Laboratory Medicine: MEDI 1009 - Professional Issues in Laboratory Medicine - Assignment 1

Assignment 1 - Using Reference Texts

This assignment is designed to develop your awareness of the value of Reference Texts as a resource for locating a readily accessible, brief and reliable explanation of specific topics.

Your assignment has 2 parts:

  • Part A requires you to search the library reference collection to provide two relevant definitions of your specific topic.
  • Part B requires you to compile a "You've got what?" information sheet using at least 4 standard textbooks.

At the end of this assignment you must also answer two short questions.

Please refer to your learnonline course site for full assessment instructions.  

Find Books for Your Assignment

Search an appropriate source for your question. Consider the types of resources you wish to find.

Books can provide:

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

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

Navigate to Search the Library catalogue interactive tut

Part A - Definitions

Searching for books with known titles

The first part of your assignment requires you to find relevant definitions of your topics using Reference Texts.  Your lecturer has provided a list of suggested reference texts in the Assignment Outline. 

To find books in the Library when the title is known, you can search the title in the Library Catalogue

Example:

example image of catalogue search - Churchill Livingstone medical dictionary

 

If an ebook is available, access the book in View Online section.

Example image of View online section

If it is a physical book, use the call number to find the book on the shelves and you can place a request in Get it section. 

example image of "Get it" section

You are required to include the call number for each book with its reference.  Please speak to your tutor if you are using an ebook.

 

Your Task
1. Search for the suggested reference books in the catalogue.
2. See Referencing Reminders sections to see how to format your references using the Harvard author-date style.

Part B - Finding Further Information

Searching for books on a specific subject 

This part of the Assignment requires you to find further information on your topic in order to construct a information sheet.

To find books in the Library on a specific topic, you can search the subject in the Library Catalogue

Example

example image of search "coeliac disease"

Note: Use double quotes to keep to words together as a phrase.

Limit your Resource Type to Books in the Refine my Results section on the left hand side.

Your Task:
1. Find further information about your topic from at least 4 standard textbooks (different editions of a book do not count as separate books). Do not use the same sources as in Part A.
2. Use information in "Assignment 1: Evaluating and selecting resources" section below to pick our textbooks and reference books rather than 'popular works'.

Evaluate your References

Once you have identified potential books, you need to start evaluating them to identify which texts are the most relevant and appropriate.

Watch this video to learn how to identify scholarly or academic books.

Often in university, you will be told to use scholarly, academic or 'peer-reviewed' sources to support the ideas in your assignments. Below is a table explaining the distinction of different sources types:

Scholarly (academic) sources Non-scholarly sources

Journal articles

Books / book chapters

Conference papers

Theses

Wikipedia

Newspaper articles

magazines

Trade journals

Newsletters

Blogs / personal websites

Social media sites
  • Scholarly source is
    • published by a reputable, well-known publisher.
    • written by researchers within a subject area.
    • contains comprehensive in-text citations and a reference list or bibliography.
    • uses specialised terminology and a formal writing style.
    • often peer-reviewed or refereed.

  • A scholarly book:

    • is written by experts within the field.
    • is published by reputable, well-known publisher.
    • has a Table of Content.
    • provides in-depth information on a topic or subject area.
    • includes an index to look at terms.
    • has in-text references and a reference list.
  • A peer-reviewed (or refereed) journal articles is assessed by experts within the field before it is published.
  • If the article does not meet the publiscation standard, it can be rejected, or sent back to author for revision.
  • A Peer-reviewed article should include:
    • Author details (including the organisation they work for)
    • Abstract
    • Evidence of research findings.
    • In-text citation and a reference list.
  • Many databases and the Library catalogue allows you to limit your search to scholartly, academic or peer-reviewed articles.
Your Task:
Assess the references that you selected for Assignment 1 to ensure they are scholarly resources

Write your Assignment

This assignment does not need to be presented in formal essay style.  Your research should be presented in the style of a "You've got what" information sheet. See the link below for an example of an information sheet.

View the Student Engagement Unit's Academic Skills website for help writing your assignment, or to make an appointment with SEU staff.

Learn more:

Correctly reference your sources

Referencing roadmap banner. Navigate to the referencing roadmap resource.

You must appropriately cite (‘acknowledge’) all references used in your assignment to avoid plagiarism.

If you need help, just ask!

Navigate to the Ask the Library webpage. Navigate to the UniSA study help pals webpage. Navigate to the Studiosity webpage. Navigate to the Learning Advisors' webpage.
Contact: Ask the Library Ask: the Study Help PALs Use: Studiosity Talk to: a Learning Adviser