The left side navigation of this webpage (i.e. guide) has a number of tabs that link to information about subject specific article databases, websites, e-books, etc. that can be accessed through the Library; links to international information resources; information that will allow you to review principles of research and how to find stuff (handouts, tutorials, videos, homework suggestions, specific database instruction); and the many ways to get help with research and assignments. Please be aware that many of these resources are only available to the Cal Poly community and require portal credentials for access.
Web of Science All Databases (1864-present) provides the most comprehensive results from numerous databases that primarily cover the sciences plus social sciences and humanities. A new interface was released Summer 2021. Reorientation to search navigation and new features are supported by pop-up guides and tips, and the WoS Help Page.
arXiv is a curated research-sharing platform hosting nearly two million scholarly articles in the fields of physics, mathematics, computer science, quantitative biology, quantitative finance, statistics, electrical engineering and systems science, and economics. arXiv offers researchers a broad range of services: article submission, compilation, production, retrieval, search and discovery, web distribution for human readers, and API access for machines, together with content curation and preservation. This source provides in-progress research, preliminary data, etc. that has NOT been peer-reviewed. This platform allows for other researchers to comment and ask questions about the research before it is ready for formal publication. Materials should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health related behavior, or be reported in news media as established information.
MathSciNet is a searchable database of reviews, abstracts and bibliographic information for mathematical sciences literature, including journals, conference proceedings, and books.
Inspec® is a comprehensive index to global literature in electronics, computer science, physics, electrical, control, production and mechanical engineering. Includes INSPEC Thesaurus, Classification Codes and other specialized search aids.
Google Scholar provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, search across many disciplines and sources: peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles. Search results may be from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations. There is currently no way to only search for peer-reviewed materials. Get more specific resource results by using the Google Scholar Advanced search feature. And always access Google Scholar through the library database URL
to gain access to materials the library has subscribed to.
Statista is a statistics portal which provides direct access to quantitative data on media, business, finance, politics, and a wide variety of other areas of interest or markets. The database features unlimited downloads, source citations and direct use or export of results in PowerPoint, Excel PDF and Graphic (PNG) formats.
RAND California provides information, research reports and statistics on the California economy and public policy issues, as well as access to selected policy reports, statistics, and information at the national and international scale.
Dataset Search is a search engine for datasets. Using a simple keyword search, users can discover datasets hosted in thousands of repositories across the Web.
Social Explorer provides access to the entire US Census data from 1790 to 2010, the entire American Community Survey (ACS) from 2005 to 2011 and more data from a number of sources. Users can create maps and use data visualization tools and reports to illustrate, analyze, and understand demography and social change. Users can also graph and chart data, export, save, and print maps and reports, and create multi-map presentations with an interactive slideshow tool.
The home of the US government's open data. A comprehensive index of datasets from the US government, including other state, local, and international agencies. Plus tools and resources to conduct research, develop web and mobile applications, design data visualizations, and more.