Topic 3: Locating sources of information
Finding and using information on a particular subject or topic is an
important aspect of University study. Documents and other materials
containing information are usually called sources (short for sources
of information). Your lecturers will provide guidance on appropriate
scholarly sources for specific assessment tasks—for example,
Wikipedia is not an appropriate source for University-level assignments
because it is pitched at the general population, rather than a more
specialist audience. Choosing the most appropriate sources for your
research is an important skill to develop—there’s far more to it than
simply Googling a topic or phrase and going with the first hits. This
section describes the main types of sources used at University, the
types of information that they can provide, and how to find them.
If you need help to locate the
right sources of information,
call or visit your campus
library, where staff will be
happy to assist. See:
http://cqu.edu.au/library
Make the most of the CQUniversity Library
The Library provides access to a variety of sources and services to
assist you with your study, including:
•• Discover it!
An online search tool that allows you to search the majority
of information sources held by the Library. Discover It! will
simultaneously search:
Discover it! can be accessed at:
http://www.cqu.edu.au/library
•• the Library catalogue (for books, e-books, DVDs, course
resources online, music etc.)
•• many of the Library’s databases, including both subject-specific
databases and more general resources. It can be particularly
useful for locating journal articles
•• CQUniversity’s institutional repository, ACQUIRE (research
papers published by staff of the University).
•• Library databases
The Library provides access to a wide range of databases across all
fields of study. Sometimes, Discover It! may not have access to the
particular database you require, or you may have difficulty finding
the right information for your task. If so, check the subject-specific
databases that are relevant to your program in case one of these is
more appropriate for your task.
•• Course Resources Online
Sometimes your lecturer will request that particular resources
relevant to your course, which are not otherwise available via
the Library or WWW, are made available electronically as course
resources online (CROs); media files may also be available for
some courses and programs. You can find out if your course has
any resources online through the Library, MyCQU, or the course
Moodle site.
The Great Guide to University Study | Locating sources of information
For the list of databases
available at CQUniversity
Library, refer to:
http://libguides.library.cqu.edu.
au/databases
Find Course Resources Online at:
http://cqu.edu.au/library/forstudents/course-resourcesonline2
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Using books
A scholarly book, written by a specialist in the discipline, will contain
authoritative information; this can include comprehensive accounts of
research or scholarship, historical data, overviews, and expert views on
particular themes or topics.
Use a book when you need background information on a topic, want
to add breadth or depth to a topic, or need to place the topic in context
with other important issues.
Textbooks are a special case; they are written for students at a
particular level, aiming to provide instruction in all of the important
aspects of a particular area of study. Sometimes it takes years to write
and publish a textbook. Therefore, they are not always the most up-todate sources for current information in a fast-moving subject, especially
if the publication date was a year or two ago.
Most courses at CQUni have
prescribed textbooks and some
also recommend supplementary
textbooks. Find out more at:
http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au/
texts.asp
or in your course profile at:
http://nexus.cqu.edu.au/
courseprofile
To find books, use Discover It! or the Library catalogue.
Using journals
A scholarly journal is a collection of articles written by specialists in
the discipline. Individual articles are often referred to as papers even
though many journals are now accessed online, rather than in printed
form. Articles which publish original research are often referred to as
primary sources.
Use scholarly journals when you need to find: original research on a
topic; reviews/overviews of the research conducted on a specific topic;
factual documented information to reinforce a position or to point you
to other relevant research; information about a very specific aspect of a
topic. Scholarly journals usually take less time to publish than books,
so recently published articles usually contain current information.
Most scholarly journal papers are assessed by other experts in the field
before being accepted for publication. This process is called peerreview, and ensures the validity of the information published. Journals
without peer-review may be less authoritative as sources of information
for your studies (consult the journal’s website for information on peer
review).
To check if the Library provides access to a specific journal, check
either Discover It! or the Library catalogue. To search for journal
articles on a topic, use Discover It! or a journal database relevant to
your program. Your program LibGuide provides details.
The Library has produced a range
of LibGuides to help you to select
and use information sources. See:
http://libguides.library.cqu.edu.au/
Using reference sources
Reference sources offer an enormous amount of concise information:
background information, topic overviews; information about important
dates, events, and people associated with a topic; terminology and
definitions related to a topic; details of sources for further reading. The
main types are:
Use the Oxford English Dictionary
online, at: http://www.oed.com
•• Dictionaries - Subject-specific dictionaries provide definitions and
basic explanations about words used in a particular field, e.g. The
Oxford Dictionary of Psychology.
Use the Oxford Advanced
Learner’s Dictionary, at:
http://oald8.
oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/
The Great Guide to University Study | Locating sources of information
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•• Encyclopedias - These are grouped into two main types: general
encyclopedias and subject-specific encyclopedias. Subjectspecific encyclopedias can be a useful starting point if you need
background information or an introduction to a topic. They
are written by experts, and as well as articles, overviews and
explanations may also include maps, diagrams, graphs, illustrations
and other reference materials.
The Credo Reference and Oxford Reference Online collections both
provide access to a wide range of dictionaries and encyclopedias.
Some encyclopedias have also been purchased individually for
specific fields of study – these will usually be accessible online, and
listed in the program LibGuide e.g. The International Encyclopedia of
Education.
Use Oxford Reference Sources at:
http://www.oxfordreference.com
Use Credo Reference, at:
http://www.credoreference.com
Using newspapers (including online news websites)
These record daily news stories at local, national and international
level. Although this can be very useful information, it is important to
appreciate that these are not primary sources, since they are written
by journalists rather than specialists or experts, and to look for signs of
prejudice or editorial bias. Specific databases can be used to access
newspapers.
Use the Library guide to find
newspaper articles, at:
http://libguides.library.cqu.edu.au/
newspaper-articles
Using websites
Anyone can publish anything on the internet and often information is
neither checked nor peer-reviewed. Information may be inaccurate,
biased and/or out-of date. However, there is also a lot of valuable
information on the Web. Some websites provide up-to-the-minute news
and information about current events, trends and controversial topics.
Others contain government publications; research reports; conference/
workshop/symposium papers; maps; and other resources.
Instructions on setting up Google
Scholar preferences can be at:
http://library-resources.cqu.
edu.au/learning-objects/googlescholar-articlelinker.pdf
Consequently, it is very important to develop your skills in locating
scholarly sources on the web. Google Scholar is a free search engine
that can be used to search online scholarly literature, including peerreviewed papers, theses and books.
Using government information
All levels of government, from local to international, publish a variety
of documents including parliamentary papers and records, legislation,
census data, reports, and papers on specific topics. Government
information is generally regarded as authoritative, current and reliable,
and can be used to: identify professional regulations and legislative
requirements; provide insight into various events; report on national
programs and topics subject to government inquiry; and provide
statistical information. Many government documents are available
online.
The Great Guide to University Study | Locating sources of information
Use the Library guide to find
Government information, at:
http://libguides.library.cqu.edu.au/
govn
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Need more help?
There are a range of services available to support you in locating
information: LibGuides are online guides which help you to identify
and search sources of information relevant to your program or course.
You can also request assistance via one of several contact options
(LibAbswers, LibChat, email, phone, in person). Distance students are
also entitled to access additional services. CQUniversity has campus
Libraries in Rockhampton, Mackay, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Noosa,
Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne where staff will be happy
to help you.
The Great Guide to University Study | Locating sources of information
If you need help to locate the
right sources of information,
call or visit your campus
library, where staff will be
happy to assist. See:
http://cqu.edu.au/library
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