Off-campus Resources for High School Students

Get the most out of Google Scholar with these search hacks.

Advanced Search

It's a little tricky to find, but opens up a host of options.

  • Click on the three lines in the upper left (aka the "hamburger menu")
  • Click the Advanced Search option

arrows to hamburger menu and advanced search  -----> Advanced search boxes filled in

Pay attention to each search box. In the first, I want the results to include all the words of water, social and justice. In the second search box, I want the exact phrase of "new mexico," which functions the same as if I put quotation marks around the phrase (see the Search Tips tab). Make sure to think about the kinds of information packages you want - I suggest looking for reports because many non-profit organizations write reports. Consider experimenting with typing journal in the without the words box. This will eliminate journal articles, which can be so specific as to be unhelpful.

Sort by publication date

Once you have done a search, you can limit or sort the results. Google Scholar limiters do not sort by content, only dates. This makes the Advanced Search option all the more important to specify the content you want - and don't want. If you sort by date you will get the most recent results at the top.

sort by date option highlighted

Research is...

For everyone. You don't have to be a scientist in a lab to conduct research. It can take the form of learning about a topic for a written assignment, an art project, or presentation. You probably research all the time and have already accrued skills to help you find the information you need. There are always new skills to learn and some are particularly helpful once you get to college. Keep librarians in mind - we can help you learn these skills.

magnifying glass with computer