Information sources at university

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Information sources at university"

Damian Lambert
5 years ago
Views:

Information sources at university You will need to use a variety of information throughout your university study. Find out more about the different types of information, and where to find them.

1 Information sources at university You will need to use a variety of information throughout your university study. Find out more about the different types of information, and where to find them. Academic, scholarly and peer-reviewed information Books Conference proceedings Curriculum collection Data & Statistics Dictionaries & Encyclopedias Journal articles Legal information Newspaper & Magazines Primary, Secondary & Tertiary sources

2 Standards Videos Help & References

3 Page 1 of 13 Academic, scholarly and peer-reviewed information Scholarly or academic publications disseminate the results of academic research. They are usually written by academics or researchers for an audience of academics or researchers. Books, journal articles, and conference papers are key scholarly publications. Scholarly / Academic and Peer Review Scholarly / Academic and Peer Review by UTMLibrary Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed) [2:16]

4 'Peer-review ultimately means that experts in the field read manuscripts submitted to a particular journal and determine whether or not that manuscript is worthy of publication in that journal.' (Allen 2017, p. 1209) The terms academic, scholarly and peer-review are often used interchangeably. However, while academic and scholarly are synonymous, peer-review actually describes a separate and distinct publication process. Peer-reviewed or refereed publications are scholarly publications that have been evaluated and approved by experts in the field prior to publication. Peer-reviewed publications are scholarly or academic, but not all scholarly publications are subjected to the peer-review process. Ulrichsweb Find out if your journal is scholarly or peer reviewed. Search Ulrichsweb by journal title or ISBN. ULRICHSWEB

5 Library Search Find scholarly and peer-reviewed articles through Library Search. LIBRARY SEARCH Not all articles in a peer-reviewed journal are peerreviewed. Be wary of editorials, opinion pieces and book reviews.

6 Page 2 of 13 Books Books can be comprehensive sources of scholarly information Books are a core source in university research. Books may come in hard or soft cover paper format and electronic (e-book) format. There are many different types of books including textbooks, handbooks and edited books.

7 Textbooks are a core requirement for your study, identified by your course coordinators. You will often need to purchase these books. Handbooks contain fundamental knowledge and provide practical guidance for professional and scholarly activities. Edited books are compiled of individual chapters from different authors. They still offer comprehensive information about a specific theme or topic. Library Search Looking for books on your topic? Find hardcopy and ebooks through Library Search. LIBRARY SEARCH Edited books have different referencing requirements. Find out how to reference edited books through the Library referencing guides.

8 Page 3 of 13 Conference proceedings Conference presentations are used in professional and academic fields to share and disseminate up-to-date research and professional practice. Conference proceedings are collections of papers presented at a conference, and published in book or journals. Conference papers are a great source of recent and emerging research. Some may even be peerreviewed.

9 Library Search You can limit Library Search to ﬁnd only conference proceedings. LIBRARY SEARCH Academic, Scholarly and Peer-review Find out more about the peer-review process. PEER-REVIEW

10 If conference presentations are not published through proceedings, there may be no conference paper. In these cases, the only record to find or cite may be the abstract provided in the conference program.

The Curriculum collection is designed to inspire and assist your teaching design

11 Page 4 of 13 Curriculum collection Introduction to the Curriculum collection by USQ Library. All Rights Reserved. The Curriculum collection is designed to inspire and assist your teaching design and practice. This collection includes: Fiction, non-fiction and big books Charts and posters Audiovisual material Realia such as

12 Practical class kits Musical instruments Puppets Toys and games

14 Library Search You can filter your search to include only Curriculum resources. LIBRARY SEARCH FYI For more information about finding resources to support your studies in Education. FYI Scootle Digital learning resources aligned with the Australian Curriculum. SCOOTLE Practicum Resources Wiki Learning and teaching resources for practicum students with a focus on Australian content. PRACRESOURCES

15 Page 5 of 13 Data & Statistics Data is the raw information collected during research. Statistics are the result of analysis and interpretation of the data Statistics can help you position your research in a real world context, through the identification of key issues or problems in your field. You can also use statistics to demonstrate and communicate trends or even model likely future outcomes.

16 Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical information on economic, social, population and environmental matters in Australia. ABS Statistics for Business & Commerce Discover how to find statistics in the field of business and commerce. BUSINESS

Page 6 of 13 Dictionaries & Encyclopedias Dictionaries and encyclopedias help you to understand a particular term or concept relating to your ﬁeld Dictionary and These are not generally Encyclopedia

17 Page 6 of 13 Dictionaries & Encyclopedias Dictionaries and encyclopedias help you to understand a particular term or concept relating to your ﬁeld Dictionary and These are not generally Encyclopedia entries are usually considered scholarly resources. short descriptive paragraphs about However they are a good starting an individual idea or topic. These point to improve your are very useful for study at understanding and direct you

18 university where subject specific terminology is heavily used. towards more scholarly sources or information. SAGE Reference Contains authoritative and award-winning encyclopedias online [USQ Login required]. SAGE REFERENCE Library Search Find dictionaries and encyclopedias on your topic through Library Search. LIBRARY SEARCH Hint: Check out the reference list in your encyclopedia entry. It might help you identify key publications on your topic.

19 Page 7 of 13 Journal articles Scholars communicate with each other via publishing their research in journal articles. There are two types of journal articles: academic (scholarly) or trade. Scholarly articles contain academic information, while trade journals are written by and for practicing industry professionals.

20 Image adapted from Moro, Pinamonit & Reini 2008 Provided through DOA J under CC By SA licence Journals are a key source in academic research. A journal also may be called a periodical or serial. Published weekly, monthly or quarterly, journals contains articles related to a particular discipline or subject area. You can use journal articles to discover the latest research or professional issues and innovations in your field. Most journal articles are available electronically through the library databases. Library Search Find articles from journals, newspapers, magazines, trade publications or conference proceedings. LIBRARY SEARCH EBSCOhost Find articles from journals, trade publications or conference proceedings. You can limit this search to scholarly or peer-reviewed publications. EBSCOHOST

21 Academic, Scholarly and Peer-Review Definitions and explanations of academic, scholarly and peer-reviewed information. PEER-REVIEW

Page 8 of 13 Legal information Legal information is useful for helping you to understand and interpret the law in Australia Primary legal information consists of legislation and case law.

22 Page 8 of 13 Legal information Legal information is useful for helping you to understand and interpret the law in Australia Primary legal information consists of legislation and case law. Both legislation and case law are useful if you need to understand the professional or legal requirements in your profession. Statutes (or Acts) are the laws contained in the principle Case Law (or Common Law)are the legal principles formed from

23 legislation passed by Parliament. Statutes can be found through the relevant government websites. the decisions made in the courts of law over time. Case Law can be found through law reports. Information Sources in Law An overview of the key sources of information in Law. Access restricted to current USQ Law Students. LEGAL RESEARCH Legal Commentary can help you understand and interpret the legislation and case law on your topic.

Page 9 of 13 Newspaper & Magazines Newspapers and magazines are great sources of information on current local, national and international events.

24 Page 9 of 13 Newspaper & Magazines Newspapers and magazines are great sources of information on current local, national and international events. Newspapers and magazines are daily, weekly or monthly publications aimed at general readership. These are not scholarly sources, but they often contain the most up to date information on timely issues. Keeping up-to-date with news and current affairs in your field is important. You may need to use news articles when your research topic relates to current events.

25 Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre Newspaper articles from national and regional Australian/New Zealand newspapers and magazines [USQ Log-in required]. ANZ REFERENCE Newspaper Source Plus US and international newspapers and television and radio news transcripts [USQ Log-in required]. NEWSPAPER SOURCE Often news websites will limit your access to articles. Use the databases to discover older news articles, as well as unlimited access to current articles.

26 Page 10 of 13 Primary, Secondary & Tertiary sources Primary materials are any items that communicate original research, thought or opinion. This can include data and statistics, original research articles, novels or plays, standards, legislation and even photos. Secondary materials are works that provide analysis, discussion or review of primary materials. This can include review articles, analysis of literary or artistic works and legal commentary. Tertiary materials are primary or secondary information that has been condensed and rewritten into a simplified form. Your textbook is a key example of this. Fact sheets, indexes, dictionaries and encyclopedias are also included in this category. Primary, secondary and tertiary information are descriptors of your information's originality and proximity to the source of what you are studying. Therefore, what falls under these headings is

27 dependent on what you are studying. Check out the subject specific guides below to discover what constitutes primary material in your field. Primary Sources for Arts & Communication An overview of the key primary and secondary materials used in Arts & Communication. ARTS Primary Sources for Law An overview of the key primary and secondary materials used in Law. Access restricted to current USQ Law Students. LAW

28 Page 11 of 13 Standards 'Standards are documents setting out specifications, procedures and guidelines. They are designed to ensure products, services and systems are safe, reliable and consistent.' (Standards Australia, 2018) Standards set out specifications and procedures designed to ensure the safe performance of products and systems. Standards are professional resources that are sometimes encoded into legislation and required by law. Standards are often used in research and professional practice. There are many different industry bodies that are responsible for creating and maintaining standards. Check out the subject specific guides below to discover standards in your field of study.

29 Standards in Engineering & Construction Discover the sources for standards in engineering and construction research and practice. ENGINEERING Standards in Information Technology Discover sources for standards in the Information technology industry. IT Standards for Science Discover sources for standards in scientific research and practice. SCIENCE

Page 12 of 13 Videos USQ Library provides access to You can use these videos to educational videos in both DVD and improve your practice, support streaming formats.

30 Page 12 of 13 Videos USQ Library provides access to You can use these videos to educational videos in both DVD and improve your practice, support streaming formats. These videos your arguments, or to improve include demonstrations of laboratory your own presentations and procedures and professional practice demonstrations. You may also (e.g. nursing and counseling), be able to ﬁnd training videos

31 dramatisations of specific events or situations and up-to-date news and current affairs. for the different software programs required throughout your course. Alexander Street Press Contains videos on education, counseling and therapy, nursing, ethnography, drama, music, sociology, world and Australian history, religion and literature [USQ Log-in required]. ASP Kanopy Contains videos on a range of subjects with a focus on Australian content. Includes dramatisations and documentaries [USQ Log-in required]. KANOPY TV News Links to Australian television news, current affairs and documentaries from free-to-air networks [USQ Log-in required]. TV NEWS

32 Pexels Video Contains free stock videos. These videos are CC0 licensed and free of copyright restrictions. PEXELS VIDEO Referencing this material is necessary. Information on how to reference videos can be found through the Library Referencing guides.

Page 13 of 13 Help & References References Moro, R, Pinamonti, P & Reini, M 2008, 'ORC technology for waste-wood to energy conversion in the furniture manufacturing industry', Thermal Science, vol.

33 Page 13 of 13 Help & References References Moro, R, Pinamonti, P & Reini, M 2008, 'ORC technology for waste-wood to energy conversion in the furniture manufacturing industry', Thermal Science, vol. 12, no. 4, pp 'Peer reviewed publication', 2017, in M Allen (ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods, SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, California, vol. 4. Further help usq.edu.au/library

34 Images used in this course are licensed under CC0 unless otherwise stated.

The University of Manchester Library. My Learning Essentials. Know your sources: Types of information CHEAT

The University of Manchester Library My Learning Essentials Know your sources: Types of information CHEAT SHEET @mlemanchester www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/learning-objects/mle/information-types Introduction: