It can sometimes be difficult to know how to begin your research. Taking a moment to come up with a list of search terms can help you get started. Search terms (or keywords) form the basis of what you will type into your search engine of choice. 

Initially, you need to use find relevant search terms by:

• Analysing your assignment question and looking at what language is used to describe the topic?
• Reading your subject material and notes to find specific terminology used that could provide search terms
• Thinking about synonyms - are there other words that mean the same thing as your topic (For example: "film" vs "movies" vs "cinema")?
• identifying the most relevant types of resources for your task - books, encyclopedia, websites, journals (databases) etc.

Deciding where to search is just as important as deciding what to search for. Keep in mind though that where you look to find information will vary depending on what sort of information you are searching for. Contrary to popular belief, Google does not have all the answers.  See below for some suggestions

• The Library catalogue
• The Melbourne High School LibGuide
• The State Library of Victoria (sign up for a free membership to access quality academic databases and journals that Google doesn't search!)
• Links Plus (Coming soon)

It can also be worthwhile searching using alternative search engines to Google:

• Duckduckgo 
• Brave 
• Swiss Cows 

If you are are looking for academic and scholarly resources, try these:

• Google Scholar
• Core
• Directory of open Access Journals
• JSTOR (some content available for free. Full access available through State Library of Victoria membership)

Now it is time to start searching. Make sure that you read widely. Don't just rely on the first website you find. Keep going and gather multiple sources of information.

Having trouble finding what you're looking for? Consider using boolean operators to help refine your searches. See video below for what this means.

As you do your research, it is imperative that you take the time to choose what information and you will actually use. It is important that you think critically and evaluate the information you are finding. In the age of the internet, AI and fake news the ability to do this has quickly become a vital life skill. Whether doing academic research, or simply scrolling social media, we all need to be able to identify that which is misleading and untrue.

There are a number of tools that can help make the job of evaluating information less daunting. See below for some options that we recommend, or check out our page on evaluating online information. Choose the tool that makes the most sense to you.

In this method, we use something called “moves”. Each move is tied to a couple of simple skills you can usually execute in less than a minute. These skills will make a dramatic difference in your ability to sort fact from fiction on the web (and everything in between).

Read more about the SIFT method here.

The CRAAP test requires you to check information for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose. Read the infographic below and watch the video to see how the CRAAP test works.

For further information on the CRAAP test, check out this webpage put from the University of Chicago.

The TRAAP test is a modified version of the CRAAP test. Read the infographic below and watch the video for more information.

An important part of good research is taking good notes, keeping a record of what you've read (a bibliography) and making sure that you appropriately reference any information you use when writing your assignment.

Citing the sources you use is important, because if you draw upon other people's work in your writing and research and do not acknowledge those sources, you can be accused of plagiarism.Citations also allow your readers to follow up sources you have referred to enabling the sharing of ideas.

Sometimes a student might accidentally plagiarise. This is usually the result of a lack of academic writing skills, inexperience, sloppy note taking, or a combination of these.

At the time of reading an information source, record all of the bibliographic information (descriptive elements) necessary to create a citation. Get in the habit of doing this because you don't want to suddenly lose your source details when you come to creating your reference list.

You can either use referencing software or record manually. It is vital to be accurate and clear at this stage to save time verifying these things later on. 

The information you should record:

• Author(s)/editor(s).
• Title.
• Edition (1st, 2nd, reprint ed. revised ed. etc.).
• Page numbers for direct quotations.
• Place of publication.
• Publisher.
• Date of publication.
• Web address if online resources and Date Accessed.

For more information on writing skills, check out our Academic Writing guide.