While it may be tempting to do so, for the following reasons, you shouldn’t rely on Google for your academic research:
- Google is a search engine not a source. The information boxes that can appear at the top of the results are pulled from other websites and are not necessarily accurate.
- Results mix free and for-fee materials. You may find an article that looks relevant but be unable to access it without purchasing it.
- You would have to evaluate which resources are appropriate. Google does not screen for credibility, so you would have to evaluate each source yourself.
- Popular items listed first.
- Required materials may not be included in search results. Google actually “searches” only about 20% of the web.
- Some disciplines require specific academic resources that are not available via Google.