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 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 http://www.libraries.uc.edu/research/articles/indexes_data.php and off Subject Resources pages.
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.
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.
Modified from Google Scholar vs. Other Scholarly Databases available at <http://www.oberlin.edu/library/science/google_tips.html>
