OSU Libraries

Launched in 2004, Google Scholar provides a way to use the power of Google to search for scholarly articles, presentations, reports and more.  While Google Scholar can be a great tool for finding scholarly sources, those sources aren't always free.  Anyone who has used this tool has clicked on a likely-looking resource, only to be taken to a page where they can get the article, if they pay for it.

The OSU Library spends a lot of money every year to give OSU students, faculty and staff access to those articles.  Here's how you can set up your Google Scholar to let you know when the articles you find are available at the library.

Go to Google Scholar - http://scholar.google.com (if you click the link right now, it will open in a new window).

Click on the Scholar Preferences link next to the search box.

 

 

The next page will let you set your preferences.  Look for the section headed Library Links.

 

 

Enter the name of the library you want Google Scholar to connect to.  You can include up to 3 libraries.  Enter Oregon State University to connect to OSU Libraries' holdings.

 

 

Click all of the OSU options.  Now, when you search in Google Scholar, you will also get information about the OSU Libraries' subscriptions.

This is what the results of a simple search on "overfishing" look like before changing the preferences --

 

 

And this is what they look like after changing the preferences.  Look for the Find it at OSU link to the right of each result.

 

 

Clicking the Find it at OSU link takes you into the OSU Libraries' holdings.  If the source you want is something that the library had to pay for, you will need to log in with your ONID information to prove that you are from OSU and allowed to access the library's subscriptions.

 

 

If the system can, it will link you directly to the article.  You may have to link to the journal, and then browse to the article.   If the article is not available in print, you may have to get access to the print copy in the library.  If any of these options do not work, or if you have any questions, ask a librarian and they will be happy to help you get the article you want.

Good luck!