Time to start researching an assignment but not sure where to begin? We’ve got you covered with tips on where to search, how to identify keywords and how to limit your search results.  

Library catalogue 

Located on the Library Homepage, the library catalogue is the ideal place to begin researching your assignment. The library catalogue allows you to search for and access all library resources in one location. You can search the entire collection or limit your search to a resource type such as journal articles, books, news articles, videos and more. Once you have your initial results, you can refine them further; filter your search results by date of publication, subject, language or limit results to scholarly or peer-reviewed articles.  

Google Scholar 

Google Scholar searches for scholarly information, including journal articles, conference papers, theses, technical reports and books. Google Scholar is great at finding Open Access scholarly articles and complements a library catalogue search.  

Google Scholar will display full-text resources accessible through Griffith Library as well as material that Griffith Library does not have access to. You can gain access by adjusting the settings in Google Scholar to display full-text resources available through Griffith Library. Find out more—including how to access Griffith full-text articles from off-campus—on the Google Scholar page.  

What do I search for? 

If you require a specific item, you can enter the title of the resource into the catalogue search. If we have it in our collection, it will show in your list of results.  

When searching for resources for your assignment, keywords are essential! Here are some more tips:  

  • Review your assignment question and pick out the keywords. 
  • Think of synonyms or alternatives for your keywords (tip: use a thesaurus). 
  • Remember that some words have a different spelling in different countries.   
  • Combine your keywords using the Boolean Operators ‘AND’, ‘OR’ and ‘NOT’.  
  • Use ‘OR’ for similar concepts: perception OR awareness OR insight. 
  • Use ‘AND’ to combine different concepts or ideas: cloning AND humans AND ethics. 
  • Keep a record of the keyword combinations you have used in your search. 

Are you still feeling unsure? Visit the Assignment Preparation page or the Writing, Researching and Referencing guide on the Library website. You can also access specialist advice by filling out the Get help from the library form.