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Boxer Library

Google Scholar Tutorial

What is Google Scholar and when should I use it?

Google Scholar is a search engine for finding scholarly literature across many academic disciplines. It can be a useful resource for helping you get started on a new research project; however, Google Scholar lacks many of the features, functionality, and journal coverage of other library databases. Google Scholar is best used as a supplemental database in combination with traditional library databases

Benefits of Google Scholar:

  • Familiar Google search interface.
  • Provides search results from a wide range of academic disciplines.
  • "Cited By" and "Related articles" features allow for browsing articles similar to a particular search result.

Limits of Google Scholar:

  • Google Scholar does not search everything available to you through the Boxer Library.
  • Google Scholar does not have an option to search for only peer reviewed materials.
  • Google Scholar lacks many of the filters and tools that other library databases provide to help you limit and refine your search.
  • Google Scholar's indexing is not as focused or as thorough on specific subject areas as databases available through the Boxer Library.

 

Instructions for displaying "Find it @ RFUMS" full text links in Google Scholar.

Information on Google Scholar's advanced search options, Cited by feature, and Related articles feature.