Google Scholar: What you should know as a Researcher

by William Woods Blogger

What is Google Scholar?

Google Scholar is available for free. It is a web search engine which indexes the full text of scholarly literature of different disciplines and publishing platforms. Index of Google Scholar includes:

● Online academic journals

● Books

● Conference papers

● Thesis

● Dissertations

● Preprints

● Abstracts

● Technical Reports

● Court Opinions

● Patents

As an avid Researcher, you should know about the advantages offered by Google Scholar.

● Google Scholar is like Google Search Engine, and so it relatively easy to use.

● Researchers can have access to all the above-mentioned material index.

● It enables you to see the article of your interest. Further, the information about citation is also available.

● Google Scholar displays links to books and articles held through ECU Libraries.

● It provides an option to save citations and read the article later.

Although Google Scholar provides access to multiple articles and papers, it still has a few Limitations that a Researcher should know.

● Google Scholar Journal provides information in a wide-range; however, it is still not comprehensive. So, it may not be the only source you use, and instead, it can be a research source.

● There are no criteria provided for the results to be “scholarly.” Results are from all sources, so a Researcher should filter out what he/she wants.

● Google Scholar refrains from providing notice when it updates its material. So, a source you use today may not be the same tomorrow.

● The citation tracker is inaccurate and difficult to use.

● There is no guarantee to download the article by Google Scholar download.

However, Google Scholar combines certain features to identify a wide range of publications of different topics and precise citations quickly, as mentioned below.

● Related Articles: When you find an article of your choice, you can click the “Related Article” link to access more articles like it. /However, the algorithm of Google Scholar still doesn’t guarantee that the article will be similar.

● Cited By: When you clicked the “Cited By” option, it tells you whereabouts of the article citation. It is a helpful option that filters out relevant articles or papers you wish to read.

● Citation Formatting: When you click on the quote icon, you could see the citations formatted in various styles such as Chicago, Harvard, Vancouver, APA, and MLA. You get an option to copy them or export directly to your bibliography manager like RefMan, RefWorks, EndNote, BibTex, etc.

● Relevant Research: Google Scholar has a provision that lets you follow particular research by an author. Go to the author’s page and simply click the “Follow” option. Then you should select “New articles related to this author’s research.” By doing so, you will get an email every time if the author publishes something new.

How is Abaqus different from Google Scholar?

● Abaqus provides notification and keeps you updated about your research topic.

● Unlike Google Scholar, Abaqus provides comprehensive material for research.

● Abaqus allows you to have a conversation about your research topic. Google Scholar doesn't have this feature.

● You have an option to get recommendations from leading researchers on Abaqus.

● Through Abbaqus you get to know about funding schemes, fellowships, and events regarding your topic.