Using Google Scholar

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Just It!

description

Background on Google Scholar and search tips.

Transcript of Using Google Scholar

Page 1: Using Google Scholar

Just It!

Page 2: Using Google Scholar

About Google Scholar

Google Scholar provides a familiar, user-friendly interface to conduct cross-discipline searches for scholarly literature.

Source: http://scholar.google.com/intl/en-US/scholar/about.html

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Scholarly vs. Popular Resources

What’s the Difference?...

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Scholarly vs. Popular

Scholarly

• Lengthy articles

• Fewer graphics

• Use technical language

• Give references

• Written by subject experts

Popular

• Shorter articles

• Lots of images

• Uses simple vocabulary

• References are rare

• Written by journalists

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Why Google Scholar?

Uses a familiar interface

Free (some minor exceptions) and can be accessed from anywhere

Can link to your library’s subscription databases

More reliable results than Google or Wikipedia

Search across multiple disciplines simultaneously

Uses natural language

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Beginning Your Search

Define your search terms

What are search terms and why are they needed?

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Formulating your search

Combine terms with “AND” in the basic search or use the Advanced Search feature.

Google Scholar is less picky than databases, but why start bad habits now.

Test different search terms, and keep track of the ones you have tested.

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Example Search…

Search terms:

Immigrants

Migrants

Refugees

Children

Kids

Youth

Juveniles

Adolescents

Citizenship

Citizens

Residents

Should undocumented children be granted citizenship?

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Practice Makes Perfect…

Topic: Does capital punishment reduce violent crime?

Think about what search terms you might use for this topic

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Don’t Stop at Google Scholar…

Google Scholar doesn’t have all the answers??? Well, in short No!

Disadvantages of Google Scholar include:

Difficulty narrowing down results

No option to search by full title

Defaults to sort by relevancy rather than publication date

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Things You Should Know Now…

Why you might use Google Scholar

How to link Google Scholar to your library’s databases

Ways to brainstorm search terms

Executing and refining your search

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Need More Help Searching?

You can: • Ask-A-Librarian • Text-A-Librarian• Call the library at:

982-5363 or 982-5364