The USF Libraries provide access to hundreds of databases to the students and faculty. Still, some may prefer using Google Scholar, at least in their first steps in a research process.
There are several tips though that can make a quest for information more successful in Google Scholar . First, go through the Library Web site, authenticate with the proxy server or BlackBoard, and then locate Google Scholar as you would any other database in MetaLib. If you go to the trouble to do that, the “Find it@USF” (SFX) links will be available, and you can then can pull up the full text seamlessly.
You can also add to the functionality of Google Scholar by going into “Preferences” and enabling links to RefWorks or Endnote.
Because it does not have the power of commercial search engines, Google Scholar does not allow search results to be sorted by date, format, or any other way. Also, Google Book search results are mixed in with journal citations, which can be a problem if you are only looking for journal articles.
(thanks to Susan Ariew of the Tampa Library for the tips)