You just finished reading about databases; GALILEO is a collection of databases which acts similarly to a search engine. While Google is a familiar search engine that many are familiar with, GALILEO is the starting point for searches in your academic journey here at Georgia Highlands College. GALILEO is the primary academic "search engine" used by the colleges and universities within the University System of Georgia, but the skills learned using GALILEO are beneficial regardless of where you go in your academic career.
Review the video and visual aid that explains the differences between search engines like Google and GALILEO
Answer the self-check questions at the end of this page.
Go to the next page of this module, Subject Databases.
What is GALILEO?
While GALILEO looks similar to Google, instead of searching the open web, it searches almost every database that your college library provides.
Why should I use GALILEO for my academic research?
GALILEO gives you access to more than 325 databases with thousands of periodicals and scholarly journals. Many journal titles are provided in full-text, other resources include encyclopedias, books, business directories, and government publications.
Unlike Google, which uses an algorithm that ranks results based in part on website popularity or paid sponsorship, GALILEO gives you results based only on your search terms. Thus a strong keyword search will get you better results in Galileo!
Where can I find GALILEO?
GALILEO can be found by going to the GHC Library homepage, or asking one of your GHC Librarians. If you are accessing it off-campus you will need to login with your GHC credentials.