Before you search Google Scholar, select a library in the settings menu. Once you set and save your preferences, you will be able to link to library resources available from your public or school/college/university library.
1. Click the menu icon (3 bars) on the Google Scholar page.
2. Select Settings to choose up to 5 libraries.
3. Click Library links.
4. Type the name of your library or school into the search box, click the search icon, select your library or libraries from the results, save your selection.
5. Now you are ready to search. In the search results, look for the Full Text from "your library" on the right hand side.
NOTE: Many libraries are already in the list of library links, however if your library does not appear in the list, contact your library to see if they can sign up with Google Scholar. Information about the link service is here https://scholar.google.com/intl/en/scholar/libraries.html.
Google Scholar can be a great resource, but it does not provide access to all available scholarly research. Make sure you are checking other resources, including the library's databases, when research a topic. Below are some FAQ's.
1. Is Google Scholar free?
No, not all the time. It is free to search and some articles are available for free, but Google Scholar includes many citations that link directly to publishers' web sites of which most will charge a fee for access. However, these same articles may be available to you without cost through your access to library databases at your school or public library. Check with your local librarians and/or your academic advisors to find out which resources are available to you
2. Why does the "Full Text from ... " link appear next to some items and not others?
Google Scholar displays this link after comparing the citation to a list of our electronic subscriptions. Keep in mind that Google Scholar may not have the most up to date list and it can not match an incomplete citation. If you are not seeing any Full Text links from your local library, make sure you have linked to those resources to Google Scholar in Settings (see instructions on this page).
3. What do I do if there is no "Full Text from..." link?
If this link is not available, try other links that are displayed, as Google Scholar may find several sources for the same citation. When you are unable to find free access to full text through Google Scholar, one you have the title and author of an article, you can try searching directly in the databases of your local library.
4. How comprehensive is Google Scholar?
Google Scholar searches open access materials, as well as items from many publishers, and resources that may be in your local library/school. However, Google Scholar only searches a fraction of the published scholarly literature. Google Scholar is a very useful tool, but make sure that Google Scholar is not your only stop for research!
5. How do I search by author, or limit to certain publications or dates?
Use Advanced Scholar Search which allows for author, publication and date range searching.
