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Finding resources for your assessments

1. Your assessments

This assignment help page will help get you started finding resources for your assessments.

Both assessments for this course (1. Case study and 2. Project) require that you analyse a scenario and respond to questions in the context of the scenario. Your answers must bring together the concepts and theories in the coursework with your observations on the information provided in the scenario. Avoid discussing concepts generally without applying them to specific facts from the scenario.

* Please see your course outline or course website for full assessment details.

Remember the following golden rules:

  • Do not just describe, but analyse:
    • Identify and define key training and development concepts from coursework, supported by a suitable reference
    • Discuss specific examples from the scenario that link to the concepts, and 
    • Support your discussion with a range of suitable references.
  • Provide suitable and sufficient references for each point you make. As a rule of thumb, if you have written more than 250 words without a reference you have likely not provided sufficient referencing! 
  • When referencing sources other than the scenario, the APA 7th referencing style is required.
  • When referencing the scenario:
    • No details of the scenario are required in your reference list and no page number is required in the in-text reference
    • Example: Company X places an increasing emphasis on developing leaders who ‘can hold up under pressure’ (CS), demonstrating…

2. What is a case study?

Please watch the following video (4 min 7 sec) and read this overview of case studies (PDF, 170 KB). 

Check the course outline for advice on how you should structure your case study.

See below for some resources to help you in writing your case study:

3. What is a refereed academic journal?

You need to reference the textbook in addition to including:

  • At least 6 refereed (peer-reviewed) journal articles for Case Study  
  • At least 10 refereed (peer-reviewed) journal articles for Project

Keep in mind your assignment is asking for an understanding of contemporary training and development practices, so your articles need to be current (i.e. within the last 10-12 years).

To find out how to make sure information is academic, scholarly, or peer reviewed, watch our video on Scholarly Sources Explained (2 min 22 sec).

4. Plan your search

To find information you will need to think of keywords in your topic that you can use in your search.

Determine your keywords/search terms

Next think of synonyms or alternative words for these keywords

For more information and tips on planning your search:

5. Search tips

Learn how to search the library collection and databases effectively with the resources below:

7. Where to search

The Library Collection can be a useful tool for locating academic references. It is like a search engine that searches across the Library’s collection of print and electronic books, DVDs, journals and theses, together with journal and newspaper articles from numerous databases.

To do a search, try using

  • "double quotes" for phrases
  • truncation* to find the plural and other forms of a word
  • connect using AND, OR and NOT

At the results list you can:

  • Limit to articles from Peer Reviewed publications 
  • Limit by Date e.g. 2018 to 2023
  • See the full text for many items by selecting the title, then look for the Online link
  • See Library Collection Help for additional searching tips.

Google Scholar searches only within academic or scholarly sites, rather than over the whole internet like a regular Google Search. 

Make sure you access Google Scholar from the library website. You will be able to link directly to articles that the Library has access to by clicking on the Full-text at UniSA link.

Watch the video: Why use Google Scholar? to find out more. 

Business Source Ultimate provides information covering all areas of business including accounting and finance; banking; finance and insurance; construction; computer science; economics and more. Includes country economic reports as well as detailed company profiles.

This is an example of an Advanced Search using Business Source Ultimate.

You can limit your search by date range and to Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals from the box on the left hand side of the results screen.

8. Evaluate resources

For your assessments, you will need to find credible resources.

A credible reference can also be known as a scholarly source or peer reviewed (refereed) article. 

The following video (3 min 17 sec) will help you evaluate the sources you have found.

Critical thinking is an essential part of taking a scholarly approach to learning. It involves analysing and questioning information you receive to arrive at logical, well-reasoned conclusions.

The following resources will assist you in understanding and developing your critical thinking and analysing skills needed for your assignment.

9. Referencing support

Managing your references

What do you do with all those references you have found? Use a bibliographic management software to store, organise and cite your references.

There are many free systems available. The Library supports the bibliographic management tool EndNote. For more information, see the EndNote guide.