The Comparison of the Use of Microsoft Academic, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect as Search Engines in Obtaining Library Resources for Students

Obtaining library resources is the main task that carried out by students in attending lectures. The student learning experience will be achieved maximally if it is supported by complete library resources. The existence of strong development of information and communication technology makes everyone tend to seek information through the internet. For that reason, search engines are an easy way to get sufficient library resources. Many types of search engines are available, but which ones are effective and efficient are not studied in depth. Hence, it is necessary to research to find an effective search engine. In this study, three types of engines were taken from that were mostly used by the students, namely Microsoft Academic, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. A total of 134 doctoral program students were taken as research samples. The results showed that students used Google Scholar more in finding library sources, followed by ScienceDirect, and Microsoft Academic. There are differences in the advantages, disadvantages, and availability of information obtained through the three search engines.

I. Introduction

Learning resources are one of the most vital components in the learning system. The students will get the best learning experience if it is supported by complete and relevant learning resources. For this reason, in the learning process in higher education, it is necessary to be supported by complete and relevant learning resources. The main learning resources that must be met by the students in the lecturing process are library resources. To achieve learning outcomes, the students need to study in-depth the relevant library resources. To master learning materials well, the students must read a lot of relevant library resources, primary, secondary, or tertiary sources. Therefore, students must hunt for as many library sources as possible to support lectures.