Microsoft chases Google Scholar
p2p news / p2pnet: Microsoft has tweaked its Live offerings with the beta of Academic Search to let users mine academic journals for abstracts and, if they subscribe to the journals, get the documents from publishers’ sites.
"The service, which for now focuses on computer science, electrical engineering and physics, includes tools for researchers, such as the ability to quickly extract information for citations," says the Seattle Post Intelligencer. "But it’s also open to the public, and some library systems give patrons access to the journals included in the index."
Google already has the similar Google Scholar, but Windows Live Academic Search service won’t include paid advertisements, "and Microsoft isn’t planning to make money directly from the service," Microsoft’s Danielle Tiedt, general manager for Windows Live Premium Search, is quoted as saying.
"The business model for us on this is an indirect one," she said, "describing it as part of a broader effort to build loyalty for the company’s search services".
Google Scholar only crawls the web for academic content whereas Academic Search, "works closely with publishers and uses structured feeds to build its index," says Search Engine Watch. "As such, all content accessed through the service comes directly from a trusted source – namely, the publisher of a scholarly journal."
The service is available in English versions in the US, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Australia, says the story, and, "Additional markets, and content in additional subject areas will be added throughout the beta period."
Also See:
Seattle Post Intelligencer – Microsoft creates academic search site to rival Google’s, April 12, 2006
Search Engine Watch – Microsoft Launches Windows Live Academic Search, April 12, 2006
