Gen/Basic Chem Lab

The library homepage is your gateway to scholarly sources. Use it as an academic replacement for Google.

The library's new discovery layer, Cyclone Search on WorldCat Discovery, allows you to see what information you have access to before logging in!

Start with a simple, exploratory search to see what information exists on a particular subject. It helps to have a specific question in mind before searching databases. In class, we searched for an answer to the question, "Is there a link between obesity and heart attacks?" Search engines utilize keyword searching when retrieving results. We must start by identifying the words that are most likely to bring relevant results back to us. Obesity and heart attacks are the two keywords that we can use to tell the databases what information we are looking for. Start with a search for "heart attack" in the keyword search bar.

It is helpful to get into the habit of adjusting the filters located on the left-hand side of the search results immediately after searching. You have the option to limit your results based on Format, Content Type, Publication Year, Author, Subject, Databases, and Language. At a minimum, always start by adjusting the filters to show results that are Peer Reviewed and published within the last 10 years:

View your search results to see what your search query brought back. Some sources may link out to other databases and individual journals, but if you limit your search to articles you may be presented with a choice of access if there is overlap. Once you choose your access point, you will be asked to log in:

Your username is your first and last name with a period separating the two (firstname.lastname). Your password is the same password that you use for your school email and Moodle.

Once you enter your username and password, you should not have to enter it again until your browsing session restarts.