A companion research guide for the Your Library Online webinar
New to searching at the Library? Here are some tips and tools to improve your search experience. You can find more information by visiting our pages on Help using our catalogue.
There are over 300 databases at the Library, all listed on our A-Z Databases page. Each database might specialise in a different subject and offer different types of content, from articles to videos.
Which is the most suitable database for your search?
For help selecting the best database to begin your search, visit the A-Z Databases page and filter by subject to see:
TIP: Remember to Clear Filters for each search
TIP: Multi-subject databases include many individual databases and a vast range of topics. For example, I could search for international business articles on ProQuest Business, if I choose ProQuest Central this includes a conglomeration of 70+ ProQuest databases, including business.
View of the A-Z Databases list
View of A-Z Databases list with the 'Art and architecture' subject filter applied
When searching, the aim is to find relevant information and to eliminate as many irrelevant items as possible.
We recommend you start with a broad search, assess the results, and then search again, using additional or different terms, or by using options within the database.
Each database will offer a range of Filters, usually to one side of the results. Reflect on what you are seeking and use filters accordingly:
Advanced Search offers a range of options, these can differ across different databases. You might search within areas of the article record by using the following:
OR, AND, NOT are Boolean operators. The development of online searching has limited the need for these searches but they can be useful. Be wary though, sometimes the Advanced Search option may not interpret these searches as you wish
Diagram explaining Boolean operators
Credit to Cecelia Vetter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sample search using Boolean operators (image 1/4).
Note: Because I haven't used brackets to segment the search, the results include two searches - one for cars AND "price of fuel" and a second for "cost of petrol".
Sample search using Boolean operators (image 2/4).
Note: Using the brackets means that cars is matched with "price of fuel" OR "cost of petrol".
Sample search using Boolean operators (image 3/4).
Borchgrevink finds many articles about the Antarctic explorer.
Sample search using Boolean operators (image 4/4).
Borchgrevink NOT (Antarctic OR Polar) allows me to remove articles that include the terms Antarctic or Polar.
Searching the internet for very specific things such as a name, place or event can be fairly straightforward. Trying to find substantial research on less clearly defined topics can be more challenging.
Web pages tend to be concise and brief. Substantial information such as reports tend to be loaded as pdfs. Try Google Advanced Search to use a range of options to focus your search. For example:
These are just suggestions. The most important thing is to think about your search and try various options and be persistent.
Google Scholar is an online index to a wide range of scholarly journals. This includes journals published by universities, professional bodies and societies. Usually the content will have been peer reviewed (which means that experts have checked the item prior to publication). Much of the content is not freely available in full text but is only available by subscription.
Note options below article record linking to other items citing the article. If it is available to you in full text there will be a link at far right. 
If you have access to full text subscriptions through a Library (such as ours) click Settings then Library links to add libraries you have access to.
Usually this will only include large regional libraries, universities and national and state libraries. Google Scholar will then recognise items available through your library.
The free internet can be a vast, confusing space. Content can from excellent to useless and everything in between. However there are many very good websites, and government, libraries and other organisations are continually adding substantial content. As a short list of what you might find:
Discover the world's largest collection dedicated to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
Research full text legislation, court reports, case law and archives of government publications for all Australian states and territories. Also includes international legislation, court decisions and treaties.
Search an extensive body of historic and current data from Australia.
Access records received or created by the Commonwealth government. The archive consists of tens of millions of items, and includes records about immigration, military service, transport, Indigenous Australians, science and the environment and much more.
Access records created by Victorian Government departments and authorities including the State’s courts, local councils, schools, public hospitals and other public offices. Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) records date from the mid-1830s to the present day.
Browse full-text newspapers and search for journals, photographs, and books held in libraries across Australia. Moreover, Trove features several major collections: People Australia, Pandora (archive of websites and its contents), RAAM (Register of Australian archives and manuscripts), Picture Australia, and Australian Dancing.
Here are two blogs that explain what gems can be found in this resource.
The treasure that is Trove: why reference librarians love it
https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/our-stories/ask-a-librarian/the-treasure-that-is-trove/
Education in Colonial Victoria: a new collection for Trove
https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/our-stories/education-in-colonial-victoria-a-new-collection-for-trove/
You can use Google Advanced Search to focus your search on content from government and university websites.
The Internet Archive is an online archive of digitised books, journals, and other content. This content will usually be items that are out of copyright, enabling them to be shared without restriction.
Generally this means that the author died more than 70 years ago. There are many exceptions and laws vary from country to country.
Open access material can be accessed and reused by anyone without restriction. Open access has its origins in academic research, but the principles underpinning this publishing and distribution model have expanded to other areas including education and data.
Visit our Open access resources guide for more information on how to find freely accessible resources and scholarly research.
Google Images has a number of clever options for locating images.
When you conduct a general search you can choose Images and then Tools to open options such as restricting to black and white images, and re-use conditions.
The Time option relates to when the image was uploaded not when it was originally taken so may only be useful for more recent images.
Drag images to the search box to find similar images.
For more on using online resources, you can view Our Online Collections playlist on YouTube:
You've found exactly what you were seeking - how do you ensure you can find this again in future?
Most Library catalogues and databases offer a mix of tools to save and export item information. Our Library catalogue has buttons to print, email and share what you have found.
If you're a Library member searching our catalogue, you can sign in to your account to view your search history, save searches & alerts, and add items to a favourites list.
Some of the save/export options you might see include:
You can also find updates on any known issues affecting to our online collections on this Library Systems Status page.
