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First Nations Australia Subject Guide

Finding information

Finding information for assignments

Library Search is the library search engine and connects you to books and resources relevant to your study area.

A simple search using keywords from your assignment question can help you discover books, ebooks, articles and more. Sign in to access online resources using your UniSQ username and password.

Like to learn more? Check out the UniSQ library's self paced Finding Information tutorials.

Simple search

Simple search

Keep it simple: two to three key word from you assignment topic is enough to start a search

Aboriginal  Australia AND language

Search boosters: AND, OR, (brackets) help narrow or expand your search results.

(Indigenous OR Aboriginal OR "Torres Strait") AND Australia AND language

Filter your results: select the check box for each filter you would like to apply. For example, to limit the results you see to online books apply these filters:

Books (Selected filter is Resource Type, selected type is books)

Ebooks (Selected filters are Available Online and  Resource Type, selected type is books)

Review results

Review your results

Are your results suitable? Do they answer your assignment question? 

Searching for information is a process and you may need to experiment with your search terms and filters to get the results you need.

  • Brainstorm new keywords: consider similiar or related words that could also describe your main concepts.
  • Use additional search tools to boost how targeted your search is.

Brainstorm new keywords

If you don't find what you are looking for try some different terms that describe the same idea or concepts.

Think of other words that could be used to describe your key concepts, broader concepts or more specific concepts.

For example, when searching for Australian literature:

  • Australasian literature (broader)
  • Queensland literature (narrower)
  • writing, writers, novels (similiar concepts)

Some resources that help with brainstorming:

  • course readings and study desk
  • textbooks
  • dictionaries and thesauri
  • encyclopedias

 

Search tool

Example

Use AND to retrieve results that contain both terms

communication AND ethics

Use OR to retrieve results that contain any or all your search terms.

business OR workplace

Using NOT to exclude irrelevant results.

communication NOT health

Combine terms with (brackets) 

communication AND (business OR workplace OR employer)

Use “quotes” to search for an exact phrase

"English literature"

Use an *asterisk to search for the word variations 

ethno* = ethnology, ethnography, ethnographic