Access eresources using Google Scholar

Google Scholar can be used to search for scholarly information on the internet, including articles, books, conference papers, and theses. Some subject areas have better coverage than others. It is particularly good for finding grey literature and official reports. However, your results from Google Scholar may not provide access to the full text. Using the library alongside Google Scholar will ensure you don’t miss any relevant academic literature for your research.

Linking the online library to Google Scholar

Google Scholar settings allow you to connect to the OU Library, providing you direct access to our resources.

1. Access the Google Scholar settings web page.
2. In the ‘Library Links’ section enter ‘Open University’ in the search box and click on the search icon.
3. When the results appear below the search box, check the box next to the result ‘The Open University Library - Find it at OU’ and uncheck any other boxes.
4. Then click on the ‘Save’ button (at the bottom of the page).

Now when you search Google Scholar you will usually see, in the row of links underneath each result (or to the right), a ‘Find it at OU’ link. When you click on this link you will be able to access the full text of an article immediately, if the Library has a subscription to it.

You can also use the Google Scholar settings web page to set up importing references from Google Scholar into Bibliographic Management tools.