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Using Google Scholar

It's not a substitute for Lindell Library's databases, but it's a pretty nifty supplement.

Introduction to Google Scholar

Google Scholar has broad coverage of scholarly literature. It can be used to search for:

  • Journal articles
  • Theses
  • Government reports
  • Content of university and subject repositories
  • Some grey literature

It can be particularly useful for establishing an overview of a topic, or researching multidisciplinary topics that might be difficult to research in traditional disciplinary databases.

Google Scholar does have some down sides:

  • The exact coverage and scope is unknown ― we can't find out which journals, books, etc., are being searched
  • There is no way to differentiate peer-reviewed articles
  • Data may be incorrect or missing
  • Sometimes the citations are incorrect or wrong
  • There is no way to use subject headings or more sophisticated search strategies

When you are using Google Scholar, tune up your skeptical radar and be careful.


Google Scholar has a broad range of scholarly articles and can be a good place to start your research.

Linking to Augsburg's Journals

To set up links to Google Scholar's ‘Find it at Augsburg’:

Google Scholar Settings cog

 

  • Click the hamburger menu (the three-line graphic) at the top left of the Google Scholar page
  • Click the Settings cog
  • On the Settings page, look for “Library Links” on the left
  • Search for “Augsburg”
  • Check the box next to “Augsburg University ― Find it at Augsburg”
  • Click the “Save” button

 

Google Scholar Augsburg find it

Google Scholar and RefWorks

To set up links to import citations into RefWorks:Google Scholar Settings cog

  • Click the hamburger menu (the three-line graphic) at the top left of the Google Scholar page
  • Click the Settings cog
  • On the Settings page, look for “Search results” on the left
  • Find the “Bibliography manager” section of the page
  • Use the dropdown menu to choose “RefWorks”
  • Click the “Save” button

 

Google Scholar RefWorks setting

After Setup

After setup, your Google Scholar search results should now include these two links ― “Find It at Augsburg” and "Import into RefWorks."

Google Scholar search results