Google Scholar is a specialized search tool from Google that retrieves results exclusively from academic publishers and institutions. While it is an academic search engine rather than a database, it can still be a helpful tool for discovering resources available through our databases or as open access.
Top Ways to Use Google Scholar:
Access full-text articles available through the MBKU Library
Find freely available full-text articles online
Discover newer publications that cite a specific article
Search for scholarly articles and books on a particular topic
Google Scholar is an academic search engine that retrieves scholarly information from a wide range of sources, including journals, books, and institutional repositories. Its simple interface allows for quick access to academic-level material. However, some MBKU Library resources are not accessible through Google Scholar. For the most comprehensive results, it's best to use Google Scholar alongside MBKU Library's subscribed databases.
Google Scholar provides links to full text on the right-hand side of the search results page.
Link your Google Scholar account to "MBKU" or "Marshall B. Ketchum University Library" to enable direct access to articles through the “Full Text @ MBKU” link
Click the article title—this may take you to the publisher's website. Some full text is available freely (e.g., ERIC documents or HTML versions on open sites), though often access is behind a paywall
Some publishers offer select articles for free as promotional content
Librarians frequently use Google Scholar as a tool for research, but it should not be seen as a substitute for databases such as EBSCO, MEDLINE Ultimate, and others available through the MBKU Library.
We recommend using Google Scholar to supplement your searches in library databases—not to replace them.
Searches the full text of articles and books for your keywords
Shows “Cited by” results to explore newer publications that reference a specific work
Provides direct links to full text when searching by article title
Connects to Google Books for previews or full access to selected content
Uses a different relevance ranking system than library databases
May uncover free full-text versions of items not available through the library
No filter to limit results to Scholarly/Peer-Reviewed publications
Unclear criteria for what is considered scholarly content
No reliable way to filter for Full Text access (some content may require payment)
Limited advanced search functionality—difficult to conduct complex searches
Inconsistent result quality—it's up to the researcher to determine the credibility and relevance of each result
May miss key resources available in library databases and require more time to verify peer-reviewed status
Despite these limitations, Google Scholar remains a valuable research tool when used in combination with MBKU Library's databases.
Important Notice
As a student, faculty, or staff member at MBKU, you should never pay for an article. If you're asked to pay for access, please request the item through Interlibrary Loan instead by filling out an ILL request form or by emailing library@ketchum.edu.