LibGuides: Introduction to Research Skills: Choose the Right Search Tool

Choosing a Search Tool Infographic. Text description linked below.

Text description of "Choosing a Search Tool" Infographic

Looking for Library Databases?

Looking for a discipline-specific database? See the Databases page of the Library's website or use the drop-down menu below!

What Search Tool Should I Use?

CMU Catalog (AVALON)

Smiley Memorial Library houses a collection of over 50,000 which are available for CMU students, staff, and faculty. The AVALON Catalog, which CMU shares with eight other universities, allows you to search this collection online. The AVALON Catalog is best used when:

You are looking for a print book or an eBook.
You searching for more information on items housed in the Library's collection and you need a call number to be able to locate an item.

Contact a Librarian if you have any questions about selecting the right search tool.

Google Scholar

You have probably heard in the past “Do not use Google for your research!” This might make you wonder how Google Scholar is any different. Google and Google Scholar are two separate search engines. Google searches public web content, whereas Google Scholar indexes scholarly books, journal articles, and etcetera.

Google Scholar can link to full-text articles available CMU library databases. View our “Google Scholar – How to Add a Library Link” tutorial for more information on this feature. Please note, however, that Google Scholar is not comprehensive and does not contain everything that is in the library’s databases. Using one of the library’s databases will return more results and allow for more convenient searching.

Google Scholar should not be the only tool that you use for your research. However, it can be effective as a search tool when:

You are searching for other articles citing a source.
You are checking for a preprint or postprint version of an article that is otherwise not available through one of the library's databases.

See Google Scholar Search Help for tips on how to search with Google Scholar. Contact a Librarian if you have any questions about selecting the right search tool.

Tip: Use the "Look for a free full text option for this title in Google Scholar" link in Central Search to see if a title not available through the library is available through Google Scholar

Library Databases

Library databases are powerful search tools that can help facilitate academic research. It is important to note that library databases can vary in their content and scope. Some databases, such as Central Search and Academic Search Premier, are interdisciplinary and cover literature from several fields. Other databases are targeted at specific disciplines and retrieve literature from within a particular field or subject area.

You should use a library database for your research when:

You want to find scholarly sources
You are looking for journal articles, theses, trade journals, and other resources that are not offered freely over the web
You need to limit your search by date, peer-review status, or etcetera

Contact a Librarian if you have any questions about selecting the right search tool.

Research Guides

Are you looking for a list of the best resources for your major, subject, and/or course? On the main Library website are subject guides, as well as course-specific guides for select classes! Visit the Library webpage and choose the Research Guides tab to explore all of the available guides. Remember, when in doubt about what search tool to use for your research, reach out to a librarian!

Online Content vs. Library Resources

Online Content vs. Library Databases

We rely on Google so much for our daily lives that you might be asking "I am comfortable with Google, so why should I use a library database?" Below are but a few advantages that library databases have over internet sources:

Content is evaluated for authority and quality: Information in library databases has undergone some form of evaluation to determine authority and quality. This evaluation can occur during the publication process through peer review or review by an editor, such as in the case of magazines and other popular sources. Information found on the open web is not guaranteed to have undergone this same evaluation. An individual can author web content and have no expertise or background in the subject area.
Databases include powerful search features: Library databases include powerful search features that allow you to limit or target searches based on several facets.
Citation information is included for each result: Publication information is included for articles and other items in a library's database, making the citation process simpler. This information is not always included in search engine results.
Database content not freely available online: Most of the information in a library database is not freely available online.

Tour the Library's Website

1. Welcome! This tutorial will give you a quick tour of the Smiley Memorial Library website. You can find our website by clicking Library underneath the search bar on the home page of the CMU website.

2. That link takes you to the homepage of the Library's website. This page has important information, such as the Library's hours and contact information.

3. Also on this page is information on upcoming library events and a guide to finding offices and information in the library building (Click anywhere on the screen to continue)

4. Let's go ahead and check out the Library's databases. Click the Databases tab at the top of the screen to continue.

5. At the top of the page is Central Search, CMU's general-use database that compiles results from many of the Library's databases.

6. Note that you can limit your results to full-text and/or peer reviewed only.

7. Below Central Search is Credo, a reference database that is a great tool to use when conducting background research. Credo searches dictionaries, encyclopedias, and many other forms of reference sources.

8. CMU students and faculty also have access to The New York Times and The Athletic. All that you need to do to access these resources is register using your CMU email address.

9. To the right is a complete list of subject databases and newspaper sources.

10. CINAHL Ultimate, for example, is a subject database focusing on literature in the fields of Nursing and Allied health.

11. Education Full-Text and ERIC are databases geared toward Education and related fields.

12. JSTOR offers journals from several disciplines, but it is an especially great tool for research in the humanities.

13. What if your needing a book? Click the Books tab at the top of the screen.

14. AVALON is a catalog that CMU shares with eight other academic libraries. AVALON can be used to find DVDs, eBooks, or print books in the Library.

15. If CMU does not have the book you are looking for, you can request it from another library. A great place to look is the MOBIUS Catalog. A book requested through MOBIUS can typically be delivered within a week's time.

16. If you are looking specifically for eBooks or audiobooks, download the Libby app! Libby is a digital library platform containing over 30,000 titles that can be borrowed by CMU students, faculty, and staff.

17. Click Distance Learners.

18. This page has information and a number of resources that can be of benefit to Distance Learners.

19. Click Research Guides.

20. The Course & Subject Guides page has a number of valuable resources. Subject Guides are designed to help you find the best resources within a particular discipline.

21. Course Guides are designed for specific classes. They will have resources specific to course content or assignments.

22. Topic Guides are built for general use. They typically include resources and tutorials addressing a specific theme.

23. Click Archives.

24. This page includes information about the CMU Archives and Special Collections. Linked are digital exhibits and other digitized archival materials.

25. Next, click Contact Us.

26. This page provides contact information that you can use to reach out to the library if you need assistance with your research (Click anywhere on the screen to continue).

27. The Chat with a Librarian feature allows you to contact a Librarian with your questions, even during hours when the library is closed.

28. That ends our tour! If you have any questions about the library or any of its resources, contact a librarian!

Introduction to Research Skills: Choose the Right Search Tool