How to do a Google Scholar search
At some point in university life, every student has come across that work on a difficult topic that we don’t even know where to start. Therefore, Google created an extension that is one of the best friends of scientific searches. In this article, we’ll show you how to do a Google Scholar search.
Importance of Google Scholar
Google Scholar brings together the main research on a particular subject from the academic world in a quick and practical search. They are publications in all areas made by students and researchers from the most renowned universities anywhere around the world.
As soon as they enter university, many students feel unprepared for the styles of work required and the rigor of grades. Google Scholar is an excellent option since it gathers articles, research, and scientific texts of different genres that can help you structure your work with great quality.
Another advantage of the platform is that it groups publications in several languages, which greatly expands the field of knowledge, adding varied views.
How can Google Scholar be used in a search?
When searching for a certain subject, Google will list the most relevant publications related to your topic. The texts are articles, theses, dissertations, and other texts with relevance in the field.
The platform provides most files in PDF or in another format that allows you to download them. But if you want to read online, you have a library to save the texts and consult them whenever you want. You can also use filters to refine your search.
How to do a Google Scholar search
First, access the platform by clicking on this link and selecting the language you want to search, at the bottom, as well as choosing whether you want Articles or Case Law.
To start the search, just type the theme in the search bar and press “Enter” on your keyboard or click on the magnifying glass icon.
If you want to specify your search, you can also activate the filters in the “Advanced Search“. There, you can search for the article’s keywords or the exact title. You can also narrow the search down to a single word or choose words you don’t want to appear in the search.
Extending the possibilities of “Advanced Search“, you can select whether you want the search words to appear only in the title or anywhere in the article. The user can also search by author’s name; by place of publication (for example, the name of a journal), or by year.
To activate these filters, click on the three dashes in the upper left corner of the screen, then select the “Advanced Search” option and fill in the desired fields.
How to use My Library
The Google Scholar library is the space where the articles that you classify as favorites to consult at other times are saved. Next, we’ll show you how to use this tool.
How to save an article
To send an article to your library, just click on the star icon and that’s it! The text can be accessed as many times as you want.
How to access articles saved in My Library
To access your favorite articles, click on the three dashes in the upper left corner and select the “My Library” option. Then just choose the text you want and read it.
More options in My Library
If you no longer want an article in your library, just click on the “Delete” button and the publication will be removed from your favorites.
At the bottom of the saved article links, there are “Cite” and “Label” options. The “Cite” option shows the bibliographic reference of the text so that you can use it in your work. The “Label” option is an organization tool designed for the user to create lists according to the topics of the articles.
How to use My Profile
This is an exclusive tab for those who want to publish their work on Google Scholar. For this, it is necessary to register in the “My Profile” tab, informing name, affiliation, e-mail, and areas of interest. After this first check, Google Scholar will direct you to register the articles you want to share.
How to create alerts in Google Scholar
If you frequently do assignments or study a specific topic, the option to create alerts is ideal. It will notify you whenever the platform has a new article on the chosen subject. To activate alerts, click on the three dots in the upper left corner and select the “Alerts” tab.
In the “Alerts” tab, click the “Create Alert” button. Then enter the topic you want to be notified of new articles about. Finally, click once more on “Create Alert” to complete the action.
Exploring Google Scholar Settings
In the settings, you can optimize searches on the platform according to your preferences. Check out the Google Scholar options below.
Search results
In this section, you can filter the results of your searches, indicating the number of articles that should appear on the page, or even choose whether the articles will be opened in a new window. In addition, it is possible to manage the way the bibliographic references will appear.
Languages
Under “Languages“, you can filter the languages in which you want the articles to appear.
Library Links
In the “Library Links” tab, you can configure the platform to show the results of publications in the libraries you choose. However, it is important to emphasize that, many times, these articles are only available to library members and subscribers.
Account
Under “Account“, you can switch your signed-in username and allow Google to use your search activity to suggest posts on related topics. In the external access links option, you can use your library subscriptions to activate external links.
Button
Finally, the “Button” option directs you to activate a Google Scholar extension that installs an icon in your browser. This icon facilitates access to the page and allows you to search for documents during navigation.
Can you use Google Scholar for my final paper?
Not only you can, but you should! The platform is ideal for research and academic work, including your final paper!
Despite this, it is always important to pay attention to the relevance of the articles and the reliability of the institutions that published them.
Figured out how to do a Google Scholar search?
Now all you have to do is start exploring this tool to increasingly increase the quality of your work. Take the opportunity to share the article with friends and follow the blog for more tutorials like this one.
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