3. Search the web
Deakin Library databases contain quality information sources that you will not find as efficiently via Google.
By searching in a 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:
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 Science.
Australian websites
- Australia’s Chief Scientist
Resource Library of publications released by Australia’s Chief Scientist. The 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Australian Council of Deans of Science (ACDS)
The Australian Council of Deans of Science (ACDS) was constituted in 1995 to be the voice of science teaching and research in the Australian university system. It comprises the Deans (or equivalent) of all Australian universities who have a Science Faculty (or similar).
- 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
- Retraction Watch
A website that contains a database of retracted papers.
- 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.