• What is Google Scholar?

Google Scholar is a specialized search engine that searches the Web for a broad range of scholarly resources including peer-reviewed papers, journal articles, books, theses, and abstracts and technical reports. Unlike Google’s main search system, Google Scholar only covers those items considered to be academic in nature as defined by Google, excluding the majority of freely available Web sites.

The full text of many of the items found on Google Scholar is available directly on the Web. For other items, however, only an abstract or index listing is available with Google Scholar providing links to document delivery services that will provide the full text for a fee.

• What does the Find it @ AUC link do?

If you are using Google Scholar from the campus computer network, you will see a Find it @ AUC link for items which are not available in full text free of charge on the Web. The Find it @ AUC link provides options for locating the full text of the item from the AUC Library via subscription databases, paper / print holdings, or the document delivery service. If the full text of the item is available from any of the AUC Library Web databases, those links will be presented first. If the full text is not available online, you can automatically search the library catalog for a print copy of the item or request it from the document delivery service.

• How can I see the Find it @ AUC links from off-campus?

If you are not coming from within the AUC network, you can still configure Google Scholar to display the Find it @ AUC option. To do so, follow the steps below:

1. Connect to Google Scholar
2. Click on the Scholar Preferences link
3. In the Library Links section, search for American University in Cairo and click on Find Library
4. Check the box for American University in Cairo and click on Save Preferences

After you perform a search in Google Scholar, the Find it @ AUC option will now display when appropriate.

• When should I use Google Scholar?

Google Scholar can be used to search for scholarly materials on almost any topic. The results from such a broad database can quickly point you to relevant material on your topic and provide you with a quick overview for your research. To perform a more current and comprehensive search, however, the AUC Library databases provide more focused coverage and advanced search features that allow you to focus specifically on your topic. Please see the Find Articles page for more information.

• Why am I being asked to pay for an article?

While the majority of documents are available for free, many of the links provided by Google Scholar lead to full-text articles available for a fee from various online vendors. AUC users are encouraged to use the Find it @ AUC feature to check if the item in question as available via the AUC Library or order it from the document delivery service. See the Find it @ AUC question from this FAQ for more information.

• Where can I get more help using Google Scholar?

For further assistance using Google Scholar or other library tools, contact the AUC Library reference department.

 

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