How is Google Scholar different from ordinary Google?
The scholarly, authoritative focus of Google Scholar distinguishes it from ordinary Google. It searches the same kinds of scholarly books, articles, and documents that you search in the Library's catalog and databases.
There is overlap between the content in Google Scholar and the Library's individual databases. Also, many citations in Google Scholar will link to full text in the Library's databases or in publicly available databases. But Google Scholar will not contain everything that is in the Library's databases.
Google Scholar can be a convenient starting place, but it is not a comprehensive "one-stop-shop." For more precise searching, more search features, and more content, use the Library's individual databases.
Searching is as easy as searching in regular Google. Just type in Google Scholar in your computer's search box to use as your search engine. Enter a search term or phrase, such as "violent protests."
Like regular Google, Google Scholar returns the most relevant results first, based on an item's full text, author, source, and the number of times it has been cited in other sources. Some actions are a little different from regular Google: clicking on a title may only take you to a citation or description, rather than to the full document itself. Google Scholar will not necessarily get you to the full text of every search result.
To find the full document, look for (1) a PDF or HTML link to the right of the article title. These links should take you to the full text of the document.
If you don't see these links or they don't take you to the full text, you can contact the refdesk@yvcc.edu for help in finding the article. Some documents will be unavailable online, but they may be available in the library building or through an Interlibrary Loan.
Additional search tips:
Don't forget, when searching a topic in Google Scholar, check out the "Related searches" at the bottom of your search results page for additional ideas to explore in your related topic area.