
Web of Science
5
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
7
Table 2 - Resources used by
Virology Undergraduate Students (N=25)
Resource
Number
Percentage
Biological Abstracts
20
80%
Google/Scholar
18
72%
Library Catalogue
19
76%
Patent Databases
2
8%
PubMed
21
84%
Web of Science
5
20%
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
8
Table 3 - Purpose of use for each resource
Choosing a
topic
Exploring a
topic
Finding
specific
info
Finding
background
info
Bio Abs
5
10
7
2
Google
8
9
3
5
Library
Catalogue
4
8
5
1
Resource
Patents
PubMed
WOS
1
7
2 (Scholar)
3
15
8
5
2
1
1
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
Will use in
future
3
9
How do you decide which source to check first?

“Usually I use Biological Abstracts and then PubMed”.

“I was using Biological Abstracts because I was most familiar
with it, but now I think PubMed and Web of Science might be
better because there are a lot of useful features on these
databases that I wasn't aware of”.

“I use general sources such as Google Scholar to browse
general topics in the field of interest before searching for
specific articles”.
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
10
Which source do you find most useful for your
research purposes?

“I think PubMed will become my most useful tool”.

I find PubMed usually very helpful as well as Google
Scholar

“I anticipate PubMed, Web of Science and the Patents
databases will be very useful “
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
11
Has the way you do library research changed as
you have progressed through your studies? If so,
how?

“More information has become available and more links.
Library sessions have been very informative”.

“I often use multiple search engines/databases now to ensure
that I have received a more complete picture on my search
topic. Before, I would only use one search engine.”

“The library seems more organized and also the information
sessions have gotten more specific and are quite helpful.”
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
12
What factors caused the change?

“Formal instruction such as this session changed my research
strategies”

“Tutorials for Ecology, Biology and now CMMB (Cell
Biology)”.

“Library tutorials have given me a lot of useful information, as
well as advice from profs and TA's”.

“Professors, personal research and playing around, informal
and formal instruction”.
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
13
What do you know about library research now
that you wished you had known earlier?

“I like how the index on PubMed works to break down
searches into specific categories”.

“The idea of "index" I learned today in Pubmed. Given a very
general topic, Pubmed was provided more specific topics for
me to explore”.

“That there is so much available online. I would far rather be
at home searching for a topic with a cup of tea at my side
than wandering through the aisles of a library for hours”.
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
14
How did you learn about the various sources?

“CMMB421 tutorial!”.

“Library sessions. I would honestly recommend them to
anyone who has do to any kind of research”.

“Biology 231, 313”.

“Blind luck and of course this tutorial”.
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
15
Do you plan to pursue an advanced degree?

14 students indicated they would be pursuing advanced
studies in the biological or life sciences

10 students selected medicine or ‘other’ as future areas of
study

‘Future’ medical students used PubMed but there was no clear
difference between usage patterns for PubMed among ‘premed’ and ‘other students’
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
16
Unanticipated Results

High number of positive responses regarding the value IL
sessions

Students appreciate review of IL skills from course to course

High use of PubMed

No habitual Google Scholar users

Many predictive statements about changes to research habits
based on IL sessions

Students recognize value of their IL skills - useful for
marketing purposes
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
17
Conclusions

Students use a variety of strategies to achieve research goals

Reinforcement of literacy skills throughout degree program
highlights the benefits of integrated IL

Students used different tools for different purposes

Learned about more resources-use resources more efficiently

Survey results benefited students and librarian
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
18
Future Directions

Incorporate PubMed earlier in IL cycle

Google and Google Scholar will be split in next
iteration of survey

Add Scopus (Elsevier) in next survey

Ask follow-up question later in term to ascertain
what new sources were used during the term.
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
19
Related Links

Link to WILU 2007 presentation:
http://tinyurl.com/38mzeb

CMMB 421 IL Survey Questions:
http://tinyurl.com/2g7e8t

CMMB 421 IL Survey Results:
http://tinyurl.com/yu7el3
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
20
Related Links

Related Readings:
http://tinyurl.com/ynuz4x

FAST Survey Tool:
http://www.getfast.ca/

CMMB 421 (Virology) IL Web Page:
http://tinyurl.com/ypx963
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
21
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
22
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
23
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
24
WILU 2007 | Google and Beyond | MacMillan
25
Thank You!
Don MacMillan
Librarian for Biological Sciences,
Physics and Astronomy
University of Calgary
macmilld@ucalgary.ca