Search and find research
“Research is a formalised curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose."
Zora Neale Hurston
Kickstart your research
Your first assessment will be due before you know it. Watch this video to learn how to find the best resources for your assessments, narrow down your search results and find peer reviewed articles.
Planning your search
Before you begin looking for resources for your assessment or project, focus on planning your search strategy. A little time spent on this now will save you time and frustration later. Approach your search with these simple steps.
Advanced search techniques
Two common problems you might face include finding too many results or not enough! Try using these advanced search techniques to improve your results.
Where can I find academic articles specifically?
The Library Search box is a great starting point to locate a range of resources, including academic articles. You can find it on the Library homepage.
You can also find academic articles in library databases. Library databases are collections of resources that the library subscribes to. There isn’t one database which holds everything, so you may need to search multiple databases to find the best information. Databases can focus on a specific interest area such as Education, or they can be very broad and cover a range of topics and disciplines.
Your Task
Build a search strategy using the steps you learned above. You can plan and document your strategy by using this handy Search planner template. To give you a better idea of what your strategy should look like download this example.
Now put your search strategy into action. A good starting place is the Library Search on the library homepage. We also recommend that you visit the relevant Library Resource Guide for your subject area to get to know which databases to start with.
Top Tech Tips
Use filters when searching
Just like when you are exploring online shopping, searching for information or research works best when you use filters. Filters allow you to refine your search results to better suit your need. Whether searching Deakin Library or another platform always explore and use the filter options available to you. Check out these quick instructions on how to use Deakin Library filters.
Ask the Library for help
Not having any luck with your searching? Or found a fabulous article but can't get access to it? Get in touch with Library Chat for troubleshooting.