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Education

Find and use relevant resources for Education

Search, Select, Evaluate

MultiSearch

MultiSearch is the Library’s search platform that provides access to a large majority of Library resources. You can use it to find books, journal and newspaper articles, theses, databases, unit readings, exam papers, and more. Sign in with your OneID for better results. Click on the link below to access the search platform:

 

Research Databases

MultiSearch searches across most of the Library's resources, but it doesn't search everything.

To make sure you are finding all relevant literature, you can also search individual databases. Research databases may be subject specific or multidisciplinary. The search techniques you use in MultiSearch are usually the same ones you use in the subject databases.

Click on the link below to access the Early childhood and Education databases:

Click on the link below to learn more about effective searching techniques:

When you are analysing an assignment task or searching on a topic, try using alternative phrases for the same concept. You might find one phrase gives you far more results than the others. Below are some examples to start you thinking;

Lightbulb Use inverted commas to link two words together as a phrase

 

Subject 

Alternative search terms

"reflective practice"

"self-evaluation" ; "self-regulated learning" ; "self-reflection"

"pre-service teacher"

"student teacher" ; "education student" ; "trainee teacher"

"early childhood"

"birth to 5" ; preschool ; daycare ; infant

"classroom management"

"classroom control" ; "classroom discipline" ; "behaviour management" ; "classroom discipline"

Inequality

disparity ; discrimination ; imbalance ; prejudice ; disparate

Trying linking one of your search terms with another concept from your assignment. The 'AND' in the middle is capitalized to link the terms. 

An example for searching would be using the terms 

"classroom management" AND "self-reflection"

"early childhood" AND disparity

 

 

Click on the link below to find out more about how to identify search terms for your research:

Often, you will be required to find and use peer reviewed journal articles in your units.

Peer review refers to:

  • articles which have been scrutinised by recognised authorities in the field
  • articles may be rejected for publication, or asked to revise

Peer review is important because: 

  • It is a guarantee of quality academic material

How do you choose peer reviewed material?

  • By checking the 'peer review' box in the filter pane in the results screen of a database
  • In MultiSearch, look for the Peer reviewed label in MultiSearch symbol

Choosing peer reviewed sources for your assessment is a great start, but there are other things you need to think about when selecting the right material. The CRAAP test is a useful framework of questions to ask yourself when you find a source you want to use in your assessment:

Currency: When was the source published?

Relevance: What is the relevance of the author's key points?

Authority: Who is the author?

Accuracy: Is the information reliable? Where can it be verified? 

Purpose: What was the author's purpose for writing the article?

 

Click on the links below to learn more about how to evaluate sources:

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