Google Scholar
Google Scholar searches for scholarly materials such as peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from broad areas of research. Coverage appears to be strongest in science and technology, and weakest in the humanities. When using Google Scholar for research consider the following.
Google Scholar is just one starting point
Google Scholar holds much potential and may find useful material, but it does NOT replace library catalogs or specialized databases. If you use Google Scholar as your only research tool, you are missing a lot - perhaps the key paper that would be your best resource. Millions of articles only found by searching comprehensive subject indexes are excluded from Google Scholar. Rely on the library's subscriptions as your best source. Library databases and other important research resources are accessible at the Databases and Indexes page and off Subject Guides pages.
The Library already paid!
Links for thousands of articles indexed in Google Scholar go to publishers' Web sites, where access requires a subscriber's login or an access fee ($30-45). Many of these same articles are available to you without additional fee, since the library pays the subscription.
Google Scholar search results may point you to UC online subscriptions:
"Find it with OLinks" will typically lead you to full-text online. It displays beside the citation.
"OhioLINK OLinks" displays when Google is not aware of a University of Cincinnati subscription, and displays under the citation in small text. This doesn't mean that UC does not have a print copy or access to an electronic copy. Make sure you check the library catalog and the full-text journal finder or ask a librarian.
For books you may see the "Library Search" link under the citation:
Follow the link. On the resulting screen click "Find a copy" or "Connenct to the catalog at OhioLINK" to see copies available at OhioLINK institutions or University of Cincinnati Libraries.
We can get just about anything you need through interlibrary loan and document delivery providers - don't hesitate to ask! Learn about requesting materials in University Libraries.
It's easy to save citations!
If you are using a personal bibliographic management toollike EndNote or RefWorks, you can save citations automatically to your bibliographic manager:
In Google Scholar click
on the Scholar Preferences link to the right of the Scholar search box, scroll to the bottom of the Scholar Preferences page, and in the “Bibliography Manager” section, click the radio button next to “Show link to import citations into” and choose the citation manager format you prefer: EndNote, RefWorks, etc. Then click the "Save Preferences" button.
This information is provided at http://www.google.com/librariancenter/newsletter/0703.html#5
Google Scholar does not allow precise searching
Searching Google Scholar is easy, but it currently offers no way to focus your search the way library research databases do; for example, PsycINFO allows limiting by human subjects and Medline by treatment. These comprehensive, highly developed subject databases, are a much better choice when you need both reliable access and sophisticated search techniques.
You can increase the precision of your Google Scholar search to some degree by using the Advanced Search, which allows you to search for a specific author, publication, or date. See Advanced Scholar Search Tips.
Want to know more?
Modified from Google Scholar vs. Other Scholarly Databases available at <http://www.oberlin.edu/library/science/google_tips.html>