Google Scholar: Search Google Scholar

Google Scholar is very similar to Google; you can use many of the same search options.

• Google Scholar automatically places AND between words:

nurse stress retention

• Place quotation marks around phrases or titles:

"social learning theory"

"On the Origin of Species"

• Search for alternate terms using OR, with the terms enclosed in parentheses:

("first grade" OR "second grade")

(theory OR model)

You can also use the advanced Google Scholar search to create your search string. Creating a complex Google Scholar search can be difficult.

A good Google Scholar strategy is to try multiple searches, adjusting your keywords with each search.

• Learn more about Google Scholars advanced search.

Use the Cited by link to find articles and books that cite a specific article.

The cited by feature is a great way to find more recent articles and to trace an idea from its original source up to the present.

1. Start by locating a single item in Google Scholar.
2. Look for the Cited by link at the bottom of the result. It will list the number of times the item has been cited by others.
   
   
   
    
3. Click the Cited by link to see a list of the items that cite your original item. Older and more influential items will have a higher number of Cited by results.
4. You can limit these cited by results. Search for keywords within the results by checking the box for Search within citing articles at the top of the search and following the prompts, or limit the date range by choosing an option on the left side of the page under Any time.
   
   

For more complex searches, try Google Scholar's Advanced Search page.

1. To access the advanced search option, click on the three line icon in the upper left corner of the Google Scholar search page.
2. Click on Advanced search.
   
   
   
    
3. From the Advanced search pop-up box, choose the search option(s) you need.
   
   

The advanced search allows you to search more precisely. 

• Use the articles dated between option to limit to specific years.
• Try the authored by search box to see resources by a specific author
• Explore the other search options to see what's most effective for your search, such as searching in specific journals, searching for exact phrases, and using different keyword strategies.

• Watch a search for a complicated topic using the advanced search feature.

See how the search differs between a library database and Google Scholar.

• Watch a search for a specific article by title.