History 356 -- Riggs

Google Scholar focuses on articles and conference papers to eliminate a lot of the popular press articles. Results will include items that are not scholarly such as editorials, so be a critical consumer. You will also see links to books and generally those will not lead anywhere. Check our catalog for the book's title and if we do not have it, you can request through Interlibrary Loan's Digitization on Demand service. 

Before searching Google Scholar, set your user preferences to enable the CSUSM Library GET IT link. If you do not do that, you will not be able to access the full text even if CSUSM owns the item. A general internet search does not identify you as a CSUSM member so you won't get through any database's paywall. 

Watch the video for tips and tricks comparing Google to Google Scholar, especially with the preferences enabled.