Features of Google Scholar Every Student Should Know

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Google Scholar can make cutting-edge research available free of charge, from journal articles to peer-reviewed articles and precedents. This is one of Google’s lesser-known search tools, but is invaluable if you need to cite data from reliable sources.

Google Scholar isn’t perfect as an academic search engine—you need to know a few tips to help you get the most out of it.

Use Google Scholar Advanced Search

With some practice, Google Scholar’s advanced search filters will become your go-to search tool.

  • Click the hamburger menu; Advanced search is the second to last option.

  • The advanced search field gives you nine search filters – their functions speak for themselves.

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  • You can search for specific terms, find exact phrases, and also search for synonyms.

  • For more accurate results, combine these parameters with filters such as publication date, time range, or author.

Note. Search results are usually sorted by relevance rather than date. Use date filters on the results page, or select Sort by Date if that’s what you’re looking for. Scholar supports all regular and extended Boolean search operators, just like regular Google search.

Browse articles in your area of ​​interest

You can go to the Google Scholar Metrics page, search the top 100 publications , and then navigate to the most cited publications. Then, instead of conducting a random search, you can get a bird’s eye view of what’s happening in your area of ​​expertise.

  • Open the sidebar via the hamburger menu and click Metrics .

  • Select the drop-down next to Categories , and then the Sub-Categories drop-down if you want to go deeper.

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Go back to find basic research

When we use Google search, we are interested in the latest news. In Google Scholar, we can go back in time using date filters (or use a custom date range) to find basic research in any field.

Advice. Try searching in Chrome’s incognito mode and see if it returns slightly different, non-personalized results that aren’t based on your search history.

Search for experts

It’s useful to know whose voices are most influential in your field. You can enter a search term into Google Scholar and find the most cited articles. But first, open the sidebar (select the hamburger icon next to the Google Scholar logo) and select Profiles .

The search page updates public author profiles while maintaining what you originally searched for. Use this information to learn more about their work in your field.

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Advice. Find authors you want to learn more about on YouTube, other academic journals, or on social media to follow their latest work and lectures.

Stay up to date with Google Scholar Alerts

If you’re an active Google Scholar user, set up alerts to stay up to date with the latest developments. You will receive emails whenever a new scientific topic is published.

  • Sign in to your Google account.

  • Click the hamburger menu to open the sidebar.

  • Select Alerts to open a new page.

  • Click the red “Create Alert” button and paste in the keywords you want Google Scholar to search for.

  • Select Refresh Results to view the results for the query you used.

  • Select Create Alert to set up your alert. You can set as many alerts as you like.

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Tip: You can also set up an alert for a specific query on the search results page by clicking Create Alert .

Install the Google Scholar button

Google Scholar Button is a Chrome extension that gives you quick access to Google Scholar search results without copying and pasting. You can search for scientific articles on any web page without leaving it.

For example, highlight any keyword, topic title, or quote on any web page. Click the Google Scholar button and the corresponding results will appear in the window.

You can also use the search field in the Google Scholar window to directly enter your search term.

Study any subject with Google Scholar

Conducting basic research is a fundamental skill that can help you develop critical thinking skills. Google Scholar gives you insight into broader research in any field. By using the right keywords, you can dig deeper into your results.

  • Explore the Top Posts and Most Cited Articles page to see emerging trends in any field. Use the language filter on the right to read or translate articles in other languages.

  • Click the Cited link in the search results to see if new research is based on the material you’re reading about.

  • Click “All Versions” below the search result and see if alternative sources have the entire article rather than the abstract.

  • Explore related articles and related searches to enrich your learning with similar ideas from related fields.

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  • Use the My Library feature in Google Scholar to save articles for later use. For example, click Save to read the article later and use the reading list label.

  • Google recommends that if you are new to the subject, it may be helpful to learn the terminology from secondary sources. For example, a Wikipedia article on “intravenous nutrition” might prompt a scientist to search for “overeating.”

  • Google Scholar offers library links and library searches to access any electronic and print resources in a library connected to Google Scholar results.

Have fun on Google Scholar

Yes, Google Scholar is a serious search engine. But you can still use it to search for unusual topics and see the results it produces. As a Star Trek fan, I often go there looking for something a fellow fan or scholar might write. And 148,000 results show that the cult show is a science topic for many. Try this with your favorite show or movie.

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