Google Scholar
in a Nutshell
Google Scholar
in a Nutshell
A. Scholar FAQs
B. Pluses and Minuses of Google Scholar
C. How to use Google Scholar (for Oakland Community College Users)
A. Scholar FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is Google Scholar?
Google Scholar searches for scholarly articles, papers, and books with the same simple, quick technology as the familiar Google search engine. Using keywords, it can find citations and link to full-text articles. It can also identify books and point out their location in Oakland Community College and other nearby libraries. Scholar is in beta version, meaning it is still being tested.
What is the scope of Google Scholar?
Google Scholar will search for "peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts, and other scholarly literature from all broad areas of research. You'll find works from a wide variety of academic publishers and professional societies, as well as scholarly articles available across the web." Actually, we do not know the full scope because Google does not detail what is covered. There are some "gaps in publisher archives"1 and current materials may not have been added. Scholar is best in the fields of science and technology and for materials available online.
Can I focus my search on a certain author or within one journal title?
Yes. The Google Scholar Advanced Search screen allows you to search by author, date range, publication title, or broad subject area.
What does "Cited By" mean?
Clicking on the "Cited By" link will take you to a list of sources which cite the original source in their footnotes, Works Cited (bibliography), or hyperlinks. This is a way to find more recent commentary on the topic of the original source.
Can I see full text articles in Google Scholar?
Yes! With Google Scholar "preferences" set to Oakland Community College, you will see links to full text articles found in Oakland Community College's databases and locate books in the Library Catalog too. If you go to Google Scholar from the Libraries' Internet Searching link, your "preferences" will automatically be set to Oakland Community College. If you start from http://scholar.google.com/, you will need to follow some instructions to direct your computer to Oakland Community College resources. Here's how.
Some Google Scholar results want $$$ to see full text. Do I have to pay?
Never pay to see full text materials through Google! Some of your options:
Should I use Google Scholar for all my research needs?
Google Scholar is good for overviews or beginning research. Still, the Library's Catalog and subscription databases contain much more than Google Scholar. You can run more precise searches using the search features in the Catalog or databases. See a Librarian for help with the best search strategies for your topic.
What if I have other questions?
Contact an Oakland Community College Librarian.
B. Pluses and Minuses of Google Scholar2
| Pluses | Minuses |
 Easy to Use:
|
– Limited search capabilities: – No standardized subject headings – The databases searched are not identified – Cannot limit to material type, such as journal or book – Results cannot be sorted by date, author, title, or publication |
|
Emphasizes scholarly sources,
such as academic presses and societies |
– "Scholarly" is not defined, can be questionable |
|
Provides a good overview of
resources on a topic |
– Hard to run a specific search to get precise results |
|
Show citations to articles and
also a list of others citing that article |
– The comprehensiveness of the "cited by " lists is questionable |
|
Sorts by relevancy, with the
"best" results at the top of results list |
– Ranking is based in part on how often a source has been quoted, so older sources tend to rank higher |
|
Links to both free articles and
full text articles in databases OCC purchases |
– Google Scholar updates are not dated; the most recent materials may not display |
C. How to Use Google Scholar (for Oakland Community College Users)
Linking
to Oakland Community College Resources
Start at: http://scholar.google.com/
Select: Scholar Preferences.
At Library Links, Type Oakland Community College & click the Find Library box
Check box for: Oakland Community College
(Find it @OCC) plus
Check box for: Open Worldcat
Check the box for: Results Window: Open
search results in new browser window
Click Save preferences
When you click on a Find it@OCC link, you will be prompted to enter your Oakland Community College password.
Students use your Online Services ID/PW.
Faculty and staff use your OCC Outlook ID/PW.
The Find it@OCC link connects you to:
How to Read Your Google Scholar Results
Explanation of Links
1. Title – Links to abstract or whole article if available
2. Cited By – Identifies other papers that have cited articles i the group.
3. Find it@OCC – Links to OCC electronic resources
4. Related Articles – Locate articles on similar topic that uses different subject terminology.
5. Find it@OCC and Library Search – Links to libraries with physical copy of the work
6. Group of – Finds other articles in this group of scholarly works, such as preprints
7. Web Search – Information on this title from Google Web
8. BL Direct – Document delivery form British Library. DO NOT USE
Check out these excellent help pages from Google:
Thanks to:
1 "Google Scholar Beta", Peter's Digital Reference Shelf, Thomson Gale. Dec 2004. 14 Aug 2006. http://www.galegroup.com/servlet/HTMLFileServlet?imprint=9999®ion=7&fileName=/reference/archive/200412/googlescholar.html
2 Health Sciences Library, McMaster University. "Google Scholar" 18 May 2006. 13 Aug 2006. http://hsl.mcmaster.ca/resources/googlescholar.htm
