Searching for information online and searching for scientific information are often perceived as opposites in terms of aims and strategies. When you search for information online, the aim is often to find single facts or fragments quickly and easily. Whereas, when you search for scientific information, the aim is to find all relevant information on a topic, since new research is always based on previous findings. This requires time, accuracy and effort from the searcher.
Searching for information online differs from searching library search services or licensed databases in your scientific field. Materials in a library database are described in order to make searching easier. In addition, they have passed a quality check, often conducted by experts. Online publishing, however, is open to everyone, which requires you to be alert and critical when searching for information. Online sources and search engines can still be effective tools when searching for scientific information!
