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What is Google Scholar?

Google Scholar is the newest offering from Google that searches for scholarly materials such as peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports from broad areas of research. Google Scholar searches a variety of undisclosed academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories and universities, as well as scholarly articles available across the web. Much of the content is available in full text, while in some instances abstracts with links to pay-for document delivery services are displayed.

While we encourage you to try Google Scholar, keep in mind that this software is 'in Beta.' Beta status indicates that Google Scholar is still in development, and you may therefore encounter some inconsistencies or peculiarities. You may wish to supplement your research by searching some of the many other databases found on the Find Articles page.

How do I set preferences so I can find "Full-Text @ Green River" articles in Google Scholar?

From the GRCC Network (on campus)

If you are searching in Google Scholar on a computer in the GRCC network (anywhere on campus, or if you have already signed in through the library's proxy server), links to Full-Text @ Green River will automatically show up in the Google Scholar search results.

From off campus

If you are not searching from within the GRCC network, follow these easy steps to configure your Google Scholar Preferences to display Full-Text @ Green River links:

  • Go to Google Scholar.
  • Click on the Scholar Preferences link.
  • In the Library Links search box, search for "Green River Community College."
  • Check the box next to "Green River Community College."
  • Click "Save Preferences."

Now, perform a search in Google Scholar. 

"Full-Text @ Green River" and/or "Find It @ Green River" links will show up in your search results.

Click on one of these links, and you will be taken to the Article Linker page for Holman Library, which will provide you with options for accessing the item you are looking for.

Remember, if you’re off campus, you’ll need to login with your SID to view the full-text article.

What does 'Cited by' mean?
Clicking the 'Cited by' link will display a list of articles and documents that have cited the document originally retrieved in the search. This makes it possible to uncover other documents that are related by topic or subject to the original document. However, Google Scholar only includes articles that are indexed within its database, and this is a much smaller subset of scholarly articles than found in some other Holman Library subscription databases.
Can I search within a specific journal or search for articles written by a particular author?
Yes! Use Google Scholar's Advanced Search to search by author, publication, and date. Increase the accuracy and effectiveness of Google Scholar searches by checking out Advanced Scholar Search Tips.
Why do some titles have links to abstracts and/or full text and others do not?

Search results may include citations [CITATION], books [BOOK], PDFs [PDF] and PostScript documents [PS]. PDF and PostScript documents will have clickable title links that point to abstracts or full text, but citations and books will not.

Citations are items that have been extracted from the references, footnotes or bibliographies of documents indexed by Google Scholar. However, Google Scholar may not index the citations in its database, and therefore they do not have clickable links. Clicking on 'Web Search' will start a search for the citation using the standard Google search engine. Using the Libraries Find Articles page to locate a subject-specific or multidisciplinary database may produce more reliable results.

Books appear in search results when a document indexed by Google Scholar references a book. Google Scholar creates a book result, but doesn't link to the actual book. Clicking on a 'Find It @ GRCC' link is the best way of determining whether or not GRCC holds a copy of the book. If GRCC does not hold a copy, GRCC users may request a copy through InterLibrary Loan.

What is the difference between 'Library Search' and 'Web Search'?
Clicking on 'Library Search' will start a search of OCLC WorldCat and try to locate the book in a local library. 'Find It @ GRCC' links are the best way of determining whether or not GRCC holds a copy of the book--and will allow GRCC users to obtain the book through Interlibrary Loan if GRCC does not hold a copy, so GRCC users may never need to use 'Library Search." A 'Web Search' will start a search using the standard Google search engine, and will often lead to Amazon and other commercial sites where books may be purchased. You would want to use this if you were interested in purchasing the book--as opposed to borrowing it from GRCC Holman Library.
I'm being asked to pay for access to full text articles.

GRCC students, faculty and staff do not need to pay for access to these items.

Some of the title hyperlinks in Google Scholar will lead to full text documents contained within subscription-based databases which the library may not subscribe to. If the item is contained within an unsubscribed database, there may be an option to purchase the article. GRCC students, faculty and staff do not need to pay for access to these items. GRCC users should use the 'Full-Text @ Green River' or 'Find It @ Green River' links to access the item. The options listed on the 'Find It @ Green River' menu that appears will help you obtain the item--either through a Holman Library subscription, in print at Holman Library, or through InterLibrary Loan.
I'm not finding the information I need. Where else can I search for online full text documents?

Search the library databases.

Use the link to Articles from our home page to choose a database by subject.
Listed below are some popular resources that provide full-text articles (requires off-campus authentication with your SID):
Where can I get more help?

There are many ways for you to get help.