Choosing which search tools to use to find information and when to use them is important to find relevant results.
Video length: 2 min 31 sec
The Library Collection is a good place to start your search. Books can be useful for getting background or an overview of your topic.
Google Scholar searches academic or scholarly sites, rather than the whole internet. Access from the Library homepage to see the 'Full text at UniSA' option.
Databases are online collections of resources including articles, papers, book chapters and reports.
A scholarly journal (also referred to as academic journals, scientific journals, or peer reviewed journals) is a periodical that contains articles written by experts in a particular field of study.
'Information produced on all levels of government, academia, business and industry in electronic and print formats not controlled by commercial publishing' - 1997 International Conference on Grey Literature, Luxembourg - definition expanded in New York, 2004
The Library's News Media Guide provides help searching and evaluating newspapers, television, radio and media releases.
Have a look at the Library's Company and Industry Information Guide, which includes a range of statistical resources.
As you find references, think about whether they are appropriate to use in your assignment. Evaluate all resources before including them, even if you found them through the Library Collection or Databases.
Video length: 3 min 17 sec
| CRAAP | Questions to ask |
|---|---|
| Currency | How current does the information need to be? Do you need to use information published in the last five years or are older, seminal works fine to use? |
| Relevance | Does the information found answer your question? Do you understand the content and is it at the right level for your purpose? |
| Authority | What are the author's qualifications? Are they linked to a particular organisation such as a university, research institute or government department? |
| Accuracy | Is evidence given for the research undertaken? Can you verify the information presented by using other sources? Is there a bibliography or references given? |
| Purpose | Is it trying to communicate research, persuade you or sell you something? Is it expressing an opinion, or is it balanced and objective? |