Smart Widgets for getting better Google Results
- Google Scholar WidgetThe Google Scholar widget allows for quick searching, citing articles using the " " on the right in several citation styles, and access to PDFs.
- UnPayWall WidgetThis widget allows you to get free legal online pdfs of articles.
- Library Extension WidgetLibrary Extension shows you what books and e-books are available at through the library.
- Google Scholar Library LinksSearch For "Lone Star College Library". Check the box and click save. This will allow you to see what the library has in its collection when you search the site Google Scholar and the widget.
Using Google Scholar
Google Scholar can be an excellent resource to locate journal articles that the library may not have access to.
Here are a few steps to help you with searching Google Scholar:
- Make sure to select the "Articles" button at the beginning of your search
- When you get your search results, filter by date, using the "custom range" filter under "Years"
- Exclude patents & Citations
- Use Boolean searching methods like "AND", "OR", and "NOT"
- Look for articles that have the "PDF" available on the right column for full access
- Go through the "Related Searches" to locate alternative search terms
- Try adding the Google Scholar Widget in Chrome for quick searching and citations.
- To cite an article, look directly underneath it, and click the "" quotation marks- this will pop up with a working citation
Tricks to Select for Websites
To search Google and narrow your results for more reliable website types, you can use these tricks to filter for specific website extensions.
By using inurl: .edu, it searches specifically for only .edu websites.
The site: .edu trick works the same as inurl. What these do is filter the results so that you only access .edu, .gov, or .org websites.
What do Website extensions mean? Who can own them?
.edu- Educational websites, typically owned by educational institutions such as schools and universities.
.gov- These are government owned/produced websites in the United States, like state governments, the National Parks Services, and NASA.
.org- These are often non-profits. It stands for an organization; these can be bought and owned by anyone. Wikipedia is a .org, and it's not always reliable, so evaluate these sites carefully.
