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Communication Studies Courses: Google Scholar

Google Scholar

Google Scholar searches for scholarly articles, reports, dissertations, theses, patents, and other documents.
A search of Google Scholar will generate a list of citations.

From these citations you can: Full text links are provided if:
  • View works that cite an article (forward citation chaining!)
  • View similar articles
  • Use the citation generator (check citations against your style manual)
  • Save article citations to a personal library
  • GS University Libraries subscribes to the journal
  • The journal is open access
  • The article is posted by an author to the internet

Google Scholar is a great resource for finding scholarly information on the web. However, because Google Scholar pulls from the web and does not have refined filters like a library database (think filtering by publisher, by discipline, by publication type, etc.), you have to be extra critical of the information you find there. For example, many students will find dissertations on Google Scholar and mistake them for peer-reviewed articles.

Check out our guide on evaluating sources with the CRAAP test, and remember that you can always schedule an appointment with a librarian for further assistance with what you find on Google Scholar. 

Set Up Library Links

To get the most out of Google Scholar, set up your library links!

Log in to your @georgiasouthern.edu google account -- this will verify that you are a Georgia Southern University student and can get access to our resources.

Open the hamburger menu in the top-left corner of the page and click on Settings.

Once in Settings, go to "Library Links." You should have Georgia Southern University's library links enabled already, but if not, you can search for "Georgia Southern University" in the search bar. 

Select the links included in the image below.

  • Georgia Southern University, Statesboro Campus - GA SOUTHERN Full Text
  • Georgia Southern University - View It @ Georgia Southern
  • Open WorldCat - Library Search

Be sure to save your settings before you continue to search!

Once library links have been enabled, you will be able to search Google Scholar and not only access content on the web, but also content available through University Libraries. Happy Searching!

Google like a Pro!