Sources of information
Different sources of information will assist you with different parts of your research. It can be confusing figuring out what to use for what purpose - and where to find it! The table below is a brief summary of the main sources of information you might use in your academic research.
|
Resource type |
Description | Where to find them |
| Books and eBooks | Written by experts, books and eBooks contain overviews of a topic and discuss relevant theories and research in a particular area. They are often written in plain or instructive language. | |
| Journal articles | Journal articles usually have a narrower focus than book, e.g. they discuss a specific piece of research or aspects of a theory. They are based on evidence and research and, if peer-reviewed, have undergone review by other experts in the field. | |
| Professional articles | Written by and for professionals working in the field. They are not necessarily scholarly/peer-reviewed, but are a good source of current and practical information. |
Primo search (by excluding peer-reviewed material in a search for articles) Identify and browse relevant trade journals (see below). |
| Reports | Reports are not scholarly/peer-reviewed, but can contain policies and procedures and/or information on practical applications of theory. Look for reports published by governments or credible organisations. Use advanced Google search features such as site and filetype searching. | |
| Websites | Great for background reading and an understanding of various industries. Look for credible websites - .gov, .edu or .org - where possible. Always evaluate websites rigorously. | Google search |
| News and media | Reviews, feature articles, opinion pieces and explainers - these are not scholarly but are useful to understand public opinion and the cultural landscape. | |
| Reference resources | Such as encyclopedias and dictionaries, these are great for definitions and background and/or subject-specific information. |
Professional journals
In addition to scholarly resources, professional or trade journals may be useful for your assessments. These are written by librarians and often discuss experiences of working directly with client groups. Some key professional journals in the library and information studies sector include:
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INCITEJournal of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA).
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AccessJournal of the Australian School Library Association (ASLA).
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Focus (archive)Archive of the Journal of The Society of College, National and University Libraries, UK and Ireland (SCONUL).
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Information ProfessionalJournal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, UK (CILIP).
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American LibrariesJournal of the American Library Association (ALA).
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Public LibrariesJournal of the American Library Association (ALA).
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School Library JournalUS publication for librarians and information specialists who work with children and teens.
Using the internet
You will need to use the internet to locate reputable websites to use in your assessments.
When using Google, the following search strategies will help you find more relevant results:
| Google search strategy | Example |
| Use a minus sign to exclude words (a NOT search) | "information agency" -archives |
| Use the pipe symbol in place of OR | library|archive |
| Search only on web pages that have a specific domain extension | site:gov.au; site:edu.au; site:abs.gov.au |
| Find a page that links to another page | link:sydney.edu.au |
| Search a number range to retrieve results from only those years | 2010..2015 |
| Retrieve a definition of a word | define:archive |
| Limit your search to retrieving only documents in a particular format | filetype:pdf; filetype:doc |
| Search news archives back to the mid 1880's via Google news archive search | Use the dropdown to filter your results - try "19th century" |
