Your starter kit for college-level research at Kennedy Library. Advance your research skills with the self-guided tutorials, handouts, videos and more!
Hello! I'm your Foundational Learning and Engagement Librarian. I can help you locate, evaluate, and use information for your research projects. I'm a first generation college graduate with a BA in Biology and Master's in Library & Information Science.
This 4 min tutorial shows you how to search well in most databases (courtesy of UCLA Library).
Tip: Each database and platform should have documentation available on how to make best use of these tools. Look for search tips/help buttons within the search interface, or on developer websites or user community forums/blogs.
This page links to training resources on how Google searches work, and lists of Google search operators, from Daniel Russell, Google Senior Research Scientist, Search Quality & User Happiness.
If you are logged into My Cal Poly Portal, you should automatically be able to access library licensed material from your own device.
A reliable way to troubleshoot access issues is to connect to Cal Poly's Virtual Private Network (VPN), available through GlobalProtect. Installation instructions are on the campus ITS website.
Many of the databases you use to find articles are discovery tools only, meaning you will then need to use the records you've found to access the actual documents. The tutorials below present a variety of ways to access full text articles.
Use this form to request to borrow items the library doesn't own/license. If you have a DOI for an article, entering it will fill out the rest of the form automatically. If you're able to find the item in Onesearch, you will find instructions for requesting a loan and will not have to provide as much information.
There is a growing variety of extensions you can add to your internet browser to search for legal access to free to read copies of articles with the click of a button. Some options are linked below.
Browser extension to search for a free full text copy of an article you find online, using a large open database of free scholarly articles harvested from over 50,000 publishers and repositories.
This 3 minute video discusses how to:
• Choose an appropriately scoped research topic
• Overcome challenges in your search
• Locate a variety of information sources, including
"grey literature"
Courtesy of McMaster University Library
Were these resources helpful?
Yes: 0 votes (0%)
No: 0 votes (0%)
Not sure: 0 votes (0%)
Total Votes: 0
We value your feedback! Please tell us about your experience using the Research 101 LibGuide. Although you need to be Cal Poly credentialed to complete this form, your email address and name will not be collected.
We want to know: Where did you run into trouble? What information is missing or hard to find? The more detail that you provide, the more we can improve the guide.