Research strategies
Planning
- Background reading (seek advice and consult reference tools to identify some basic key works)
- Define topic
- Compile a list of keywords (it often helps to state the topic as a series of questions, and to consult dictionaries and thesauri)
- Record the topic in the form of search statement/s (keywords linked together by boolea search operators)
Identifying sources
- Select appropriate research tools - Catalogues & Bibliographies & Indexes (for published sources)... finding aids & dissertation indexes (for unpublished sources)
- SuperSearch - the gateway to thousands of electronic journals, hundreds of scholarly databases and other resources subscribed to by the University of Melbourne Library.
- Seek advice from academic and library staff.
- Request an information consultation with a subject librarian
Locating sources
- Library Catalogue
- SuperSearch - the gateway to thousands of electronic journals, hundreds of scholarly databases and other resources subscribed to by the University of Melbourne Library.
- Seek assistance and advice from Library staff on Information Desks in libraries, from the online enquiry service, or from Inter-Library Loans.
Evaluating sources
- Suggested evaluation criteria: Check the - Authority, Objectivity, Currency, Accuracy and Relevance of sources (in all formats, particularly WWW sources)
- Tools to assist with evaluating sources: Reviews and citation indexes to check authority, objectivity and accuracy. Encyclopaedias, directories, statistics etc. can also assist in verifying the accuracy of statements.
Documenting sources
- In the interests of the scholarly sharing of ideas and information, and to acknowledge the work of authors, it is standard practice to compile a full bibliography of sources consulted.
- Maintain complete records of all references - Author, title and publication details (and in the case of WWW resources, URL and date accessed)
- Consider using bibliographic management software, such as EndNote
- Employ the citation style recommended by your Department.