Google Scholar provides a simple way to search for a variety of scholarly literature sources and disciplines, including: books, abstracts, literature reviews, scholarly articles (both peer-reviewed and not), dissertations, theses, and both federal and state case laws. Use strategic search words to retrieve the most accurate results.

• Example: Native American boarding schools AND indigenous perspective.

Should graduate students use Google Scholar? 

There are pros and cons for using Google Scholar to generate comprehensive research. While you will generate a wide list of results, Google is a free search engine that doesn't uphold the same review processes as subscription databases that UI Libraries pays to provide students access to, such as Springer, JSTOR, and Emerald Library.

Google Scholar can be a good place to start researching, but a large portion of the content that your search will generate will be behind paywalls. Do NOT pay to access these articles or books. Instead, utilize the steps below to link your Google Scholar searches to the University of Iowa Libraries. This will allow you to see what content generated from your searches is already available to you through the University of Iowa Libraries. If we do not have immediate access to an article or a book, you can use our Interlibrary Loan Request service to request a copy. 

You can also connect with your subject librarian to learn more about discipline-specific databases that will generate more specific, relevant, and reliable materials for your research.

You can find a more detailed assessment of Google Scholar from Wikipedia's section on the "Limitations and Criticisms of Google Scholar" and our Google Scholar FAQ.

In order to get access to sources that the University of Iowa Libraries provides, connect your personal device to Google Scholar by following three, easy steps:

Step 1: 

• Go to scholar.google.com
• Click on the hamburger menu on the upper left side.

Step 2: Select "Settings" from the hamburger menu.

Step 3: 

• Select "Library links" on the menu.
• Type "university of Iowa" in the search bar and hit enter.
• Check the box when the "university of Iowa" option appears. 
• Congratulations, you are now connected to UIowa sources regardless of what WIFI you are using.

• Peer review is defined as a process in which articles that are submitted to a journal are reviewed by experts in the field that provide feedback and suggestions for edits, ensuring that information is accurate and relevant enough to be published. 
• Not every article in Google Scholar is peer reviewed. However, every article will have a link or mention what journal it was published in. Either click on the journal link or search for the journal by title in a new window and navigate to the "about" page, which often mentions if the journal has a peer review process.
• If you are unsure if an article is peer reviewed, chat with a librarian on the library's website.