Using Google for Effective Research

Google Scholar is a free search engine (part of the Google family) that helps you find scholarly literature across many disciplines, including articles, theses, books, and conference papers. It operates with a distinct purpose and indexing strategy tailored to academic research while regular Google searches return a mix of websites, news, videos, and more.

Helpful for research:

• Quickly locate academic sources from a variety of publishers and institutions.
• See how often a work has been cited and explore related research.
• Use advanced search features to narrow results by author, publication, or date.

Caveats:

• Not all results are peer-reviewed or high-quality. Evaluate sources critically.
• Full-text access may be limited unless it's open access or the library subscribes to the content.
• Coverage is broad but not comprehensive; some library databases may offer better subject-specific results.

Pro tip: Link Google Scholar to your library to access more full-text articles. This enables access to resources your library subscribes to, right from your search results.

With Library Links, you can access research articles and other resources licensed by the library directly through Google Scholar. This feature connects your search results to full-text content available through TRU Library subscriptions.

On-campus access:
Library Links are automatically enabled when you're using a computer on campus.

Off-campus setup:
To enable Library Links on your device:

1. Go to Google Scholar.
2. Click the menu icon (☰) in the top left corner.
3. Select Settings > Library Links.
4. Search for Thompson Rivers University (TRU works, too!) and check the box next to the results to include them.
5. Click Save.

Once set up, you'll see links like "Find it @ TRU" next to articles your library provides access to.

Please note this video has no audio.

Discovery Search vs. Google Scholar: what's the difference? Both are powerful academic search engines, but they serve different purposes and offer unique features.

Discovery Search
Discovery is designed to help you find full-text resources available through the TRU Library, including books, articles, and multimedia that are licensed or purchased by the library.

Key Features:

• TRU-focused results: Prioritizes content the library subscribes to, ensuring access for TRU students and staff.
• Advanced search tools: Utilize filters such as Refine Your Search, Content Type, and Limit to Full Text to narrow down results efficiently.
• Search extenders: Expand your search to external sources like CBCA, Government of Canada, CANLII, YouTube, and even Google Scholar.
• Full-text access: Easily find and access scholarly articles with full text available online.
• Result management: Email articles, generate citations in multiple styles, save searches, and create alerts for new content.

Google Scholar
Google Scholar searches a broader range of academic content, including open-access articles, preprints, theses, and institutional repositories. It’s especially useful for finding unpublished or freely available scholarly work.

Key Features:

• Cited by: See how many other works have cited a particular article.
• Related articles: Quickly find similar research based on your search.
• Google Books integration: Includes book previews and citations from Google Books.

Important Differences

• Content coverage: Discover focuses on TRU Library’s licensed content; Google Scholar includes more open-access and freely available sources.
• Search algorithms: Each tool ranks relevance differently, so results may vary even for the same search.
• Access: Discovery ensures access to full-text through TRU subscriptions; Google Scholar may link to paywalled content unless Library Links are enabled.