Google Scholar: an Introduction to Google Scholar: Master Google Scholar

Want to use Google Scholar to find articles at TCC Libraries?

1. Access the Google Scholar search engine  at http://scholar.google.com, or click on the last tab of this guide.
    
2. If you already have an account with Google, click "Sign In" at the top right of the screen, and log in on the next screen.
    
3. If you do not have an account with Google, create a free one at the top right of the screen. Click "Sign In" at the trop right of the screen, and then create a free account using the link directly above the log-in box, and then "Sign In" as above. 
    
4. Once you are logged in, click on "Settings"  under the three lines graphic in the top left corner. 
    
5. Go to "Library Links" (about halfway down the page). If "Tulsa Community College" is not an option, type it into the box and search for the college. Once it has been located through the search, click the checkbox for TCC Libraries and any other libraries you wish to designate (up to a maximum of 5).
    
6. When you are done making these and any other changes to Preferences, click the "Save Preferences" button at the bottom right corner.

Learn these operators and tips for Google Scholar... then use them for Google searches too (and in other databases, like Ebscohost and ProQuest)!  Google Scholar automatically includes "and" between multiple search terms.

• the "+" operator makes sure your results include common words, letters or numbers that Google's search technology generally ignores, as in [+de knuth];

• the "-" operator excludes all results that include this search term, as in [flowers -author:flowers];

• phrase search only returns results that include this exact phrase, as in ["as you like it"];

• the "OR" operator returns results that include either of your search terms, as in [stock call OR put];

• the "intitle:" operator as in [intitle:mars] only returns results that include your search term in the document's title.

How do I search by title?

Put the paper's title in quotations: "A History of the China Sea."

How do I sort by date?

There is no sort by date feature. If you want to find recent papers, select the date range from the dropdown menu labeled anytime under the search box.

You can also receive newly added search results by email. To sign up for email updates, do a search as usual and click on the envelope icon on the green bar.

How do I search by author?

Use the "author:" operator, e.g., author:"d knuth" or author:"donald e knuth". See Google Scolar's Advanced Search Tips for more information.

How do I sign up for email alerts?

Do a search for the topic of interest, e.g. M Theory, click on the envelope icon on the green bar below the search box, and click "Create alert". Google Scholar will then periodically email you newly published papers that match your search criteria.

Do I need a Google account to receive email alerts?

No. If you're not signed in to a Google account, you can enter an email address of your choice. Then, Google Scholar will email you a verification link, which you'll need to click in order to start receiving alerts.

How do I get notified when my papers are cited?

Search for common spellings of your name in references, e.g., sw-hawking OR hawking-sw OR s-hawking OR hawking-s. If you get many results for different people that share your name, try adding last names of your co-authors or topical keywords to your search. You can tweak your search terms and preview a sample of results on the alert creation page.

How do I get notified when a particular paper is cited?

Search for the title of your paper, e.g. "Anti de Sitter space and holography", click on the "Cited by" link at the bottom of the search result, and then click on the envelope icon on the green bar below the search box.

How do I get notified of new papers published by my competitors, err, respected colleagues?

Do a search by author, e.g., author:s-hawking, and click on the mighty envelope. Add co-author names or topical keywords if necessary.

How often do you send the alerts?

Google Scholar will send the alerts right after new papers are added to Google Scholar. This is generally done several times a week, except that their search robots meticulously observe holidays.

How do I unsubscribe?

There's a link to cancel the alert at the bottom of every notification email.

How do I change my alerts?

If you created alerts using a Google account, you can manage them all here. If you're not using a Google account, you'll need to unsubscribe from the individual alerts and subscribe to the new ones.