Goggle Scholar: Searching

Consider the following 10 tips when using Google Scholar: 

1. Keywords are essential 
   • Refrain from typing the entire topic of your research; instead, build and utilise a list of keywords. 
   • Also consider rephrasing your topic as a question
2. Use quotation marks around keywords or phrase
   • Quotation marks indicate you require an exact match to your keywords or phrase. if quotation marks are not used, each word is searched separately.
3. Use Boolean operators
   • You can narrow your search using Boolean operators (along with quotation marks):
     • AND will ensure both terms appear in your search results: "endodontics" AND "operative dentistry"
     • OR will include either terms or both terms in your search results: "Endodontics" OR "operative dentistry"
     • Minus sign will exclude that term in your search results "Endodontics" -"operative dentistry"
4. Mention details if available
   • If you know the correct article title, put it quotation marks.
   • Stating the year of publication of the articles or books you are searching for will also return more precise results.  
5. Search by author’s name 
   • If you want to search for articles and information written by a particular author, search by author name
   • You can also click on the specific author’s name as it appears in any article produced through the search results.​​​​​​
6. Use advanced search
   • Access advanced search by clicking on the hamburger menu to the left of My profile and My library.
7. Narrow search results 
   • Use the options on the left of the search results to narrow the results for example by date, relevance and the reliability of the source.
8. Link to your library for full text access 
   • Some universities and libraries integrate Google Scholar into their search systems, providing seamless access to content through institutional accounts. See the page on setting up your Google Scholar account to link with the ADA National Digital Library. If you belong to any other libraries (e.g. National Library of Australia, or your State Library, or a university library), follow the same process to link the library to Google Scholar.
   • If full text is available either open access or from a linked institution, a link will appear on the right of the article title. These are usually presented in either PDF or HTML format.
9. Use the citation option 
   • Use the Cite option located at the bottom of the article. Various formats (e.g., MLA, APA, Chicago) are available. You have the option of either copying and pasting the reference or downloading to a citation manager. Always remember to check the reference to ensure its accuracy. 
10. Use of My Library 
    • You can save articles and documents to My Library by click on the Save option at the bottom of a record in the search results.
    • Use labels (similar to a folder) to help organise your articles.

Article adapted from What is Google Scholar and How to Use it for Research | Researcher.Life and What is Google Scholar and How to Use It | GeeksforGeeks

Google Scholar picks up draft versions of articles that haven’t been through the peer-review process

These will often show up on websites such as ResearchGate and SSRN. Wherever possible, you should refer to the final peer-reviewed version of an article which includes the journal title, volume/issue number, and page range.

Google Scholar doesn’t let you limit your search to peer-reviewed content

It’s up to you to evaluate the quality and credibility of each resource.