Comparative Literature: Google Scholar

Google Scholar uses Google's PageRank algorithm and runs it through a pre-selected set of tables-of-contents and metadata from a limited set of scholarly journals and papers that are freely accessible online.

• The editorial control of Google Scholar is unknown or unclear.
• Results are not comprehensive. GS is only searching and skimming what it finds online within a particular context.
• GS also retrieves non-scholarly materials such as news announcements, flyers, slide decks, and general information from any site ending .edu,
• It cannot access content within subscription databases such as MLA or Literature Online
• Its proprietary algorithm is influenced by the profile that Google maintains on you, meaning that your search results are not always reproducible by other researchers in different locations
• It is not an index and is not organized by discipline or subject
• It cannot organize, filter, or sort your search results
• Most records in Google Scholar are citations, not articles in their entirety.
• The order of your keywords matters; earlier is considered more important

Learn how you can connect UCSB Library to Google Scholar to easily access the full text of an article through UC Library Search.

Connecting Google Scholar to UCSB Library Full-Text Resources from UCSB Library on Vimeo.

Transcript:

Title: Connecting Google Scholar to UCSB Library Full-Text Resources: Teaching & Learning Series

Body: Starting on the Google Scholar homepage, login to Google using your UCSB NetID and password. Once you are logged in, find the menu in the top left corner of the screen and select the “settings” option, then the “library links” option. In the search box, enter “University of California, Santa Barbara” and search. Find the “Get it At UC” option and make sure the box is checked, then save your changes. Now, you can search for full-text articles in UCSB Library from Google Scholar! On the Google Scholar homepage, enter your search terms and search. Look for the “Get it at UC” links to access the full-text resource through the Library website. You’ve done it! Having trouble? Ask for help. Need help with your research? Visit us online: library.ucsb.edu/ask

Google Scholar is good for:

• Locating obscure references that are difficult to find in conventional databases, either because you have an incomplete citation or an article is not included in other indexing services.
• Tracking down the full text of a known article. When you set up Google Scholar's Library Links you will be authenticated as a UCSB-affiliate and can retrieve licensed material and the full text of articles if UCSB Library has access to them. See below for instructions.
• Finding gray literature such as conference proceedings, pre-prints, policy papers, and government reports.