Steps to Finding Information for Assignments
1. Define your topic and Plan your search
2. Gather background information to help you understand your topic further ( Reference or e-books from the library,)
3. Look for Scholarly Research (books, journal articles, reports etc...) Search Library collections, databases, and the internet.
4. Evaluate your Sources and information
5. Cite your sources
For University level Assignments it is important to use Scholarly information Sources
Scholarly sources (also referred to as academic, peer-reviewed, or refereed sources) are written by subject experts in a field and are often peer reviewed (peer review is a process where other experts in a field review the work before publishing to ensure the reliability and quality of the information). Some examples of scholarly sources include books from academic publishers, peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, and reports from research institutes.
Watch a short video about choosing the right information sources for assignments (From Charles Sturt University Library.)
The Anatomy of a Journal Article
To learn more about different parts of a scholarly article, how to read them and how to quickly determine whether an article is Scholarly or not. Watch this video : Anatomy of a Scholarly Article 9From California State Fresno University Library)
A journal is a periodical magazine or newspaper, published regularly, and on a particular topic.
There are different types, including:
During your time at University you will need to use information from a range of high quality, scholarly/academic journals. Being able to identify relevant sources, understand their scholarly value, and whether they have been through a formal peer review process, is vital.
Take a look at this comparison table from the Library at the University of Washington, Tacoma, which breaks down the differences between types of sources.
Learn how to evaluate journals and what constitutes a 'peer-reviewed' journal by watching the following video:
Primary vs secondary/tertiary literature: what's the difference?
Academics and scholars often talk about the primary literature, and place great importance on it. In the course of your study, you will need to learn to distinguish between levels of research literature.
Primary Literature reports original research in full for the first time.
FOR EXAMPLE: an Academic Journal Article
Pechenik, J. A., Marsden, I. D., & Pechenik, O. (2003). Effects of temperature, salinity, and air exposure on development of the estuarine pulmonate gastropod Amphibola crenata. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 292(2), 159-176. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-0981(03)00159-X
Secondary Literature reviews, interprets or evaluates the findings of primary research.
FOR EXAMPLE: A Review Article in a Scholarly Journal
Dunn CW, Giribet G, Edgecombe GD, Hejnol A. (2014). Animal Phylogeny and Its Evolutionary Implications. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 45: 371-395. http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-120213-091627.
Tertiary Literature is a bit more tricky to define. It usually lists or indexes other literature, or condenses and summarizes a research area.
FOR EXAMPLE: An Encyclopedia Entry
Palmer MA, Menninger HL. 2013. Invertebrates, Freshwater, Overview. In: Levin SA, editor. Encyclopedia of Biodiversity (Second Edition). Waltham: Academic Press. p. 369-378; [accessed February 16, 2015]. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123847195000770.
Check the e-Reference Box on the side of this guide or search Library Search | Ketu .
Library Search | Ketu is the search box front and centre on the Library homepage. It's a great place to start for all your searches. It searches across all the books in the library and most of the e-books and journals/ journal articles.
It's a great place to start for all your searches. It searches across all the books in the library and most of the e-books and journals/ journal articles.
Watch this short video on how to use Library Search | Ketu.
Need more help? Use this guide.
Databases are searchable electronic indexes of published, reliable resources. Databases provide access to lots useful research materials from academic journals, newspapers, and magazines. Some databases also include e-books, and multimedia. They allow you to search across many sources at once and have tools like limiters and wildcards that allow you to search more precisely.
Recommended Databases for Zoology
Multidisciplinary Databases
Specific Zoology Databases
There is lots of information on the internet but not all of it may be useful so it's important to critically evaluate it.
Google and Google Scholar both have advanced search options which make searching more targeted and efficient. See the below "Google Like a Pro" document for more information.
Also remember to access Gogle Scholar through the library website so you get access to available full text. Follow the [PDF] link or Otago Article Link on the right-hand side to get the full text of the article.
See the following Tabs on this Guide for more good websites.
A library database is a collection of searchable information, including articles, e-books, multimedia, etc.
The library pays to subscribe to databases so that Otago students and researchers can access then information. Most of the information has gone through the editorial process, so is likely reliable and credible, and appropriate for scholarly research. Databases are usually more efficient to search because they have more powerful ways of searching and limiting search results
Databases can be multidisciplinary such as Web of Science or Scopus, or more specific such as Zoological Record.
Search engines, such as Google allow you to search the internet. Because anyone can publish information on the web, you need to evaluate the information you find to make sure it is reliable, credible, and appropriate for university level research. There is also so much information accessible via a search engine that it can take a long time to screen through results and evaluate them.
However there is some information available on the internet like company or government reports and research and other specialist knowledge that you won’t find in databases so using searching both is good to ensure you are getting a wide range of resources for you assignment.
Find out the difference between search engines and databases and when it's best to use each by watching a Short Video from University of Houston Libraries:: Databases vs. Search Engines: What's the Difference? [video]
Evaluating the Information You Find
Evaluating the accuracy and suitability of information is important for every academic assignment!
Watch this short video to learn more (From Charles Sturt University Library)
CSU: Evacuating Information Sources:
These search tips can help you maxamise your search efficiency.
Phrase searching
Phrase searching allows you search for a phrase, or terms that are grouped together.
“Drosophila melanogaster”
“marine mammals”
Truncation and Wildcard searches
Truncation symbols Can help you find all variations of a word
? replaces 1 character
$ replaces zero or one character.
*Replaces any group of characters
Behavio?r (finds behaviour and behavior )
Behav* (finds behave, behaviour, behavior, behavioural, behaving……
E.g
Cetacea OR Marine Mammals
Results must have either term Cetacea or Marine mammals
Used when combining related concepts
Broadens your search (OR is mORe)
Remote Sensing AND Marine Mammals
Results must have both terms Remote Sensing and Marine Mammals
Used when combining different concepts
Narrows your search
Marine Mammals NOT Seals
Results must have Marine Mammals but not Seals
Excludes terms from your search
Be careful with NOT
Grouping search terms together in brackets ( )
Use brackets to group like search terms together when using combinations of AND, OR, NOT.
e.g “Marine mammal” AND (cetacea OR whale ) NOT seals
Scopus Tutorial
