College life is a whirlwind of new experiences, and somewhere between navigating campus and late-night study sessions, you're probably hearing a lot about "research" for your classes. If that word makes you a little nervous, don't worry! Google Scholar is here to be your friendly guide. It's a powerful tool that helps you find reliable academic sources, and this guide will show you how to use it like a pro.
Imagine Google, but specifically for finding academic stuff. That's Google Scholar! It's a search engine that looks for things like:
Articles: Think of these as chapters in a highly specialized magazine on a certain topic.
Theses and Dissertations: Long research papers written by other students, often for advanced degrees.
Academic Books: Scholarly books that go deep into a subject.
Conference Papers: Summaries of presentations given by experts at academic events.
So why should you care? Because Google Scholar is a treasure chest for your studies. It helps you find reliable, credible sources and saves you from sifting through countless unreliable websites.
Using Google Scholar is straightforward. Just follow these simple steps to get started:
Go to the Website: Head to https://scholar.google.com/. You don't need an account to start searching, but if you sign in with your Google account, you can save articles and use other features.
Type in Your Topic: Just like regular Google, type what you're looking for into the search bar. Use quotation marks for a specific phrase.
Example: "effects of social media on teenagers"
Refine Your Search: Once you have your results, don't get overwhelmed. Look at the left side of the page to find helpful filters:
Year: Narrow your results to a specific date range, like the last five years.
Cited by: This is a cool feature. Clicking "Cited by" under an article shows you other research that has used that article as a source. It's a great way to find more related and important work.
Related articles: This helps you find articles that are similar to one you've already found.
You've found the perfect article—now how do you read it?
Free Articles: Look for a PDF or HTML link on the right side of the search results. If you see one, click it to read the full article for free.
Not Free? No Problem: If there's no free link, don't panic. Your college library likely has a subscription to the journal or database where the article is published. To get direct access, follow these steps:
Click the menu button (three lines) in the top corner and go to Settings.
Click Library links.
Type in your college's name and check the box next to it.
Now, when you search, you might see a link that says "Find it @ South Florida State College" next to articles. Click that to access it through your school's subscription.
Ready to take your research to the next level?
Advanced Search: Click the menu button and go to Advanced search. This lets you get super specific. You can search by author, a specific journal, or words in the title only.
Boolean Operators: These are simple words that make your searches way more effective.
AND: Use it to find articles that include both words. (e.g., social media AND anxiety)
OR: Use it to find articles with either word. (e.g., painting OR sculpture)
NOT: Use it to exclude a word. (e.g., coffee NOT decaf)
Wildcards: Use an asterisk (∗) to search for different versions of a word. For example, child$ will find results with "child," "children," or "childhood."
Google Scholar also has features to help you keep track of your sources.
Your Personal Library: When you find an article you like, click the star icon next to it. It will save to your personal library, which you can access by clicking "My library." You can even create collections to keep things organized for different classes.
Citations Made Easy: Under each search result, you'll see a "Cite" button. Click it, and Google Scholar will show you how to cite the article in different styles like APA and MLA. You can simply copy and paste the citation into your paper—just make sure to double-check it for accuracy!
Google Scholar is an essential tool for any college student. By using these tips, you'll be able to find the right sources for your assignments, impress your professors, and get a head start on your research. Happy searching!
We suggest using the recommended databases first, but Google Scholar can offer additional sources.