How to Use Google Scholar
Go to the Google scholar webpage., Sign in to your Google account., Sign in to an institutional or library account, if you have one., Enter search terms., Get citation information., Go to the full text, if possible.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Go to the Google scholar webpage.
Open your preferred internet browser, and go to http://scholar.google.com to visit Google Scholar.
You will see a webpage that looks much like the regular Google Search page, with the Google Scholar logo and a search box underneath.
You can access Google Scholar via a computer or a mobile device.The Google Chrome browser also has a Google Scholar Button you can add to make searching easier. -
Step 2: Sign in to your Google account.
To access some of Google Scholar’s services and features, you’ll want to be logged into your Google account (it’s easy to set up one if you haven’t already).
Just click “Sign In” in the top right corner of the Google Scholar webpage and follow the prompts.
This will link your use of Google Scholar to your Gmail and other Google accounts. , Click “Settings” at the top center of the Google Scholar webpage, then “Library Links” on the left-hand menu bar.
Type in the name of your institution and follow the prompts to log in.
Many sources Google Scholar finds have restricted access, but if you have access to a library or other institution that subscribes to the right services, you may be able to reach these. , In the search box, type the key terms for topic you are searching for.
Then, click the search button (to the right of the search bar, with a magnifying glass icon) to pull up results.
For instance, if you are interested in Vietnamese culture, you could type in ‘the culture of the Vietnamese people.’ Generally, however, using as few search terms as possible will return broader results.
For instance, you could also just search for ‘Vietnamese people’ or ‘Vietnamese culture.’ If you are having trouble finding relevant results, try an additional or different set of search terms.
For instance, if you are interested in the everyday life of Vietnamese people, and ‘Vietnamese people’ isn’t returning useful results, try searching for ‘Vietnamese people customs.’ Google Scholar allows you to look for articles and other scholarly sources (including patents) as well as case law (if you are doing legal research).
Just click the circular radio button (found below the search bar) corresponding to the type of search you want to do. , A search in Google Scholar may return a variety of results: academic articles, books, dissertations and theses, etc.
Pay attention to titles, author names, publication dates, and other information that Google Scholar will supply.
Keep an eye out for results that seem interesting or relevant to your topic.
For example, if you search for ‘Vietnamese Culture,’ you might see a result for the article “Culture Shock:
A Review of Vietnamese Culture and its Concepts of Health and Disease,” and see that it is by M.D.
Nguyen, and was published in the Western Journal of Medicine in
1985.
You might be interested in the specific topic (Vietnamese culture and health), or the author, or the fact that it was published in
1985.
You might also be able to see a brief abstract or snippet of text from the result, which can help you determine if it is relevant to your search. , Some results found via Google Scholar will be full text, meaning you can click on the title of the result and go directly to read the full article, book, or other source via your web browser.
Many academic sources however, have restricted access and do not allow the general public to see the full text.Clicking on a search result might take you to the full text, an abstract, a snippet, or a limited preview.
If you are logged into your institutional account, Google Scholar may provide links for full-text access.
If you are logged into your Harvard account, for instance, look for “Availability at Harvard” and/or “FindIt@Harvard” for more information about whether or not you can access the full text of particular sources.
If you don’t have an institutional or library account, some restricted sources may have the option of paying a fee to view them.
If a source you want to view is restricted, you can also click “All Versions” at the bottom of the citation information.
If the source is accessible via other databases, you might be able to find one that is non-restricted. -
Step 3: Sign in to an institutional or library account
-
Step 4: if you have one.
-
Step 5: Enter search terms.
-
Step 6: Get citation information.
-
Step 7: Go to the full text
-
Step 8: if possible.
Detailed Guide
Open your preferred internet browser, and go to http://scholar.google.com to visit Google Scholar.
You will see a webpage that looks much like the regular Google Search page, with the Google Scholar logo and a search box underneath.
You can access Google Scholar via a computer or a mobile device.The Google Chrome browser also has a Google Scholar Button you can add to make searching easier.
To access some of Google Scholar’s services and features, you’ll want to be logged into your Google account (it’s easy to set up one if you haven’t already).
Just click “Sign In” in the top right corner of the Google Scholar webpage and follow the prompts.
This will link your use of Google Scholar to your Gmail and other Google accounts. , Click “Settings” at the top center of the Google Scholar webpage, then “Library Links” on the left-hand menu bar.
Type in the name of your institution and follow the prompts to log in.
Many sources Google Scholar finds have restricted access, but if you have access to a library or other institution that subscribes to the right services, you may be able to reach these. , In the search box, type the key terms for topic you are searching for.
Then, click the search button (to the right of the search bar, with a magnifying glass icon) to pull up results.
For instance, if you are interested in Vietnamese culture, you could type in ‘the culture of the Vietnamese people.’ Generally, however, using as few search terms as possible will return broader results.
For instance, you could also just search for ‘Vietnamese people’ or ‘Vietnamese culture.’ If you are having trouble finding relevant results, try an additional or different set of search terms.
For instance, if you are interested in the everyday life of Vietnamese people, and ‘Vietnamese people’ isn’t returning useful results, try searching for ‘Vietnamese people customs.’ Google Scholar allows you to look for articles and other scholarly sources (including patents) as well as case law (if you are doing legal research).
Just click the circular radio button (found below the search bar) corresponding to the type of search you want to do. , A search in Google Scholar may return a variety of results: academic articles, books, dissertations and theses, etc.
Pay attention to titles, author names, publication dates, and other information that Google Scholar will supply.
Keep an eye out for results that seem interesting or relevant to your topic.
For example, if you search for ‘Vietnamese Culture,’ you might see a result for the article “Culture Shock:
A Review of Vietnamese Culture and its Concepts of Health and Disease,” and see that it is by M.D.
Nguyen, and was published in the Western Journal of Medicine in
1985.
You might be interested in the specific topic (Vietnamese culture and health), or the author, or the fact that it was published in
1985.
You might also be able to see a brief abstract or snippet of text from the result, which can help you determine if it is relevant to your search. , Some results found via Google Scholar will be full text, meaning you can click on the title of the result and go directly to read the full article, book, or other source via your web browser.
Many academic sources however, have restricted access and do not allow the general public to see the full text.Clicking on a search result might take you to the full text, an abstract, a snippet, or a limited preview.
If you are logged into your institutional account, Google Scholar may provide links for full-text access.
If you are logged into your Harvard account, for instance, look for “Availability at Harvard” and/or “FindIt@Harvard” for more information about whether or not you can access the full text of particular sources.
If you don’t have an institutional or library account, some restricted sources may have the option of paying a fee to view them.
If a source you want to view is restricted, you can also click “All Versions” at the bottom of the citation information.
If the source is accessible via other databases, you might be able to find one that is non-restricted.
About the Author
Kelly Sullivan
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow pet care tutorials.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: