Where to search

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You will need to find information for different purposes throughout the course of your studies. Where you should look depends on the kind of information you’re looking for, and the purpose you need it for; see Understanding what information you need for guidance on how to determine your needs.

This section provides an overview of where you can find the following types of information:

Throughout this tutorial, we will refer to three main places to access information:

  • Library Search (or just “Search”): Search is a platform that allows you to search across many of the online and all of the physical collections that the Library provides. If you want to use physical items from the library, you can find their location by looking them up in Search.
  • Subject guides: Subject guides are webpages created by librarians to help you quickly find a range of resources relevant to your discipline or course area, including key information sources and specialist databases for in-depth research.
  • Databases: Many resources can only be accessed through specialised databases. These databases may also have more sophisticated or discipline-specific search capabilities. Some databases cover specific subject areas, while others are multidisciplinary. Suggested databases for your area can be found through Subject guides.

For advice on how to structure your search once you’ve decided on a place to look, see How to search.

Background reading

Before starting your assignment research, background reading is often necessary to gain an understanding of the concepts, terminology and context relevant to your topic.

Sources commonly used for background reading include:

  • textbooks
  • reference works, such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, glossaries or handbooks
  • any resources recommended by your lecturers.

There are a number of places where you can find such sources: