Laboratory Medicine: Find evidence (Books)

Find evidence (Books)

Books can provide:[Horia Varlan, 'Hardcover book gutter and pages', CC Licence: CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/), Image source: Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/horiavarlan/4268896468/)]

  • definitions
  • topic overviews
  • step-by-step guides
  • in-depth information on a topic

...and much more comprehensive coverage of a topic than a webpage. Many books in the Library's collection are written or edited by people with expertise in the relevant field.

Types of books

There are a number of different types of books that you may need to use. For example:

Reference books – include encyclopaedias, handbooks, dictionaries, bibliographies and directories. Consult them to define terms or find specific information. Search for them using the catalogue, like any other book.

Textbooks – provide instructional material intended for educational purposes. Textbooks are frequently updated as the material can become out of date very quickly.
Scholarly books – written on specific subjects and usually for a specific audience. Scholarly materials are necessary for university-level research in most disciplines.

Find books and videos by searching the Library catalogue.

Quick tips

  • Search for the Title or Author by changing the drop-down menu from All fields
  • Use double quotes for phrases, e.g. "physical activity"
  • Use the truncation symbol * to find alternative word endings e.g. "health promotion" communit*
  • Use the Format limit and select Book

An ebook is a digital book. It functions just like a traditional print book, but can be enhanced with technology to make it connected and interactive.
Ebooks are accessed through the internet and read using computers, tablets, smartphones or ereaders.

To find ebooks you can limit your results by Format: Books, then Show Only: Full Text Online

For help finding, using and downloading UniSA Library ebooks see the:

Look for the following criteria:

  • Accuracy - arguments supported with independent evidence
  • Audience - is it intended for a general audience or someone familiar with the research in the subject?
  • Authorship - what is the author's qualifications to write on the topic (usually an advanced degree with years of experience and research on the subject)?
  • Content - is it within the scope of your research?
  • Currency - check when the book was published, that it is the latest edition, and that it considers any important recent developments
  • Language - the book contains higher level language and discipline-specific terminology
  • Peer- review - most books are peer reviewed before being accepted, as part of the publishing process, but be careful because there are some publishers who simply publish what they are given - for example, they will take a thesis and rebadge it as a book without any editorial intervention
  • Publisher - the book is produced by a reputable publisher (see peer review)
  • References - other materials used in the research process are listed in a bibliography or footnotes

Book <image, public domain>A subject search in the Catalogue may help focus your search and find relevant results.

Search the subject field by changing the drop-down menu from Anywhere in the record to in subject. E.g.:

Library Catalogue

The Library Catalogue can be a useful starting point in locating information. It is like a search engine which searches across the Library’s collection of print and electronic books, DVDs, journals and theses, together with journal and newspaper articles from numerous databases.

Use the Library Catalogue:

  • enter your search terms in to the 'search box'  to search "Everything" first
  • from the results screen, you could 'Tweak my results'

Learn to use the Library Catalogue by working through the following interactive tutorial.  Click on the image below to start:

Next steps

Find Articles <Image, public domain>Need more evidence? Consider searching for journal articles. Click the image to learn how.
 

 

 

Evaluate <Image, public domain>Once you have found all the evidence you intend to use for your assignment, evaluate it.