Library Resources - 2) What is GALILEO?

What is GALILEO?

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT:

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.

WHAT TO DO:

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.

GALILEO: Questions and Answers

GALILEO.mp4

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.

This image features green text on a cream colored background. The title of the image and its subtitle is "Google Versus Galileo: Key differences between the two websites and their search results". On the image there are two columns, one column explains Google and the other explains Galileo. The first comparison between the two websites is that Google is a gateway to the popular and commercial internet and is best for shopping and entertainment. Comparatively, Galileo is a gateway to the academic internet and features research that isn't available through free search engines like Google. The next comparison is that since Google searches the entire internet, you could search for hours and still have difficulty finding research on a specific topic. Galileo gives you immediate access to databases with thousands of articles, periodicals, and journals that are peer-reviewed for accuracy. The final point between the two websites is that while many articles and source you're looking for on Google might be behind a pay wall, you have free access to the resources on Galileo thanks to your GHC Library.

Self Check

Go to Part 3

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