Google Scholar

A step-by-step introduction to effective Google Scholar searching

What is Google Scholar?

Google Scholar is a search engine that searches for and

retrieves results from scholarly literature.

How is it different from normal Google?

Google Scholar “Normal” Google

Great tool to find research information Great tool to find general information

Searches for scholarly publications: - Journal articles - Theses - Books/book chapters - Abstracts, court opinions & more

Searches all Internet publications: - Websites - Images/Media/Maps - Blogs/News - Wikipedia, books & more

Ranking system considers: - Relevancy - Author - Publisher - Citation by other publications

Ranking system considers: - Relevancy - Popularity of site - Proximity - Type of source & many other factors

How is it the same as normal Google?

How do I get to Google Scholar?

Go to the Google homepage (www.google.com). Look at the title bar across the top of the page and find the More link. Click on More to make a menu drop down; from this menu

you should see and click on the link that says Scholar.

Welcome to Google Scholar!

BEFORE you Search: Set your Preferences!

Welcome to Google Scholar Preferences! Here you can set language and display

options.

This Preferences page also allows you to link directly to your library’s collection. If you follow directions and set this up, a Find It with OLinks link will start showing up in

your Scholar searches whenever OhioLINK has online full-text. The next few slides will show you how to set up this

super-helpful, timesaving feature.

Find the search box next to Library Links.

Type in OhioLINK and click Find Library

Click on the box to the left of OhioLINK. Make sure that a check mark has appeared in the box.

Be sure to scroll to the top or bottom of the page and click on SAVE PREFERENCES

Return to the Google Scholar homepage before continuing

Advanced Search Option

Advanced Search: Why use it?Like most other resources, the Advanced Search just

gives you more ways to limit your search. It gives you more boxes to enter your keywords in and search boxes devoted specifically to author, publication and date.

Use the advanced search if: You like searching with more than one box You want to search for your keyword in the title of the article and

not just in the article’s text You are looking for a specific article or publication You are looking for work by a specific author You want to limit your search by date

Advanced Search Options

As promised, Advanced Search gives you many more boxes in which you can enter your keywords. Make sure you read what is written to the left and put your

keywords in the correct corresponding box.

Also be sure to check the drop-down list and select the location where you want your keywords to be

found – in the text of an article or in the title.

Advanced Search Options

The Advanced Search also gives you options concerning publication details. This is especially helpful if you are

looking for a specific publication, or publications from a certain date range.

Return to the Google Scholar homepage before continuing

Basic Search

Google Scholar’s homepage is its basic

search. This is a single search box, just like normal Google. It is a simpler format, but it will give you access to the same resources

as the advanced search.

Sample Basic Search

Let’s run a sample basic search for the word “happiness”

Type happiness into the main Google

scholar search box and click search.

Sample Basic Search: happiness

The total number of search results is listed here.

If you get back too many results, think about refining your search before you start scrolling

through responses. Try adding “and” with another keyword to limit your search

Changing the search string to “happiness and neuroscience and chocolate” makes for a much

more effective search! There are far fewer results to sort through and these results are more likely to

relate closely to the topic since we’ve given the search more specific criteria. All of these results must mention happiness AND neuroscience AND

chocolate somewhere in their text.

Understanding the Search Results

Title ofResource

(article, book chapter, conference paper)

Understanding the Search Results

Author(s) of

Resource

Understanding the Search Results

Additional Publication Information

(date, journal title, publisher, website url)

Understanding the Search Results

Snippets from

resource containing

search keywords

in bold

Understanding the Search Results

Link to a list of other

articles that have cited this

resource or included

this resource in

their references

This is helpful because it links the reference pages of these resources together and shows

you who is citing whom. It also is likely to list resources that pick up where the original

resource left off, either by continuing its studies or updating its findings.

When something has been cited a lot, it can mean that the resource was foundational, revolutionary, or controversial. Remember that more recent works are less likely to have been cited a lot simply because there hasn’t been time for

new research to emerge.

Understanding the Search Results

Related articles Click on related articles to see additional

resources on the same topic.

Finding the Full Text of the Resource

Links to the full

text of the resource

If the full-text of the resource is available freely online, Scholar will

give you the link.

If the full-text of the resource is available through Defiance College,

you’ll see a link to Find it with Olinks. Click and you’ll link directly into

Pilgrim Library’s electronic journal holdings. This will only happen,

though, if you have set your preferences to include the OhioLINK

library as demonstrated earlier in this presentation!

Finding the Full Text of the Resource

If there is no full-text, click on OhioLINK OLinks or follow the

directions above.

What if there isn’t a link to a pdf or to Find it with OLinks?

Scholar tries to help you research by giving you citations even when the full-text is not freely available. When this happens and you don’t see a link to a pdf or to Find it with OLinks, don’t despair! You still

have options. The library could own a copy of the journal in print, or we can try and borrow it from another library.

Write down and keep all necessary citation information for the resource you’re interested in. Then visit the Find It page (http://library.defiance.edu/guides/articles.html) of the library’s website and follow its

directions. If you have any questions, contact a librarian at Pilgrim Library – we’re happy to help!

Why do some resources have different links than others?

Understanding Search Results

Google Scholar only lists the options that apply to each specific resource. For example, if an article has not been cited by any other works, Scholar will not give a Cited by link for that resource. If

the article is available for purchase from the British Library, there will be a link; if it’s not in the

British Library, there won’t be a link.

If you have further comments or questions about this tutorial please contact adearmond@defiance.edu

You’ve reached the end of the Google Scholar Online

Tutorial.

We highly suggest that you view our other online tutorials to learn more about Pilgrim

Library and its awesome resources.

CONGRATULATIONS!