# How to look up the selected entry in Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, on the web?

**URL:** <https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-look-up-the-selected-entry-in-google-scholar-semantic-scholar-on-the-web/5247>\
**Category:** Help\
**Tags:** ui\
**Created:** [September 29, 2024, 11:13am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-look-up-the-selected-entry-in-google-scholar-semantic-scholar-on-the-web/5247 "2024-09-29T11:13:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![homocomputeris](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/homocomputeris/32/486_2.png) [@homocomputeris](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/homocomputeris)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2024, 11:13am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-look-up-the-selected-entry-in-google-scholar-semantic-scholar-on-the-web/5247/1 "2024-09-29T11:13:39Z")

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How to look up the selected entry in Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, on the web?

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**Author:** ![ThiloteE](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/thilotee/32/1008_2.png) [@ThiloteE](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/ThiloteE)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 11:51am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-look-up-the-selected-entry-in-google-scholar-semantic-scholar-on-the-web/5247/2 "2024-10-05T11:51:57Z")

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There is no option in JabRef to directly with the single click of a button or key to search Google Scholar or Semantic Scholar, but you can right click on an entry and search “Shortscience”. You also can copy the identifier of your selected entry (for example the DOI, ISBN etc.) and then paste it in Google Scholar or Semantic Scholar.

You can also also paste the identifier into the web search bar of JabRef. Semantic Scholar is available there.  
 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/jabref/original/2X/7/78376c047c9e527f5d740a182145e956e6a517db.png)

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**Author:** ![homocomputeris](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/homocomputeris/32/486_2.png) [@homocomputeris](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/homocomputeris)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 2:33pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-look-up-the-selected-entry-in-google-scholar-semantic-scholar-on-the-web/5247/3 "2024-10-06T14:33:22Z")

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> There is no option in JabRef to directly with the single click of a button or key to search Google Scholar or Semantic Scholar

This is unfortunate. It would be very helpful, because…

> but you can right click on an entry and search “Shortscience”

this usually returns nothing, and…

> You also can copy the identifier of your selected entry (for example the DOI, ISBN etc.) and then paste it in Google Scholar or Semantic Scholar.

It is impossible to copy the identifier if there is none

> You can also also paste the identifier into the web search bar of JabRef. Semantic Scholar is available there.

Unfortunately, it also usually returns something completely irrelevant. A Java exception, for example.

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**Author:** ![ThiloteE](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/thilotee/32/1008_2.png) [@ThiloteE](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/ThiloteE)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 7:51am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-look-up-the-selected-entry-in-google-scholar-semantic-scholar-on-the-web/5247/4 "2024-10-07T07:51:25Z")

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> [@homocomputeris](#):
>
> A Java exception, for example.

Oh 😕 I thought that was fixed.

> [@homocomputeris](#):
>
> It is impossible to copy the identifier if there is none

In this case I recommend to search for the identifier first.We have documentation about that here: [Complete information using online databases | JabRef](https://docs.jabref.org/finding-sorting-and-cleaning-entries/getbibtexdatafromdoi)

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**Author:** ![ThiloteE](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/thilotee/32/1008_2.png) [@ThiloteE](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/ThiloteE)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 7:55am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-look-up-the-selected-entry-in-google-scholar-semantic-scholar-on-the-web/5247/5 "2024-10-07T07:55:03Z")

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> [@homocomputeris](#):
>
> Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar

You are having a problem and you think Google Scholar or Semantic Scholar are the solution to the problem. I would like to know what is your problem. Could you tell us?

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**Author:** ![homocomputeris](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/homocomputeris/32/486_2.png) [@homocomputeris](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/homocomputeris)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2024, 8:51am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-look-up-the-selected-entry-in-google-scholar-semantic-scholar-on-the-web/5247/6 "2024-10-07T08:51:44Z")

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> [@ThiloteE](#):
>
> You are having a problem and you think Google Scholar or Semantic Scholar are the solution to the problem. I would like to know what is your problem. Could you tell us?

The problem is very easy: DOI resolution fails or returns incorrect results. The only way to fix it is to find the entry on a library or the publisher’s web site.

Copy-pasting is one option, but having a context drop-down menu with “Search with \> Google, Semantic Scholar, OpenAlex, Lens, arxiv, whatever” would be more user-friendly (like in browsers).

It might have been done with the integrated web search feature, had it returned any relevant results.

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**Author:** ![ThiloteE](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/thilotee/32/1008_2.png) [@ThiloteE](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/ThiloteE)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 4:55pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-look-up-the-selected-entry-in-google-scholar-semantic-scholar-on-the-web/5247/7 "2024-11-03T16:55:50Z")

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Today I remembered that we have a dropdown for importing metadata based on their ID in the “new entry” dialog:

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/jabref/original/2X/c/c745ca641cb9e749e80b8acb853932831bb5928d.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThiloteE](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/thilotee/32/1008_2.png) [@ThiloteE](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/ThiloteE)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 4:58pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/how-to-look-up-the-selected-entry-in-google-scholar-semantic-scholar-on-the-web/5247/8 "2024-11-03T16:58:02Z")

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> [@homocomputeris](#):
>
> Unfortunately, it also usually returns something completely irrelevant. A Java exception, for example.

What exception? Some of those providers require an API key, wich you have to pay for. Not all of them are easily accessible, as they have rate limits.