3. Search the web
Deakin Library databases contain quality information sources that you will not find as efficiently via Google.
By searching in an environmental science database, you will retrieve more specific and reliable search results.
So, when is it okay to use Google?
- To find publicly available information, e.g., Government reports, authorised data or statistics such as by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
If you do need to search the web, Google has instructions to get you started.
Be aware!
Click on the flip cards below to view some reasons to be cautious when using Google and Google Scholar to search for relevant, credible, academic resources:
Ranking
Search results are not ranked according to your search criteria alone. Google shapes results based on your previous search activity.
Bias
Search results can be influenced by wider interests including business, marketing, and political activity.
Quality
Google Scholar results include non-academic and non-peer reviewed material.
Is your information credible?
Government websites (.gov) and the websites of education institutions (.edu) are more credible than commercial websites (.com).
Personal blogs, online forums and Wikipedia are not authoritative sources, although they may give you a basic overview and understanding of a topic and provide links to more authoritative sources.
Helpful websites
Click on the plus (+) icons below for lists of Australian and international websites that are helpful in the discipline of Environmental Management & Sustainability.
Australian websites
- Australia State of the Environment
The health and wellbeing of Country and people are connected. The world’s oldest continuing cultures, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, have held this truth for tens of thousands of years. In this report, Indigenous and non-Indigenous people have worked together to create the first holistic assessment of the current state of Australia’s environment.
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, part of the Federal Australian Government.
- Australia’s Chief Scientist
Provides authoritative and independent science advice on whole-of-Government science and technology priorities, to ensure the best evidence informs Government decision-making.
- Victoria’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, part of the State Government of Victoria
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australia’s national statistical agency and an official source of independent, reliable information. We tell the real story of Australia, its economy and its people by bringing life and meaning to numbers.
- Atlas of Living Australia (ALA)
The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) is a collaborative, digital, open infrastructure that pulls together Australian biodiversity data from multiple sources, making it accessible and reusable.
- National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) - Updated 2018
The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) (National Statement (2007), and as updated, consists of a series of guidelines made in accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992.
- Retractions Australia
Retractions Australia is an online resource dedicated to highlighting data regarding scientific retractions - the removal of published research papers from scientific journals.
International websites
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
UNESCO was born in the aftermath of two world wars out of a simple but firm conviction: political and economic arrangements between states are not enough to build lasting peace. We are developing new tools to fight new forms of racism and hate speech and building a more sustainable relationship between humans and the environment.
- Bureau Of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, part of the U.S Department of State.
- Catalogue of Life (COL)
Catalogue of Life (COL) is a collaboration bringing together the effort and contributions of taxonomists and informaticians from around the world. COL aims to address the needs of researchers, policy-makers, environmental managers and the wider public for a consistent and up-to-date listing of all the world’s known species. COL also supports those who need to manage their own taxonomic information and species lists.
- Retraction Watch
A website that contains a database of retracted papers.
- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.
- Our World in Data
Our World in Data’s mission is to publish the research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems.