You will use the library link on the left hand navigation bar on your student portal frequently for research papers. It allows you to search all library databases. If you're searching for books, or articles, or videos, you can type in a search bar and it will search all of our subscription databases at once. You can also check the peer reviewed box if you only want peer-reviewed articles.
The search bar is searching all of our databases. If you want to go into specific databases, you can look in the Library Databases A-Z. This is our subscription databases alphabetically, from A to Z. If you know which database you’re looking for, you can scroll down the list or use the search box.
Another option is to browse the databases by subject to find a database that might have useful information for the topic or subject you are working on. You can go to Database by Subject. These databases are just arranged by subject, where the A to Z list doesn’t offer a lot of guidance by subject matter and you might end up looking through many databases before finding the best option for your topic.
You can also explore Video Databases. These are databases that just have videos. We do have some streaming video databases, and if you click that link, you will find all of those.
The CSU Global library also has eBook databases. eBooks are a great place to start your research. The e-books in our collection are full-text books, just online, and typically not your textbook for your class. Sometimes, you might find that, but these are just full books stored online through these databases. They are a great place to start your research, sometimes much better than articles if you're just trying to get an overview. If you’re looking for a place to start, the EBSCO eBook collection is particularly good.
Other Resources in the Library
How-To Videos: This area is filled with videos on how to use library resources, how to do APA citation, advanced searching, business databases; all of these tabs will take you to different types of videos on topics or skills that you might need help with. These videos are all made in-house, so they're all specific to CSU Global and our systems.
Library Handouts: these are resources that might help when you just need a quick reference sheet. Topics include APA references, APA in-text citations, Boolean advanced search terms, Google terms. All of these open up to a downloadable handout you can print out or download to your computer for future reference. For example, the APA reference sheet is a short guide that gives you answers to the most commonly asked questions about citations and formatting.
Questions and FAQs: If you have questions that aren’t covered by the guides or FAQs located in the library, you can set up individual research sessions with the librarian. You can schedule a session by completing the form on the website, and you will be contacted by email to set up your one-on-one session. Be sure to use your CSU Global email address on the form. To reach the library staff directly, contact information is available on the website, along with a 24/7 chat option.
InterLibrary Loan: If you are looking for research resources beyond searching the databases, there are also options on the library website for requesting materials that are outside the CSU Global catalog; interlibrary loan is free of charge, but does take a little longer, typically 3 to 5 days.
Research Guides: These guides are tailored to particular subjects and CSU Global courses; they contain curated resources that directly align with course content and assignments.
We hope that you will use all of the resources the library has to offer. If you have any questions, please reach out to the library staff or your student success counselor.