Welcome

Hi. I'm Heather, your librarian for GPM417 and I've created this guide to help you with your research. 

Each section introduces 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. See the Extend your skills page for advanced search techniques and use the activities on the Test your knowledge page to see what you need to revise.

Getting started with your assessment

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.

From your assessment tasks:

Keywords Synonyms or related terms
terrorism terroristic activity, organised group, systematic violence or intimidation, political...
emergence origin, history, historical context, aims, ideology, foundation, grievances, development, rise...
evolution actions, activities, trends, expansion, leadership, escalation...
counterterrorism countered, response, government response

Remember: You also need to identify keywords relevant to your chosen group or organisation. Start by identifying any group name variations or abbreviations.

Also consider if your task places any limits that will focus your research. These might be geographic or time-based limitations.

For guidance in topic analysis check out:

Choose the right place to search

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.

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 Emergency Management, Policing and Public Safety or Customs, Excise and Security lists have more databases you can search.

 

Learn how to search efficiently in Primo and Library databases:

News and media

You are encouraged to use counter-terrorism discource and policies discussed in historical newspapers as part of your case investigation. I recommend trying the following databases:

Additional sources

Check the Research Links in your subject site and our Terrorism Library Resource Guide for additional recommended resources including key journals, useful websites, think tanks, and supplementary databases.

Create a search strategy

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 your assessment topic potential search strings could include:

  • (IRA OR "Irish Republican Army") AND terrori*
  • (IRA OR "Irish Republican Army")  AND (history OR origin*)
  • terroris* AND (response OR counter OR counterterrorism)

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

To understand how search operators work check out:

Evaluate

Using credible information will improve the quality of your assessment and may result in better marks, but how can you tell whether the resources you've found are credible and suitable for your assessment? Have you been asked to use peer reviewed, academic or refereed articles? Are you using authoritative websites?

The information below will help you evaluate the information you find, in books, journal articles, or online to make sure it’s reliable.

Reading, writing and referencing

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

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

Here are some pages to get you started:

Chicago Style

The Library has access to The Chicago Manual of Style Online, and there are print copies of past editions in the Library collection.

Additional resources:

If you're using EndNote, you can change your Endnote settings to Chicago, so it will automatically format your in-text citations and bibliography in Chicago style. 

Your textbook

Good news!

Your textbooks are available online through the library!

Search skills demonstration

Watch these videos for an overview of the library services and how to search for information.

You can download a PDF of the slide deck below.

Using AI

Generative AI tools can be helpful study companions — they can support your thinking, help you explore new ideas, and guide you toward useful resources.

You might use Gen AI to:

  • Generate topic ideas or refine research questions
  • Clarify tricky terms or complex concepts
  • Suggest useful sources or recommend databases
  • Improve your keywords or search strategies

Important: Always check your subject outline to see if using AI tools is permitted. Using AI without permission could breach academic integrity rules.

Think of AI as a starting point — a way to support your research, not replace your critical thinking or use of credible academic sources.

See more on AI:

Develop your digital skills

Our Digital Skills module series is designed to empower you with the tools and knowledge needed to thrive in the digital landscape, at university and beyond.

Check out the Digital skills module series to discover tips on content creation, security and safety in the digital world, AI, and more.

Keen for more?

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