DIY Homeschooler

If you are researching a topic, it helps to have a reliable search engine. We have used a wide array of scholarly search engines in scientific applications (and to find helpful resources for the DIY homeschool mom), and there are several that typically find their way to the top of the stack. You’ll want to try these out to find your own favorite. Here is a list of 7 search engines for scholars and students:

1. iSeek Education

Compiles hundreds of thousands of authoritative resources from university, government, and established noncommercial providers.

Filter your results by using the menu on the left.

2. Virtual Learning Resources Center

Indexes thousands of the best academic information websites, selected by teachers and library professionals worldwide, in order to provide to students and teachers current, valid information for school and university academic projects!

You can refine your search with the menu at the top. Be sure to read their search tips to get the most from your search.

3. RefSeek

RefSeek searches more than one billion documents, including web pages, books, encyclopedias, journals, and newspapers.

RefSeek’s unique approach offers students comprehensive subject coverage without the information overload of a general search engine—increasing the visibility of academic information and compelling ideas that are often lost in a muddle of sponsored links and commercial results.

Fast and concise.

4. OAlster

Contains digital resources from open archive collections.

Represents multidisciplinary resources from more than 1,100 contributors worldwide.

Records contain a digital object link allowing users access to the object in a single click.

Accessible through WorldCat, gives you instant access to an incredible array of digital resources. Use the menu on left to qualify your results.

5. BASE

BASE is one of the world’s most voluminous search engines especially for academic open access web resources. BASE is operated by Bielefeld University Library.

A resource that contains unique finds.

6. Google Scholar

From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites.

Probably best for older students, but comes in very handy for scientific studies or research projects.

7. ERIC

Bibliographic and full-text digital library of education research, including journal articles and non-journal materials.

Really more for educators than students, it presents a mixed bag. But you do occasionally find something useful. From the menu on the left you can narrow your results.