Windows Live Academic Search beta

CNET editors' take

• Reviewed by:
  CNET staff
• Reviewed on: 04/13/2006

Windows Live Academic Search beta is designed to aid researchers seeking current paper abstracts who might otherwise turn to Google Scholar or other sites. This service retrieves finds from journals in the areas of computer science, medicine, electrical engineering, and physics. Microsoft says it will add more biomedical sources soon, and other specific subject areas based on readers' requests. You can access this service for free at academic.live.com.


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.

Compare prices for Windows Live Academic Search beta

Visit the developer's Web site to access this free beta service.