Finding Information
The first step in any assignment is to understand exactly what it is you have to do. These questions will help you clarify what information you require:
What topic am I investigating?
- Pick out the main keywords that describe your topic.
- Use dictionaries (located in the reference collection) to find out the meaning of any words/terms that you do not understand.
What format does my work have to be presented in?
- Will it be a report or an essay?
- Is the purpose to inform or persuade the person reading the assignment?
Who will read my work?
- Will it be a teacher, your classmates or a child?
The age and education level of the reading audience will affect your writing technique.
The next step is to determine which type of information will best help you complete your assignment.
Types of information
Ask yourself the following questions when examining potential materials for your assignment:
- Do I want local (Australian) or international information?
- Do I want first-hand knowledge of the event, i.e. interviews, letters, diaries, speeches, artwork and music (primary sources), and/or analysed material, i.e. articles/opinions, or facts and figures (secondary sources)?
- How up-to-date do I want the information to be? Will I use current or historical information?
- Is the information that I want to use still valid? Take into account that books can become outdated quickly, so check other sources to make sure your information is still current. Magazines, newspapers and online resources are good sources for current information.
- Is the information I found on the internet reliable and accurate? Educational, government and scientific publications can be considered accurate and are some of the few online sources that can be relied upon. Be aware that anyone can create a webpage and publish it on the internet; such information could be fictitious, incorrect, out-of-date or biased. The LLC provides lists of trusted websites covering various topics.
- Are the findings unique or are they mentioned/agreed on in a number of sources? Duplication of information also indicates reliability.
RESOURCES IN THE LLC
Information in the LLC can be located in print, electronic and audiovisual material. This includes:
- Reference collection
Contains a range of dictionaries, encyclopaedias and other ready reference materials on various subjects. These are available for use in the LLC only.
Online reference collection
- E-library Australasia
Magazine and newspaper articles, pictures, radio and television transcripts, including The Age, The Australian and the Herald Sun. - Infotrac
Search or browse hundreds of full-text journals and magazines. - EBSCOhost
Full-text Australasian newspapers, news wires, images and reference books. - Oxford Reference online
More than 100 dictionaries, encyclopaedias and reference texts. - Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
The ABS is Australia's official statistical organisation which provides a wide range of statistical information about Australia. This information covers areas such as employment, health, trade, demographics and tourism.
LOCATING INFORMATION AND RESOURCES IN THE LLC
Using OPAC
The catalogue, or OPAC, is the gateway to the LLC collection. Searching the catalogue will list what items are available on your topic and where they are located on the shelves.
- Refer to the How to search the catalogue help sheet
- Ask the friendly librarians at the information desk for assistance.
Finding an item on the shelf
Most of the LLC's collection is arranged by the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system. Resources are placed on the shelf in increasing numerical order, beginning with 001 and ending at 999.
DDC has ten main classes, which are then divided into ten secondary classes, and so on. You can find the following subject areas at these locations:
- 000 - computer science, information and general works
- 100 - philosophy and psychology
- 200 - religion
- 300 - social sciences
- 400 - language
- 500 - science
- 600 - technology
- 700 - art and recreation
- 800 - literature
- 900 - history and geography
Books with the same subject will share the same call number. Books on similar subjects will be found close to each other on the shelves.
| e.g. | Cookery | 641.5 |
| Chocolate | 641.6374 |
An item's call number is made up of a series of numbers and letters that indicate its location on the shelves, according to subject matter. When two books have the same call number, they are organised alphabetically by the author's surname, which makes up the last line of the call number.
| e.g. | 808.042 | GER |
| 808.042 | WIL |
The call number is found on the lower spine or front cover of the item. A letter before the number (e.g. V302.222 PEA) indicates the material type, other than a book or magazine, and/or its location. For example, V = Video, R = Reference and PB = Paperback fiction.
How to find information in a book
To establish whether or not a book has the information you want, there are two main places to check:
- Contents page: a logical breakdown of how the book is structured. It shows chapter names and headings with page number references. This is generally located at the front of the book.
- Index: an alphabetical listing of what the book contains, with references to page numbers. This is generally located at the back of the book.
Research tips
- Take notes as you go. Write down important information in point form and include where you found the information. Refer to the Bibliographies and Referencing help sheet.
- Don't try to do it all at once! Good research takes time.
- Four to six good sources are usually considered to be enough for an assignment.
- Justify assignment statements with evidence or examples from sources used in your research.
OTHER RESOURCES
If the LLC does not hold the resources you need, you can obtain a CAVAL card, which will allow you to borrow at other participating TAFEs and universities. Ask at the information desk how to join.
SEARCH THE CATALOGUE
The Online catalogue is available via the LLC website. To find LLC resources on finding information use these key terms:
- Information literacy
- Methodology
- Study environment
- Study skills
If you need extra help, ask a librarian! You can do this in person, over the phone (9279 2428), or send email to LLC.
