The CAPES Journal Portal celebrated its 10th anniversary as the most valuable Brazilian source of scientific information of our time. Present in 268 educational institutions around the country, the extent of its influence may be jeopardized by the low Information Literacy (IL) of its users. This paper aims to describe and analyze the IL of the students entering the graduate programs of the National Public Health School (FIOCRUZ) with respect to the way they use the CAPES Journal Portal. A sample of 88 graduate students (Master’s and PhD) answered a questionnaire which investigated the abilities needed to manipulate a bibliographic public health database. The results show that differences in background, type of training received and command of the English language are key factors to be considered when developing pedagogic action plans that aim to improve the use of this tool.