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Library Skills for Research

Introductory Guide for Graduate Certificate Research

Module One: Find Information

This module provides guidance and links to enable you to find a range of different kinds of information for your research. Specifically, it covers how to Identify Information Sources and Find Full Text (the complete text of an article).

You will find a quiz at the end of the Module to test your understanding.  

For information on choosing and searching databases, please refer to Module Two: Use Databases.  

 

Identify Information Sources

Use the following table to:

  • Identify relevant library databases
  • Identify and locate books, journals and other items in UTAS libraries
  • Find existing literature reviews of a research topic
  • Find theses
  • Recommend new resources for the Library

Identify relevant subscribed library databases

Databases recommended for your subject area are listed on the subject guide page. Watch the video below for a demonstration (no sound).

Alternatively, you can view an alphabetical list of all subscribed databases by clicking the Databases link on the Library Homepage.

 

Identify relevant databases.MP4

Note that there are two basic types of database:

  • Indexing Databases - these large databases index across the main literature in a field, but only provide bibliographic details (author, title, subject headings and sometimes a summary or abstract) rather than the complete text of an item. Citation indexing databases also include references and forward citations for each item.  Indexing databases, especially those with citation data, are essential tools for comprehensive literature reviews.  
  • Full Text Databases - Indexing databases often link items to full text databases, which include the complete text of items that the library has access to.  These items may be printed or downloaded.  The limitation of full text databases is that they only provide complete text for journals, ebooks, and so on for which the Library has subscriptions.  Some databases specialise in review articles.

How do I find a book?

You will find books and ebooks using the University of Tasmania Library catalogue located on the library homepage (no sound). 

How do I find newspaper articles?

The Newspaper and news sources guide explains how to access newspapers and newspaper archives via databases to which the Library subscribes.

This video demonstrates searching for news articles in a database (no sound).

How do I find literature reviews?

When starting a literature review, you may like to view existing literature reviews to:

  • Understand how a literature review is composed and constructed
  • Understand what is required of you in conducting a literature review
  • Identify key articles for your research. 

A review article may provide a helpful shortcut when starting your literature review. Usually, review articles identify literature in a field or on a topic to a certain date, analyse the value and contribution of each article to the field and specifies key articles.

You can find existing literature reviews and review articles in:

  • Completed theses
  • Annual Reviews (a multi-discipline database that specialises in indexing review articles published any time between 1930 and the present day)
  • Databases

Search Annual Reviews

This video shows you how to search for literature reviews and review articles in Annual Reviews.

Reviews in Web of Science

This video demonstrates how to limit your search results to review articles in a more general database.

How do I find a thesis?

Looking at theses can help you:

  • Understand the formatting, length and referencing requirements for theses in your discipline
  • Understand how a thesis is composed and structured
  • Understand what you are working towards, and
  • Develop an overview of key terms and publications relevant to your research, 

The Theses subject guide contains links to access UTAS theses, theses from other Australian universities and international theses. Many are available through Open Access (OA) repositories. You may be able to use Document Delivery to access a thesis that is not available via OA.

The video below demonstrates searching for UTAS theses in the library catalogue. 

Suggest a purchase

You can complete the Suggest a purchase form to request that the library purchase a book or other item for your research. You are also welcome to contact the Learning and Research Librarians about buying a book or other item. 

The Cultural Collections held by the University of Tasmania represent a major academic resource for the University, Tasmania and Australia.

The Special & Rare Collections manages and provides access to cultural and historical records. The Collection consists of:

  • rare books, journals and manuscripts
  • maps
  • university records of a non-business nature
  • diaries, letters, photographs, paintings and ephemera. 
     

 

Find Full Text

The Finding full-text guide provides information on finding the complete version of an information source. It shows: 

What if the item is not in the library? (Document Delivery Service)

Do you need access to material we don't hold in our Library collection, whether print or electronic ? If you have checked the catalogue, databases and journal holdings and the item you want is not available, you can use our Document Delivery Service, which also operates an interlibrary loan service for print items. 

Here is how to find something through Document Delivery.

 

Module One Quiz

Tip: If you wish to re-take the quiz, please clear your browsing data beforehand.