Research Guide - Google Scholar

1. Researching with Google Scholar
When should I use Google Scholar?
What are its strengths and weaknesses?

2. Searching Google Scholar
What is Google Scholar searching?
What will I find when using Google Scholar?
How can I get more relevant results or narrow my search?
Can I sort by Date?

3. Getting the Full Text
How can I get to the full text of articles?
Why am I being asked to pay?
How can I get a book?

4. Other Features
What does “Cited By” mean?
What does "Web Search" do?
What does "Find Related" do?

5. Getting More Help
How can I get some basic tips about finding articles?
How can I get assistance doing research?
Are there librarians that are experts on Google Scholar?

6. Read More on Google Scholar
What have others written about Google Scholar as a research tool?

Researching with Google Scholar

Should I use Google Scholar?
Sometimes. It all depends on your research needs and your expectations. Google Scholar should never be the only database you search, rather it should supplement more comprehensive and authoritative databases provided by The University Libraries. Below are a few scenarios explaining when Google Scholar should and should not be used.

Scenario 1:
It is 2 a.m. and you have a paper due in 6 hours. It is a short paper and you only need a couple of articles.

Google Scholar may help in this situation. It is easy to search and always gives you thousands of results. However, if you are short on time, paging through thousands and thousands of results may not be the best use of your time. If you do not find what you need quickly in GS, you may want to try Academic Search Premiere. Academic Search Premiere is a full-text database that allows you to narrow your topic easily. Give it a try.

Scenario 2:
You are writing a paper for an upper level Biology course. It needs to be at least 10 pages and contain many references to scholarly, peer-reviewed articles.

Google Scholar is not your best choice in this situation. There are many databases that specialize in covering articles in a particular discipline, including several for the biological sciences. In fact, The University Libraries pays for access to hundreds of databases each year. Research Librarians choose each database, taking into account quality and coverage. They are not always as simple as Google Scholar to search, but they offer more options for getting the results you need and assurance that you are getting quality, scholarly articles. Try some of the databases suggested by our expert research librarians either by visiting our databases page or subject guides.

Scenario 3:
You have a group project due. Your part of the project is to find articles to support your group's ideas. You have tried some library databases, but cannot find anything on your topic.

Google Scholar might be a good way to get started in this situation. Give Google Scholar a try. If you find a couple of articles that are useful, try finding those in the library databases and seeing what articles are related. Also, try finding the references of the articles that you found. If you are still not finding what you need, contact one of our research librarians. We are experts in helping you find the information you need.

Searching Google Scholar

What is Google Scholar searching?

Google Scholar is a subset of Google. It covers a portion of the scholarly literature. Coverage appears to be strongest in science and technology. Google does not say what journals or publishers are searched by GS, so it is impossible to know exactly what is being searched. We are certain, just by looking at the results, that GS is searching the tables of contents from journals published by several large scientific publishers. We are also certain that GS is searching freely available databases like PubMed, however it should be noted that results in GS can lag behind the most current published information available.

What are its strengths and weaknesses?

McMaster University Library has an excellent chart comparing GS's strengths and weaknesses.

What will I find when using Google Scholar?

Google Scholar will find articles, reports, books and citations to documents. Let's be clear. Google Scholar does not provide access to materials; it 'finds' materials. If you are able to get to the full-text of an article, report, or book it is because 1) it is a resource that is freely available on the Internet or 2) The University Libraries has paid for a subscription to the journal, book, report, etc.

How can I narrow my search?

If you are getting too many results, you may want to narrow your search. This can be done by using the Advanced Search screen.

- Limit your search terms to only appear in the title
- Search exact phrases
- Limit to an author, journal title, or date range
- Limit to a subject area

Be aware that these limits do not always provide accurate results. Want to see?
Try this: Global Warming (as a phrase) for the dates, put 2015-2099.
Or this: heart (anywhere) and for the publication, put JAMA. Note the number of results. Now, heart (anywhere) and for the publication, put Journal of the American Medical Association.

Can I sort by date?
You cannot sort by date in Google Scholar. However, you can click the "Recent Articles" link which will limit the results to within the past 5 years.

Getting the Full Text

How can I get to the library's full text journals when using Google Scholar?

There are two ways to link seamlessly to the University Libraries collection of electronic journals.

1. If you use the link on the library databases page, you will be sent through the library proxy and recognized as an affiliate of UT. This step will allow you to see the FullText@UTLibraries link next to each result.

2. Go to Google Scholar and click on the 'scholar preferences' link. Search for University of Tennessee in the 'Library Links' box. Check the box next to 'University of Tennessee - FullText@UTLibraries'.

Remember, Google Scholar is only finding results, it is the University Libraries that provide access to the articles through their annual subscriptions.

Why am I being asked to pay for full-text access?

Google Scholar may lead you to a publisher’s site where you are asked to purchase the full-text. Never pay for the full-text. The Library may already have a subscription and if not, the Library can get a copy of it from another library free of charge by using Interlibrary Loan.

I found a citation to an article that I want. How do I get the full-text?

1. You can click on the "FullText@UTLibraries" link. This will pop up a window that shows you options for obtaining the article. If the library has electronic access to the article, it will be at the top. Just click the "Go" button.

2. If you do not see electronic available, click the "Go" button next to the UT Library Catalog link. This will search to see if we have a print copy of the article in the library.

3. If the library does not own a print copy and you really would like the article, you can use our free Interlibrary Loan Service. The University Libraries will ask another library (who owns the article) to scan it and send it for you. This can take anywhere from 2-10 days, so if you need it tomorrow, Interlibrary loan is not a good option.

How can I get a book?

Click the "FindText@UTLibraries" link. In the pop up window, click "Go", next to UT Libraries Catalog. This should bring you directly into the library catalog, where you can find the call number.

If the above does not seem to work, try this: From the library homepage, click "UT Libraries Catalog". Then paste the title of the book into the second box where it says "Or browse a list of headings". If you still do not find it, contact the library for assistance.

Other Features of Google Scholar

What does “Cited By” mean?

By clicking on the “Cited By” link, you will get a list of results that cite that article. The "Cited By" list in Google Scholar is not complete. There may be many other sources that cite a work, but are not picked up by Google Scholar. Also, Google Scholar seems to be counting the same citation multiple times. However, you may also find citations in GS that are not found in other databases.

For determining scholarly output, especially in the sciences, we recommend Web of Science for citation searching. Choose the "Cited Reference Search" tab in Web of Science and please note there are a brief tutorial and a lengthy guide available on Cited Reference Searching.

What does "Web Search" do?
A search is run in Google for the author's name and the first few words in the article title. Give it a try. You will see what it is searching.

What does "Find Related" do?
A search is run in Google Scholar by matching terms in the original article. The top 101 results are listed.

Getting more help

I am not finding what I need. Do you have any suggestions?
Take a look at the Finding Articles page to learn about choosing an appropriate database or go directly to our databases by subject page.

I am still having trouble finding what I need, how can I get help?
If you have questions about Google Scholar, or need assistance with your research, AskUsNow.

Are there librarians at the University Libraries that are experts on Google Scholar?
Donna Braquet, John C. Hodges Library, dbraquet@utk.edu
Ann Viera, AgVetMed Pendergrass Library, 865-974-9015

Reading more on Google Scholar

Full-text articles that review and critique Google Scholar:

Peter's Digital Reference Shelf, Google Scholar, 2004 & Google Scholar Redux, 2005

The Pros and Cons of Google Scholar, Peter Jasco, 2005
Online Information Review, 29(2): 208-214

Review of Google Scholar by Rita Vine, MLIS
J Med Libr Assoc. 2006 January; 94(1): 97–99.

Google Scholar's Strengths and Limitations by Joe Buenker, Arizona State University Library

Google Scholar: A Source for Clinicians? by Jim Henderson
CMAJ • June 7, 2005; 172 (12).

Google Scholar gets better at indexing PubMed content, but it's still several months behind by Rita Vine

Hodges Bumblebear