You can use the following search engines to find resources for your research assignments.
BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine)
BASE is one of the world’s most voluminous search engines especially for academic web resources. The index contains more than 400 million records from more than 11,000 content providers. You can access the full texts of about 60% of the indexed records for free (Open Access). BASE is operated by Bielefeld University Library.
| Search for Open Access Materials Using BASE |
OASIS currently searches open content from 52 different sources and contains 155,375 records. Use OASIS to discover quality, free open textbooks, courseware and more.
Google stands as a pivotal resource in the digital age, functioning not merely as a general search engine, but as a comprehensive gateway to a vast repository of both academic and non-academic information.
Its algorithms tirelessly sift through an ever-expanding ocean of data, making it remarkably user-friendly for anyone seeking knowledge on a variety of subjects. Users can access everything from scholarly articles, research papers, and educational resources
Search Strategy on Google
Use Specific Keywords:
- Example: To research “climate change effects on coastal cities,” try:
"climate change" AND "coastal cities" AND "effects"- Adding terms like
"peer-reviewed"or"journal article"can improve results
Utilize Advanced Search Operators:
- Quotation Marks (
" "): Search for an exact phrase, e.g.,"climate change adaptation strategies". - Site Limitation (
site:.edu): Restrict search results to educational institutions. - File Type (
filetype:pdf): Locate articles, often available in PDF format.
Example of a Google Search for Scholarly Material
- Step-by-Step Example:
- Search:
"renewable energy adoption" site:.edu filetype:pdf - Results: Academic articles, theses, and reports from university websites (e.g.,
.edu).
- Search:
| Search for Materials Using Google |
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Use Google Scholar
Google Scholar is a freely accessible web search engine that indexes scholarly literature across various disciplines and sources. Launched in 2004, it has become an essential tool in the academic research ecosystem.
Key Features
- Comprehensive Coverage: Indexes peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, conference proceedings, preprints, technical reports, and citations from academic publishers, professional societies, universities, and other scholarly organizations.
- Citation Tracking: Allows researchers to see who has cited a particular work and follow the development of ideas through citation networks.
- Author Profiles: Researchers can create profiles to track their publications, citation metrics, and h-index.
- Alerts: Users can set up notifications for new publications in specific research areas or citations to particular papers.
Watch video: How to use Google Scholar (Find FREE Journal Articles for University Essays)