Hi. I'm Sandra, your embedded librarian and I've created this guide to help you with your research for AHT101. 

On this page you will find an introduction to the steps you should take when researching for an assessment. You'll find links to videos and resources that will give you the tools to find great information. Use the activities on the test your knowledge tab to see what you need to revise.

If you would like an introduction to our Library website and services check out:

• Watch: Online Library 101

The first thing is to make sure you clearly understand the task and what topic you are seeking information for; this is called topic analysis. Check your assessment task details in your Subject Outline.

With an understanding of your task you then need to plan how you will search for information. This starts with identifying and brainstorming keywords.

A hypothetical assessment task may be:

"Does the image of the typical farmer in Australian agriculture have an impact on the accumulation and development of social capital in our farming communities?"

Does your task place any limits? E.g. recent, current, or peer-reviewed sources. 

For guidance in topic analysis check out:

When you search using Primo Search or a library database use the keywords and limits you identified above to create your search. Combine the keywords with search operators, rather than searching with a whole sentence or question. Search operators tell Primo or the database how to search with your keywords.

For a hypothetical assessment topic, potential search strings could include:

• farmer AND “social capital”

• farmer AND “social capital” AND development

• “farm* communities” AND “farm management”

Remember: you will need to try a range of searches. Don't stop after just one.

To understand how search operators work check out:

Before you start searching, think about what types of information you need and where you can search to find those types of resources.

Primo Search

Primo Search is a good place to start as it allows you to use one search box to bring back results from most of our Library collection including books, eBooks, journal articles, newspaper articles and more. You may get a large number of results and some of these will be from outside your subject/discipline area. Check the content is relevant to your assessment task before you use it.

Google Scholar

Google Scholar allows you to locate resources such as articles, theses and books.

Unlike Primo Search, which is set to search the Library's holdings only, Google Scholar searches beyond Charles Sturt University Library and will include resources that are not available to you.

Set up Library Links to access the Library's online resources using these instructions.

Library databases

Databases will help you find academic resources and are often subject specific. You will get fewer results than Primo, but they will be more relevant to your subject/discipline. 

I recommend trying the following databases:

The Animal & Veterinary Sciences and Agriculture & Wine Sciences lists have more databases you can search.

Learn how to search efficiently in Primo and Library databases:

The Academic Skills team can help you to build your writing, referencing and reading skills to be successful at Charles Sturt University.

Explore resources from the Academic Skills team in the Learning Skills section of the Student Portal.

Here are some pages to get you started:

EndNote is a referencing tool that can be used to:

• store and manage your references
• store and annotate attached PDF files
• add citations and
• generate a list of references in Microsoft Word.

EndNote is available for students and staff to download, install and use whilst enrolled and/or working at Charles Sturt University.

Relevant industry websites can be useful when seeking background information for your assessment topic and can be a great place to start your research. 

When using any website remember to always evaluate the site to ensure that the information it contains is of a scholarly nature and appropriate for use in university assessment tasks.

• CSIRO Agriculture and Food

  Access to research and other information resources relating to agricultural research and solutions.

• Department of Agriculture and Water Resources - Australian Government

  Information on key government programs dealing with the environment and agriculture.

• Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA)

  Delivers marketing, research and development services for Australia's cattle, sheep and goat producers.

• Wine Australia

  Wine Australia invests in research and development, marketing and disseminating knowledge.

If you're interested in finding out more, check out the following:

However access to your textbook is limited. Follow the best practice in the video below to ensure you have access to what you need without disadvantaging other students in your subject.