CNET editors' take
- Reviewed on: 04/13/2006

At first glance, we found that Microsoft organizes research information better than Google. The interface is integrated into the Windows Live Search beta, with a smooth scroll bar in the middle of page to navigate through results. We like the options for sorting by date, journal, author, and even the conference at which a study was presented. Mouse over a title to see a brief summary or the full abstract in a right-side window pane. You can also retrieve entire articles if you're surfing from a library that subscribes to the journal of origin. Want to see what your professor has published? Once you spot one of his or her articles, click that person's name to find the rest.
Windows Live Academic Search beta can update you on an area of expertise by adding alerts or RSS subscriptions to your Windows Live account. PhD candidates might appreciate the citation export option, which provides instant details for a source in either BibTex, RefWorks, or EndNote formats.
