ENGL 1101 - Abbott (Online) - Fall 2024

What is Galileo?

What is Galileo?

GALILEO is a collection of databases provided by GHC and the University System of Georgia.

What is a Database?

A DATABASE is searchable collection of online subscription resources (journals, images, videos, and sometimes whole books); usually material that is not available through free search engines like Google

What is a Journal?

A JOURNAL is a regularly published "magazine", usually related to an academic discipline, often containing articles, book reviews, and other material about the subject

What is an Article?

An ARTICLE is a single written work published in a journal or magazine


Still Confused?

Think of a filing cabinet. The whole cabinet is Galileo. A single drawer is a database. A folder within the drawer is a journal (or a book!). A piece of paper within a folder is an article (or a book chapter!)

 

filing cabinet with drawer pulled out and file folder with a piece of paper

Image CC-BY Georgia Highlands College Library

Google or Galileo?

So why use Galileo instead of an internet search?

  1. Your tuition buys you access to top-notch subscription databases that contain credible information - such as scholarly articles!! You might find great academic articles through Google, but they might be behind a paywall.
  2. By using Galileo you avoid wasting time sorting through advertisements and misinformation that often lurk on the web.. because Galileo searches curated academic content. Google is a free-for-all.
  3. When you search in Google, your results are often ranked based on popularity or through paid advertising. Galileo uses *just* your search terms, and the most relevant are listed first. 

Searching on Google is like shopping at a thrift store: you need to sift through a lot of junk to find a few good treasures. Searching for articles using Galileo is more like shopping at the Gap: less hunting and better quality control. That being said, sometimes the internet is exactly what you need to find information. This chart should help you decide where to start!

Different research scenarios are described below. The indicates which tool or tools will get you to the information most efficiently.

What are you looking for?  Google   Galileo 
A scholarly article written by an expert in your area of study  
An article from the New York Times  
An article from Consumer Reports  
Today's news  
Older news
A government report  
An annual report for a company  
A definition of a word  
A movie review    
A biography  
Today's stock quote    
Maps and directions    
Statistical facts and data  
A law review  
A scholarly book  
 
Adapted from Fast Track by Eileen Bosch, Bowling Green State University Libraries

Galileo offers lots of great tools that make it easier to save and cite your research, too!

  • Use the PERMALINK and you can access it any time, anywhere (NOT the URL at the top), or email the article to yourself!
  • You can even save the search itself if you want to come back later and pick up where you left off!
  • Use the CITE button to get the citation .. then all you need to do is tweak it. You can't say THAT about Google!
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