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Research Process: Source Types

So many places to look...

Selecting information has become complex because there is so much information available. This means one has to be very selective based on some important criteria like; relevance to research question, authority, depth of analysis and currency.

World Wide Web

The internet can be the researcher's best friend or their worst enemy if they are not information literate.

  • Just Google it...
    probably all researchers would do some fairly unrefined 'Google' searches in the first instance to see what surfaces. This is for getting the big picture only we must be more savvy in locating the best information.
  • Wikipedia
    A great resource for positioning your mind but it is not considered to be a reliable source for formal research at present.
  • Subscription Sources
    The most certainly authoratative sources come from online databases and encyclopedias that the library subscribes to, however, increasingly academic information can be located from 'open souces' like Google Scholar, DOAJ and Academic Earth.

Library - Book Collection

We have a good and up-to-date book collection that can be searched using the Oliver OPAC.

For research well beyond the realms of curriculum coverage it is likely that there will be limited coverage in our book collection and researchers will be looking to other authorative options.

Library Periodicals

Not all of the library's periodicals subscriptions are available  either online or in electonic copy. For complete information abut the library's perioicals holding visit the magazines and newspapers page on the library website.

Think Laterally

If your research is in a highly specialised area like medicine or engineering it is best to contact the Teacher-Librarian who will assist in seeking assistance with the libraries in the universities.