Library Guides: Research Fundamentals: Step 2a: Search tools

FindIt

FindIt is a search tool that allows you to search across the library catalogue, online databases, and collections to locate journal articles, books, ebooks, DVDs, CDs, and other items in the Melbourne Polytechnic library collection. See the below box for a simple step by step guide, or head to the FindIt guide for more information on how to get the most out of your search.

Step 1. Enter keywords

Findit Basic Steps

1. Enter your search terms

2. Login when prompted

3. Review your search results

4. Refine your search results

5. Manage your search results

Step 2. Login

Before the search results will appear you will need to enter your Melbourne Polytechnic username and password.

Step 3. Review results

Review your results list by looking for relevance in the items you've found.

Check titles: are they what your need?
Check subjects: do they match the information you hope to find?
Check publication information: is it recent enough for you?
Check the size of the results list: is it too large?

Also check the formats of the items in your list: are there books, academic articles, or other types of publications? Are they suitable for your purpose?

If you decide that the contents of your search results list meets your needs, start selecting individual items from the list.

However, if you are not satisfied with& the quality or usefulness of items in your search results list, try the strategies on the Refine Results page.

Step 4. Refine results

There are numerous techniques that you might employ to refine your list of search results. These include:

Reviewing your chosen keywords: are there other ways of expressing, in words, what you are searching for?
Limiting the date-range of your results: perhaps you might look for articles published within the past five years, or so?
Limiting to publication type: consider if there is a specific publication type that will benefit you - book, journal, report?
Do you know of any important authors in your subject? Ask around ... find out, then search for works written by this person.

These, and other techniques for refining your FindIt search can be found on the Refine Results page of the FindIt library guide.

Step 5. Manage results

Creating a MyEBSCO account will allow you to take full advantage of the features under "My dashboard" on the left-hand side of the results screen (see number 4 in the image below).

Logging into your MyEBSCO account allows you to quickly save an item.

Click on the 3 horizontal dots to access the tool menu (see number 5). From here you can:

Cite
Add to project
Share
Download

Databases

Database: a curated online resource collection.

Types: Subject-specific (e.g., PlantFile, VeterinarySource) or format-specific (e.g., IBISWorld industry reports, streaming platform Kanopy, Australian Standards).

Access: Most databases are accessible through FindIt, but some (like Australian Standards) require direct access.

Searching: Databases offer more precise searches than general internet searches, often with specialized search functions.

Location: The A-Z Database page lists all databases, and can be filtered by subject or type. See the below screenshot to discover how to access databases from the main library website.

Google Scholar

The Pros & Cons of FindIt and Google Scholar
FindIt PRO	Filter results by resource type. For example, peer-reviewed articles.
FindIt PRO	Subject headings. Resources in FindIt have been consistently described and contains additional information, such as subject headings and categories for every resource. This makes the search results much more relevant.
Google Scholar PRO	Cited by. Discover other resources that have cited a particular resource. An excellent way to do research and find connected information.
Google Scholar PRO	Library links. Increase your access to resources by connecting Google Scholar to the libraries in which you have current logins.
Google Scholar CON	Unable to filter by resource type. Be critical of the articles retrieved. You may need to dig deeper to discover whether they are peer-reviewed.
Google Scholar CON	Not everything is full-text. With FindIt you can filter results to only display full-text items.

Research Fundamentals: Step 2a: Search tools