How do I find a specific journal article which has been set for my required or recommended readings?
There are a couple of good options:
- Select the Unit Readings Tab in Multisearch and type in the subject number. This will list all the readings.
- Search for the article's title in the library's Multisearch. Use quotation marks around the exact title to make your search more precise. The article should show up whether it is listed with other articles for your course or in the general collection. Select "View Online" and follow the links through to the full text or PDF.
- Use the Google Scholar link on the same page to search for the article. Going via the library's page gives you the library's links to the full text.
How do I know the library doesn't have an article I have found during a literature search?
Try searching for the journal where your article is published in the library's Multisearch. If the journal appears in the list, check the holdings. Does the record indicate a start date and finish date? if your article is outside that range the library probably does not have it. If the journal or book title doesn't appear, check that you entered it correctly - if it is still not in the list, the library probably does not have it. In this case, look for another similar article which might have the information you need. If you really need the actual item, request an Interlibrary Loan.
How do I know if the research is credible / peer reviewed?
You can be fairly sure that research is credible or peer reviewed if it is published in a Peer Reviewed journal.To check whether a journal is peer reviewed or not, look it up in Ulrich's International Periodicals
What do I do if a required or recommended reading has slipped out of the library's list of readings for a given unit?
You can still search for the journal article, book or book chapter via the Library's Multisearch even if it doesn't appear in the list of readings. Use quotation marks around the exact title to make your search more precise. Select "View Online" and follow the links through to the full text or PDF. It is also possible that some books (or book chapters) will only be available in print. In that case check the call number or request via the ARC. If you notice that a reading is missing from the list, please email the unit convenor.
How do I use a journal database and which one should I use?
There are many databases of different types available - some which are discipline specific and some which are general. Check the "Assignment Help" tab on this LibGuide. There is information there to help with developing your search terms, and further down the page are suggested suitable databases for your discipline. To access the databases themselves, use the Databases Tab on the Library's Multisearch.
All the ideas in my assignment were my original ideas, so I can't reference them. Why did I get such a poor mark?
At university, you generally need to demonstrate that you have understood the field in terms of what the current ideas and debates are and where the research stands on these ideas. You must reference any ideas you use in your work. Your original thought comes into how you construct your argument and the evidence you use to support the argument. Referencing ideas and research evidence is a way that you show that your ideas are founded. On the other hand, it is unlikely at an undergraduate level, that you will come up with an "original" idea, but more likely that you are yet to become familiar with the literature to know where the idea was first published or who to cite.
So I put a reference at the end of my idea, but I still got a bad mark. What gives?
You need to make sure that your words demonstrate that you have read the literature and are specific about where your ideas came from. Just putting a reference at the end of a sentence is not a very sophisticated way of supporting your argument. Instead, discuss the research ideas and how they relate to the examples you discuss in your assignment.You need to either quote the research/reference directly, or explain in your own words what the research says and how it relates to your observations.Remember to keep it CLEAR and CREDIBLE for your reader.For example, consider the difference between:
How do I contact the library?
Check the Ask a Librarian box on the Contact us page. You may also contact one of your Research Librarians directly.
For more information about study skills and writing assignments see StudyWise
For more information about how to access information from the Library, see InfoWise
For more information about Referencing, see the library's Referencing Guide
