The CSU Libraries provides expertise, services, and resources to support the CSU community throughout the research process. We’re available for one-on-one or group consultations, and we’re happy to adapt any of the following topics for guest lectures or workshops.
Personal Research Help and Consultations
If you need personalized, one-on-one research support, you can request a consultation either by filling out our form or by contacting an expert directly.
Literature Reviews
A high-quality research project starts with a high-quality research question and literature review. Literature reviews are broad overviews of what has been written on a given topic. They are a component of peer-reviewed journal articles, theses and dissertations, and other scholarly works. If you’re working on a literature review, we can help you identify gaps, refine methods and questions, and develop effective research strategies.
Systematic Reviews & Evidence Synthesis
Systematic reviews are a research method to synthesize evidence across all studies relevant to a focused research question. Search reproducibility is a core component of systematic reviews, and librarians provide highly technical support with a focus on process. Librarians help researchers select and use discipline-appropriate tools and methodologies for their projects. Learn more about systematic reviews and other evidence synthesis projects.
Navigating Publishing & Copyright
The visibility and impact of your research may depend on the choices you make when you publish your research. We specialize in helping researchers understand author rights and copyright issues, choose a journal or book publisher, and identify grants and funding opportunities for open access publishing.
Data Management & Sharing
Our data experts provide instruction and guidance to researchers across the University about data management plans, archiving, sharing, and more. These services help you meet federal funder and journal requirements for open science and reproducible research practices. Learn more about data management.
Theses and Dissertations
Whether you are planning your literature review, navigating the issues the publication and copyright of your research, or looking for a place to deposit your research data, the Libraries is here to help. Learn more about submitting electronic theses and dissertations.
Library Grants & Funding
The CSU Libraries recognizes the financial barriers to research and scholarship success, and we strive to reduce or eliminate those barriers whenever possible. We have grants and funding for open access publishing, open educational resources, and research using library collections.
Open Scholarship
Information and knowledge should be free and publicly available. That’s why the CSU Libraries supports open scholarship. As an academic library, we focus our support of openness in three areas: open access publishing, open data, and open educational resources.
Geospatial Data, Mapping, and GIS Project Expertise
We offer specialized support and training for mapping and spatial data projects primarily through the Geospatial Centroid, a resource and service center housed in the Libraries. The Centroid provides technical services in spatial analysis, cartography, interactive web apps, and remote sensing.
Archival and Rare Materials Expertise
We offer in-person and online access to CSU Libraries’ unique collections of primary sources, with strengths in agriculture, water resources, CSU history, as well as more than 20,000 items from antiquities to the 21st century.