How to Use Google Scholar for Academic Research
This guide explains how to use Google Scholar for academic research. It is written for beginners. If you have just started your research journey, you are in the right place. First, you will learn the basics of the search process. Then, you will see how Google Scholar makes it easier.
Start With Google Scholar for Academic Research
Open Google and type “Google Scholar.” Next, click the first website in the results. Clicking it opens scholar.google.com. You can also visit the site by typing its address into your browser’s search bar.
Find Out the Research Gap
This website is very helpful. For instance, you can read relevant articles about your topic. Similarly, you can find the research gap. If you are still choosing a topic, read our guide on how to pick a winning research topic. Moreover, you can write citations in APA or any other format. So, Google Scholar covers all these needs.
The Effect of Social Media on Academic Performance
Consider this example. Imagine your topic is “the impact of social media on academic performance.” To begin, enter the keywords in the search box: social media and academic performance. Next, press search. Google Scholar will then display every article related to these keywords.
Put the Keywords in the Inverted Commas
Here is an important tip. Suppose you want articles that must contain both keywords. In that case, put each keyword in inverted commas. Then, write “and” between them. As a result, you will get only the articles that contain both social media and academic performance.
Social Media or Academic Performance
Now, suppose you want articles that contain either keyword. In this case, put both keywords in inverted commas. Then, write “or” between them. Consequently, you will get articles that contain either social media or academic performance. In this way, you can find related articles easily.
PDF and the Database Name
Look at the right side of the results. Opposite each article’s details, you will see “PDF” and a database name. These articles are free to download. Their PDFs are available.
A Free Access of PDF
Maybe you do not have access to a digital library or database. In that case, this is a good strategy. Download only the articles that have free PDF access. For example, click the PDF link next to an article. Then, the PDF opens. Finally, click the arrow to download the file.
Restrict Your Search to a Specific Year
You can also restrict your search to a specific year or range. Google Scholar is very helpful here. Look at the left side of the page. You can click any option. For example, if you want articles after 2020, simply click it. Google Scholar will show you all the articles from 2020 onward.
Find Articles from 2021 to 2022
Sometimes you want results from a fixed period only. Say you need papers from 2021 to 2022. Just pick the custom range option and enter those two years
In that case, use the custom range option. Then, click search. Now, you will see only the articles published between 2021 and 2022.
Systematic Literature Review
Normally, we use this technique for a systematic literature review. Likewise, we rely on the latest articles when we look for a research gap. Therefore, the best strategy is to open articles published in the last one or two years. To do this, select the advanced options.
Making the References for Your Bibliography
Google Scholar also helps you make references for your bibliography. For example, suppose you borrowed some material and rephrased it in your own words. Then, you need to write the complete citation. To do this, go to the cite option. From there, select any referencing style. For instance, choose APA style. After that, copy it and paste it into your document.
Change Any Specific Reference in a Different Format
Google Scholar also helps you change a reference into a different format. Simply copy the reference and paste it into Google Scholar. Then, it will show the article and its citation. For example, you may find a reference in another article. In that case, copy it and search for it here. As a result, you can download the complete article.
Write the Citation in Chicago
However, you may only need the citation. Perhaps it was in another style, but now you want Chicago. In that case, copy the Chicago style. Then, paste it into your document.
Final Thoughts
That is how you can use Google Scholar for academic research. I hope this article is helpful. Thanks for reading.
