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Annotated Bibliographies: Finding source materials

Learn how to find and organise the most relevant, most useful and most up-to-date sources for your topic

Digging in

3. FIND OUT WHAT MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE
Before you begin, make some preliminary decisions: Where will you search for possible sources?  Do you want the newest materials only, or would you prefer older materials if they cover your subject better?

A. One Search is a great place to start searching books and articles you have identified through your reading (step 2), so start by doing a title search. One Search contains almost all JCU resources, including full-text journals, the library catalogue and ResearchOnline@JCU. Check out the OneSearch LibGuide for tips and tricks when searching for resources. If JCU does not appear to have access, try a title search in Google - you might get lucky.

B. To find journal articles, select an appropriate database for your topic via your discipline LibGuide. Search for your topic with a variety of search terms. You can identify search terms in your mind map.  Use the help notes and thesaurus to gain an understanding of the best way to search that database.

C. Use Google to search for grey literature. Grey literature is literature that has not been commercially published, such as government publications, annual reports, and documents from the United Nations.

Suggestion: If you have any trouble finding articles or books on your topic, ask for help from your liaison librarians. Meet us at the InfoHelp desk, send us an email, give us a phone call, or contact us via Instant Messaging. See the InfoHelp page for all these options.

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