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Search for Articles: Internet Search

Advanced Google Search Strategies

Exclude a Word

Use the minus sign ("-") before a keyword to eliminate results that include that word. For example:

  • salsa recipes -tomato would return salsa recipes without tomatoes.

Search Within a Single Site or Domain

Search for "site:URL keyword." For example: 

  • site:.edu biology will only return results for the keyword biology that appear on webpages that end in .edu.
  • site:www.smu.edu football would only return webpages within the SMU site that mention football.

Scholarly Content 

Google Scholar, PubMed, and other websites can connect you to a lot of scholarly content. Google Scholar in particular is bigger than any single library database.

However, many articles found via these websites will ask you to pay for full-text access. Don’t pay!

Instead, use a browser tool called LibKey Nomad to easily link to our subscriptions through SMU Libraries. View directions below. 

Installing LibKey Nomad

  1. Download the extension for your internet browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, or Vivaldi.
  2. Select "Southern Methodist University" as your organization.

Screengrab showing how to select SMU Libraries as institution for LibKey Nomad.

Alternate Search Engines

If you are not happy with the results Google is giving you, you have other options. Consider some of these alternative search tools: