Psychology Subject Guide

Google Scholar is not a substitute for using a library database, but is worthwhile as a supplement to the library's tools.

It can be excellent for:

• Searching across many disciplines at once
• Determining which disciplines are interested in your topic
• Identifying relevant keywords
• Puzzling out poor or incomplete citations
• Locating grey literature (like conference proceedings or dissertations)
• Finding open source versions of articles
• Cited reference searching

Challenges to consider:

• There's no controlled vocabulary or standardized terminology
• It doesn't support complex searching and limiting the way library databases do
• Sources aren't vetted, so critical thinking and skepticism is required when browsing results
• Search results are not consistent, even if you use incognito mode
• Publisher links generally ask you to pay for access (don't do that! see the next tab in this box for details)