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Lakehead University and LU Library

Research Guide for High School Students

How to use Lakehead University's Libraries

Searching Lakehead Library

OMNI is a search tool created by the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL). This is where you can enter your search statement and find articles, e-books, and other resources you may need to complete your projects.

To get to OMNI, you will start on the library's homepage and then navigate to either the basic search or advanced search. This is where you will be able to input your search statement.

Basic Search Screen

Advanced Search Screen

After clicking on advanced search on the main library page you will be brought to the following screen where you can input your search and dictate the search criteria.

After Hitting Search

Once you have entered your search statement, you will be able to modify your results through the use of filters. Filters allow you to narrow down your results to ones that better suit your projects needs.

Filters can be applied during an advanced search; selecting a date range or type of resource, for example. They can also be applied after a search by using the Modify you Results section on the left hand side of the screen. Below are a couple of filter options you may find useful:

  • Peer-Reviewed - this means that the work has been reviewed by others in the field, and is considered credible information
  • Open Access - this will only show results that everyone has access to, regardless of user status, and will not require signing in
  • Selecting the type of resource - journal articles, newspaper articles, etcetera 
  • Available Online
  • Language
  • Date

Screenshot of filter options available when searching O M N I.

Now that you have a page of results, you have to decide which articles are relevant to your project. How do we figure out what information is useful and what information is not? Here are some tips:

  1. The results at the top of the page are the ones the database thinks are the most relevant to your search. We recommend starting with these, although you can change how the results are listed under the Sort by tab.

 

 

  1. Read the title and the abstract (summary) of the article. This information will give you insight into what the article is about.

  2. Still not sure? Read the table of contents to see if the article covers the topic(s) you are looking for.

  3. Remember to save the article. Take note of the title and author so you can find it, and similar content, again later if needed .

  4. If you require more articles, or couldn't find any during your search, it's time to begin the search process again. This time, ask yourself:

    • What am I looking for that I couldn't find? Add it to your search!

    • Do I need to broaden (access more) or narrow (access less) my search? What Boolean Operators or keywords can I add/remove?