We offer a workshop to current students on searching Google for Academic Research. Check out the handouts for latest tips & advice.
In our class we also cover searching Google - check out the video below:
You can also read a transcript of the video or follow instructions in Powerpoint.
Even Google has an advanced search option! After you've run a search it's under 'Settings'. You can use quote marks " to search for particular phrases or filter by region, language, date.
You can also use it to search a particular domain - say you want to know what the UK government has written about deworming - you can put .gov.uk in the 'site or domain' box (only one domain at a time, sadly). You can dictate that your search terms appear in the title of the page, or the url, not just somewhere in the text. You can also restrict the file type, so if you're looking for reports, PDFs would be a good bet.
Google Scholar can often link you to a free 'open access' version of the article, look out for the [PDF] links next to some of your results.
In SOLO sort & filter results to include results without full-text access and also choose to show only: Open Access in order to link through to free 'open access' versions of the results.
If you have access to any university library's online subscriptions, sign in to Google and set up that university or library name in your Library Links within Settings. This will then display a link to that subscription next to the result, e.g. links to the Bodleian Libraries subscription display: FindIt@Oxford
If you are a member of the University of Oxford use your Single Sign On to follow the links to Online Access.
Mainly looking for books? Try...
Mainly looking for journal articles, pre-prints, conference papers, dissertations and theses? Try...
Looking for newspapers? Try...
The Bodleian subscribes to a range of e-resources covering historical and contemporary newspapers. For a list visit Databases A-Z > Newspapers. The following are free newspaper resources.
Google Scholar provides a very similar service to SOLO's Articles search and much of the content is the same. The Bodleian Libraries subscribe to a curated service (Primo) bringing together content from many publishers and databases. Google Scholar gathers its content from many of the same publishers in an automated way using search algorithms. The Bodleian Libraries also supplement the index with additional local content (e.g. online articles received via legal deposit, items from the Oxford Research Archive) to create SOLO's Article search.
Google Scholar is particularly useful to those without access via a university library so is great for teachers, other practitioners and members of the public with research interests.
Your local public library can often get hold of books and articles for you from elsewhere, for a small fee, e.g. if you live in Oxfordshire.
You could also try the British Library's On Demand service to pay for scanned sections of books or articles.
Access to Research is a scheme that many public libraries participate in to allow those with no university affiliation to read certain academic journals. You must go into the library and use a library computer as part of the conditions of access. Here is a link to Oxfordshire County Library's information : https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/leisure-and-culture/libraries/reference-online/z-list