6 Top Google Scholar alternatives
You can search for academic papers via Google Scholar. But this is not the only place where you can do it. Find out what alternatives there are here.
In addition to the usual search engines, there are also online search engines that specialize in certain content – such as Google Scholar for searching for scientific publications. However, Google Scholar is not the only academic search engine that you can use to search for scientific papers from various subject areas. You can find out what others there are here.
BASE
BASE is the abbreviation for Bielefeld Academic Search Engine and is operated by the Bielefeld University Library. The website gives you access to more than 350 million documents from over 11,000 data providers. Around 60% of the documents on BASE are accessible in full text. These documents include texts from journals, repositories or digital collections.
You can refine your search at BASE by searching for author, keyword, DDC classification, year of publication, data provider, language, document type, access and subsequent use. Multilingual searches are also possible with translations of the search terms in over 20 languages. You can then sort the results list by author, title and date.
You can use the open access search engine free of charge.
OAIster
OAIster also offers access to an extensive collection of freely accessible, digitized scientific resources. The search engine was originally developed by the University of Michigan. It is now part of WorldCat, which is operated by the OCLC (Online Computer Library Center).
Currently, you can find around 50 million records with digital sources from more than 2,000 participants. OAIster can be a useful resource, especially if you are looking for specific or hard-to-find scientific papers. You can also use OAIster free of charge.
Semantic Scholar
Semantic Scholar was developed in 2015 by the Allen Institute for AI. The search engine is AI-powered and was developed for the global research community. In addition, artificial intelligence can make meaning and connections from scientific articles to help you understand the content.
On Semantic Scholar you will find over 200 million academic texts, provided through partnerships with more than 50 publishers and scientific societies. You can use Semantic Scholar for free.
ScienceGate
Developed in 2019, Science Gate now offers more than 120 million freely accessible scientific documents, including peer-reviewed scientific journal articles and books, conference papers, individual chapters, datasets, theses, dissertations, technical reports, and other scientific literature.
The database is updated every four hours to ensure that all documents are up to date. You can refine your search by searching by title, author, publication date, keywords, publisher and the type of document.
Dandelion
Dandelon was developed in 2001 by Manfred Hauer and Karl Raedler. The search engine is now standard in many countries. Dandelon’s servers are located at the Joint Library Association in Göttingen and are financed by Manfred Hauer, as the website does not generate any income. As a political project, Dandelon aims to facilitate a global exchange of sound scientific knowledge.
The academic search engine is based on intelligentSEARCH, which allows documents to be captured in real time. The cover page and table of contents of the documents are displayed directly, so you do not have to open each document individually. You can also refine your search by document type, title, year and language.
You can use the website free of charge.
Science.gov
Science.gov provides access to U.S. and federally funded research and publications, including scientific and technical reports, scholarly publications, digital data, software, conference presentations and proceedings, and other scientific and technical information researched and published by federal agencies.
Developed in 2002, the website provides access to millions of documents and reports from over 60 databases and 2,200 websites from 15 federal agencies, and you can use it free of charge.
- Google Maps Alternatives
- Google Docs Alternatives
- Toniebox alternatives
