March 15, 2026
Beyond Google Scholar
Students often struggle to find relevant literature for their thesis projects. The main aim of this tutorial is two-fold, namely to teach students (1) how to find relevant literature using various databases and search strategies and (2) how to critically reflect on the role of digital databases and Generative AI tools in their search process. The package includes a lecturer’s manual and two versions of the same tutorial: one with steps in Excel and one without. The tutorial can be delivered as an in-class workshop (2–3 hours) or assigned as a take-home assignment. The databases and tools used in this tutorial include Zotero, Google Scholar, Project MUSE, JSTOR, ChatGPT, and Excel. The tutorial can be used in any higher education classroom and is particularly suitable for courses that prepare students for writing a BA or MA thesis.