How to Filter Results by Year in Google Scholar

Google Scholar is one of the most widely used academic tools for finding scholarly articles, theses, books, and conference papers. Researchers, students, and educators rely on it to access credible information across all disciplines. While Google Scholar’s default search shows the most relevant results first, many users overlook one of its most powerful features: the ability to filter results by year.

Filtering by year helps you focus on the most recent research or restrict your search to a specific period. This feature is essential when you want up-to-date data, monitor changes in research trends, or identify how ideas have evolved over time.

This article explains how to filter search results by year in Google Scholar, how to use custom date ranges, and how to combine filters with other search tools to get precise and relevant results.

Why Filtering by Year Matters

When you perform a search in Google Scholar, the algorithm ranks results based on relevance and citation counts. While this is useful for finding influential papers, it often surfaces older articles that have had time to gather citations.

Filtering by year helps you:

1. Find the latest studies – Academic fields evolve quickly. New evidence can update, confirm, or contradict older research.

2. Focus on time-specific developments – Some research topics are tied to certain years or policy changes. For instance, pandemic-related studies surged after 2020.

3. Track research trends – Filtering by year shows how publication volume and focus areas change over time.

4. Save time – You avoid browsing outdated information when you only need current insights.

5. Strengthen literature reviews – Including the most recent studies makes your academic work more relevant and credible.

Step 1: Go to Google Scholar

Start by visiting https://scholar.google.com.

You can use Google Scholar without logging in, but signing in with your Google account allows you to save searches, create alerts, and organize articles in your personal library.

Step 2: Perform a Basic Search

Type your keyword or research topic into the search box.

For example:

• “machine learning in healthcare”

• “renewable energy in Africa”

• “climate change adaptation”

Press Enter or click the search icon. You will see a list of results sorted by relevance.

Step 3: Locate the Year Filter on the Sidebar

Once the results page loads, look at the left-hand side of the screen. You will see several options under the heading Any time.

These include:

• Since 2024

• Since 2020

• Custom range

These options help you limit your results to specific publication years.

Step 4: Filter by Recent Years

If you want only the most recent papers, click on Since 2024 (or whichever year appears closest to the current one).

For example, if you are reading this in 2025, the sidebar will show:

• Since 2025

• Since 2021

• Custom range

Selecting Since 2025 will display only articles published in 2025 or later. Similarly, Since 2021 will show results from 2021 to 2025.

This is the quickest way to find up-to-date studies without browsing older material.

Step 5: Use the “Custom Range” Feature

If you want to view research from a specific period, use the Custom range option.

1. Click Custom range on the left sidebar.

2. Enter the start and end years.

3. Click Search or press Enter.

Example:
If you enter 2018 as the start year and 2022 as the end year, Google Scholar will show articles published between 2018 and 2022.

This feature is useful for researchers who focus on developments within a defined timeframe, such as five-year policy cycles or project phases.

Step 6: Combine Year Filter with Keywords

You can combine year filters with topic-specific keywords to refine your search further.

Example:

• Search term: “solar energy storage”

• Year filter: Custom range 2019–2024

This approach ensures that you only see research about solar energy storage published between 2019 and 2024.

Step 7: Combine Year Filter with Author Search

To check an author’s most recent work, search by author name and apply a year filter.

Example:
author:"Jane Smith" and then select Since 2022.

This will display all articles published by Jane Smith from 2022 onward.

It helps you track the latest contributions from experts in your field without going through their entire publication history.

Step 8: Combine Year Filter with Journal Search

You can also limit your search to articles from a specific journal and year range.

Example:

1. Search for "Journal of Environmental Management" plastic pollution.

2. Then choose Custom range and set 2019 to 2023.

This method retrieves all articles on plastic pollution from that journal within the selected period.

Step 9: Sort by “Date” to See the Most Recent Results

By default, Google Scholar sorts results by relevance, which often prioritizes older but highly cited papers.

To see the latest publications first, click Sort by date on the left-hand side under the year filter.

This rearranges your search results so the most recent studies appear at the top.

Example:
If you filter for “Since 2022” and select “Sort by date,” you will see papers from 2023–2025 ordered from newest to oldest.

This helps you keep up with current research developments.

Step 10: Use Alerts to Track New Research by Year

If you regularly monitor a topic, you can create an email alert to receive updates when new papers appear.

1. Perform your search with the desired year filter.

2. Click the envelope icon on the left panel labeled Create alert.

3. Enter your email and confirm.

Google Scholar will automatically send notifications when new papers matching your criteria are indexed.

This is especially useful for researchers who need to follow ongoing projects, emerging theories, or new technologies.

Step 11: Check Citation Trends by Year

After filtering by year, you can evaluate how often papers from certain years are cited.

For instance, if you search for “artificial intelligence ethics” and filter for 2018–2024, you can see which years had the highest citation counts. This helps identify when the topic gained significant attention.

Highly cited recent papers often indicate current academic or policy relevance.

Step 12: Apply Year Filters in Google Scholar Metrics

Google Scholar Metrics also allows you to analyze how journals perform over time.

Visit https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=top_venues and explore citation impact by discipline.

While you cannot filter Metrics directly by year, you can use your knowledge of current citation windows (usually five years) to interpret recent trends. This complements your filtered searches in the main Scholar interface.

Step 13: Use the Year Filter for Literature Reviews

When writing a literature review, it is important to balance foundational works with recent studies.

A good strategy is to:

1. Start with Since 2010 to identify key developments over the past decade.

2. Narrow down to Since 2020 for the most current research.

3. Use Custom range (such as 2023–2025) to find cutting-edge publications.

This layered approach gives you both historical context and recent progress in your field.

Step 14: Save Filtered Articles to Your Library

When you find relevant papers after applying a year filter, click the star icon below each result to save it to your Google Scholar Library.

You can later organize your saved articles into labels such as “2023 studies” or “Recent references.” This helps you manage your research chronologically and keep your bibliography up to date.

Step 15: Common Problems and Solutions

If filtering by year does not seem to work correctly, consider the following:

• Check browser settings: Some browser extensions interfere with search filters.

• Use the latest version of Google Scholar: The interface updates periodically.

• Verify year metadata: Some papers do not have properly formatted publication dates, which can affect filtering accuracy.

• Try different keywords: Broader or alternate terms may yield better results for certain years.

If an article does not appear under your filter, it might be indexed under a preprint or conference version with a different publication date.

Step 16: Best Practices for Using Year Filters

• Always include year filters when conducting time-sensitive research.

• Combine year filters with topic keywords or author searches for precision.

• Recheck filtered results periodically, as new papers are added frequently.

• Document your search parameters (keywords, year range, date of search) for academic transparency in your research methodology section.

Step 17: How Year Filtering Improves Research Quality

Filtering by year ensures your research reflects the latest findings, which strengthens your credibility. For example, a 2016 paper on climate models might use outdated data compared to one published in 2024.

By regularly filtering your searches, you stay aligned with the most current academic discourse. This is critical for fields such as medicine, technology, and environmental studies, where knowledge evolves rapidly.

Step 18: Comparing Google Scholar with Other Databases

Other databases such as Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science also allow year filtering, but Google Scholar is more accessible and includes a broader range of publications, including theses and reports.

Unlike paid databases, Google Scholar’s year filter is available to everyone, making it an essential research tool for students and independent scholars.

Step 19: Automating Year Filters with Search Operators

Advanced users can use search operators in the Google Scholar search box.

For example:
machine learning 2019..2023

The double dots (..) define a year range, so Google Scholar retrieves results between 2019 and 2023. This method is fast and works even when you do not use the sidebar filters.

Step 20: Conclusion

Filtering results by year in Google Scholar is one of the most effective ways to refine academic searches. It helps you locate the most recent studies, follow trends, and focus on a specific timeframe.

You can use predefined options like “Since 2024,” set a custom range, or use the “2018..2022” operator directly in your search bar. Combine these filters with author names, keywords, and journal titles to achieve precise, reliable results.

When you consistently apply year filters, your research becomes more focused, current, and credible. This simple step saves time, improves accuracy, and ensures your academic work reflects the latest developments in your field.