It is important to evaluate your Google Scholar search results to determine the type of sources they are because the quality and reliability of information can vary greatly. Identifying whether a source is a peer-reviewed journal article, a student thesis or dissertation, a conference paper, book, or another type of document helps ensure that the information you use is credible and appropriate for your research needs.
Here is a set of search results from Google Scholar. We will examine each one of these below.
The first search result tells us it was published in the International Journal of Services... We don't know sure sure if this is the full name of the journal or if it is abbreviated. We can also see that the source was published in 2022, so we know it is current. . First glance seems to tell us that this is a journal article. After clicking on the link, we can see the full journal title, read the abstract to know what the article is about, and find the DOI number. If we were still unsure if this was a credible journal, we could navigate to the journal's homepage to look additional information.
The second search result has a URL listed that tells us it is a book available through Google Books. We can also see the publication date. Self-published books have become more common, which means we need to carefully check books for credibility. The next step would be to click on the link in the results list to learn more about what the book or book chapter is about and to determine if the publisher is credible.
The third search result is not clear on what type of source it is based on the brief information provided. The URL "diva-portal.org" should raise a red flag for us and make us stop and question the quality of the source. When we open up the link and scan the page, we can see that this source is actually a Bachelor's level thesis written by a student. This source has not been peer-reviewed or formally published, so it should not be considered a scholarly source for your assignment.
The last result was published in 2022 and appears to be published as part of the "Conference on Business..." We will need to click on the link to learn more about the source. The page that opens shows us that this article was published in conference proceedings as part of a series on Advances in Economics, Business, and Management Research. We can see that the conference proceedings are affiliated with Springer Nature, which is a reputable publisher. The article has also been given a DOI number.
Your search results will be different than those above and may include different types of sources. The same guidance applies to carefully evaluate the source by looking at the details of how and who has produced the information.
