English (Communications Core)

What is Google Scholar?

Google Scholar is a curated collection of full text scholarly publications and is searchable by author, subject, citation, publication and related works.

Is Google Scholar the same as EBSCOHost or library databases?

No. Google Scholar does not have the same features and tools as do our library databases. Library databases provide users with permalinks to articles, citation tools, and allow you to seamlessly upload full text articles to your Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. In addition, library databases allow users to conduct more advanced and complex searches. In general, Google scholar is a place to start with research.

When should I use Google Scholar?

If you are getting started on your research and not finding many results in the library databases, Google Scholar, much like Google search, can help you find the domain specific language you might need to more easily navigate the databases. For more information about how to search Google Scholar, check out their Search Help page.

How do I get access to an article I find on Google Scholar?

If you use the embedded search engine on this guide, then you will see when our library has the full text available. Look for PDF or HTML notations in the right hand column next to the article that you want to read. Click on the link to connect to the library database or the full text article. For more information, read Google Scholar's Access to articles page.