Google Scholar searches for scholarly documents such as journal articles, conference papers, theses and books - across a broad range of subject areas. It has the same layout and simple to use interface as the general web search engine.
Tertiary students particularly find Google Scholar very useful for information of an academic nature.
When working with Google Scholar you need to note:
- It is not a full text database. Tip: Check in our subscription databases (eResources) whether you can find the full text article.
- Various versions of articles may be listed, from pre-publication to the actual published article in a journal. Be aware that the published version of an article can vary markedly from the pre-published versions.
- Google Scholar should be used in conjunction with our own eResources.
Overview of the results screen
(To enlarge this image - right click and open the image in another tab/window ):
(1) You can create a search alert for your search - to keep up to date with the latest results over time.
(2) Summary of parameters of search is displayed. Can be changed here.
(3) Title of article/document.
- (4) Citation: Author(s), Journal title & date, Publisher
(5) Indication of how many other papers have cited this article.
(6) Clicking on Related articles link executes a search of the papers topic.
(7) Takes you to British Library Direct with the option to purchase the full text. Again, check whether you can find the full text in our eResources. The article could also be procured through our Interloan service.
(8) Other versions include the same paper published in various other journals such as pre-publication versions, conference papers, etc.
(9) A link through to the full text pfd. Sometimes if you click on the title you will go through to the publisher's page which will require subscription login or purchase option. Where the pdf link is supplied you may get the full text.
(10) A book result. You may find a partial view of the contents in Google Books. Don't forget to look up the title in our catalogue or offer to Interloan it.
(11) This document has been cited by other papers, but there is most probably not an online version available. You could search for it in one of our databases or go to the host website and use the local search engine to see if you can locate the document on the website.
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Hands-on Demonstration
- Right click on Google (open up in a new window/tab)
- Click on More (links across the top)
- Click on Scholar
Note: search defaults to Articles or the option of Legal opinions or journals
- Leave the selection to Articles.
- Uncheck the patents option.
- Search for: The causes of teenage violence
- Look at your result list and see how many different kinds of resources you found, i.e. journal articles, conference papers, books, theses, etc.
- Select a few journal articles and see whether you can access the full text.
- Right click on Google (open up in a new window/tab)
- Search for: The causes of teenage violence
- Compare the results - can you see it is meant for different audiences?
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Ways of refining your search in Google Scholar
- Use the Advanced Search option to narrow your search to certain subject areas.
- All the operators used with the Google general web search engine can be used in Google Scholar.
- In Advanced Scholar search tips you will find useful information on searching for authors and titles. There is also useful advice in Scholar Help.
- Try variations of names for authors and journals. Some authors may use full names as well as initials. Journal titles may be abbreviated.
Tips and advice
- You would most probably need to do more than one search for research assignments. The first search would be broad in focus, which you would refine until you get a good result on the broad topic. Then you would need to follow up with searches that look for information on specific aspects of the topic.
- Look at more pages of the result list because of possible indexing errors.
- When identifying a particularly relevant item, follow the Cited by link to get even more items of that nature.
- Legal opinions/journals and patent information are US based.
- There are still some problems experienced with Google Scholar (as related in Peter Jacso's article Newswire Analysis: Google Scholar’s Ghost Authors, Lost Authors, and Other Problems ) but it is nevertheless a useful tool for tertiary students.
- It is always necessary to use the library databases as well to get a fuller picture of scholarly information available to the researcher.
- Encourage tertiary students to use Google Scholar through their institute's library website because of access to full text material to which their library subscribes.
- Remember we offer an Interloan service for books and journal articles, should the students come across citations and abstracts of which they would like the full text.
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DISCOVERY EXERCISES
- Choose a topic form the list below and do a general search on Google Scholar.
- Click on the Cited by link for a relevant item. Did you find many other relevant items through this link?
- Do search for other publication by the author of the relevant item. Did you find more relevant items by that author?
- Choose a journal that seems to publish many of the relevant articles and restrict your search to results from that journal only.
- The effect of vermicompost on soil fertility.
- The impact of pesticides on mental health.
- What are subliminal messages? Include a definition. How is it used in advertising and music? Is it effective? Include examples.
- What effect would the consequences of climate change have on the economy?
- Define emotion and describe 3 theories of emotion. (A psychology assignment.)
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Updated: September 2010
