# How is PICO Portal Individual different from Google Scholar?

Google Scholar is a free search box over scholarly records, with citation counts and alerts.

Site: https://scholar.google.com

## Where they differ

It is the widest free search, and the one most readers already know.

It does not rank a queue against your criteria, and it does not store who excluded a study. You export, then screen somewhere else.

| | PICO Portal Individual | Google Scholar |
|---|---|---|
| Access | 14-day free trial. No department contract. | Free. |
| Search | 470 million articles from OpenAlex, ORCID and PubMed. | Broad scholarly search. |
| Answer | Plain language, each claim linked to a source. | None. A result list. |
| Screen | Named reviewer, time, rationale, source passage. | None. |

PICO Portal Individual is the better fit for The screen and the cited answer after the first pass.

Google Scholar is the better fit for A first pass, an alert, or a citation count.

## How is PICO Portal Individual different from Google Scholar?

It does not rank a queue against your criteria, and it does not store who excluded a study. You export, then screen somewhere else.

## What does Google Scholar do that PICO Portal Individual does not?

It is the widest free search, and the one most readers already know.

## Who should use which?

PICO Portal Individual is the better fit for The screen and the cited answer after the first pass. Google Scholar is the better fit for A first pass, an alert, or a citation count.

## Can I use PICO Portal Individual and Google Scholar in the same review?

Yes. Keep Google Scholar for Broad scholarly search. Put the include or exclude in PICO Portal Individual. The record shows the named reviewer, the time, the rationale, and the source passage.

## Do I name Google Scholar in the methods?

Yes, if you searched there. Also name PICO Portal Individual if the decision sits there. A reader must be able to open the same record.

## Can a student start without a university license?

Yes. PICO Portal Individual starts with a 14-day free trial and does not need a department contract. Google Scholar: Free.

## What do I lose if I leave Google Scholar?

It is the widest free search, and the one most readers already know.

## Does either tool write the review?

No. Google Scholar returns None. A result list. PICO Portal Individual returns a cited answer. You write the sentence.

## Where is the decision record?

On the PICO Portal Individual record: named reviewer, timestamp, rationale, source passage. Google Scholar: None.

## Can I upload a file from Google Scholar?

Yes, if it is a citation file. You then see that file in the same queue as the OpenAlex results.

## Which tool do I open first?

Open Google Scholar if you already have a list. Open PICO Portal Individual if you have a question and no file.

## Is the answer a substitute for the paper?

No. Open the citation. The passage is on the record so a second person can check the claim.

## What can a supervisor check?

The question, the search, each include or exclude, and the passage. You see the queue, the conflicts, and the agreement while the stage is still open.