Library Guides: Senior School Research and Discovery: Overview

Don't forget to cite and reference your sources. For help see the Junior School or Senior School referencing guides, and / or CiteMaker.

Resource Key

When accessing content use the numbers below to guide you:

LEVEL

Brief, basic information laid out in an easy-to-read format. May use informal language. (Includes most news articles)

LEVEL

Provides additional background information and further reading. Introduces some subject-specific language.

LEVEL

Lengthy, detailed information. Frequently uses technical/subject-specific language. (Includes most analytical articles)

Quick Links

Research & Discovery | Introduction

Use the following steps to plan your research as well as stay on topic. See also the other referencing and research Kerferd Library guides:

Senior School Referencing
by Bridget Forster Last Updated Mar 16, 2021 791 views this year

Science | Report writing
by Bridget Forster Last Updated Aug 12, 2021 4 views this year

Research & Discovery | Keywords

Keywords and phrases

Click on the terms to access a simple definition from the Oxford Dictionary online. The definitions for words and phrases marked with a hash # come from alternative sources.

Academic voice #, Bias, Cite, Copyright, Creative commons #, Empirical, Evidence, Infographic, Licence agreement, Literature review #, Plagiarism, Reference, Research.

Research & Discovery | Introduction: eBooks

Click on the following book covers to access the eBook online. If prompted, sign in with your School mConnect user name and password.

Smart Research Strategies: Finding the Right Sources by Kristine Carlson Asselin; Gwen Hart (Consultant Editor)
ISBN: 9781476515700
Publication Date: 2013
What do you need to make your research the best it can be? Sources, of course! Learn how to navigate the world of print and online resources so you write a great research paper, report, blog, or other project. Discover how to start your research, the types of resources to include, and the proper way to credit your sources.
Think for Yourself: Avoiding Plagiarism by Kristine Carlson Asselin; Gwen Hart (Consultant Editor)
ISBN: 9781476515717
Publication Date: 2013
Researching and writing can be fun. But how do you know you're quoting and summarizing properly in your written work? Discover how to understand public domain, how to cite a source, and how to use someone else's words appropriately in your papers and projects.

Research & Discovery | Step 1 - Define the task

Read the question and highlight the key terms.
Write the question in your own words to make sure you understand the task.
Use your existing knowledge to brainstorm [5 minutes] what you already know about the topics that interests you. Use your existing knowledge and interests to narrow the topic down to something that is manageable.
Do some background reading to ensure you have a basic understanding of the topic and related issues.

HINT: Britannica Encyclopaedia is a great place to start. It gives you short and accurate summaries.

Britannica Encyclopaedia This link opens in a new window
Britannica School is an online encyclopedia that is a rich source of information to support research topics across Junior and Senior School. Britannica School covers the core subject areas of English, Maths, Science and History, and it allows you to choose three levels of detail, from content suitable for the Junior School, to content suitable for VCE students.
If prompted use your School mConnect user name and password to login when off campus.

Research & Discovery | Step 2 - Make a list of keywords

From your background reading, identify some keywords to help you refine and focus your topic to make it manageable.
Write down these keywords as a list. A list of key words helps you stay on topic.
You can also "use keywords to skim and scan text. This way you can quickly decide whether the information you're looking at is useful." (Ergo, n.d.)

Research & Discovery | Step 3 - Find information

Find information to build your knowledge and support your argument.

Using your keywords search on a reference database to find articles and book chapters that give you the information you need for your report.
HINT: use the reference database 'cite' tools to quickly copy the reference into your bibliography. This will make it quicker and easier to go back and find the reference again.

EBSCO ANZ Reference Centre This link opens in a new window
The EBSCO ANZ Reference Centre contains: full text for leading Australia/New Zealand magazines, newspapers and newswires, full text for leading Australia/New Zealand reference books, more than 93,000 full-text biographies, an image collection of more than 1.5 million photos, maps and flags, and the video encyclopaedia of the 20th century. The EBSCO ANZ Reference Centre collection is also great for readers interested in nonfiction.
If prompted use your School mConnect user name and password to login when off campus.

Looking for more information

See also the full range of databases and content available to students and staff via the following Kerferd A-Z list

eLibrary Collections

Try using Google Scholar

Kerferd Library help on using Google Scholar
To find more reputable information try using Google Scholar instead of Google to search the Kerferd Library catalogue as well as authoritative sites around the world.

Research and Discovery | Curriculum alignment

This Mentone Girls' Grammar School LibGuide supports the following Victorian curriculum outcomes. Click on the links to explore more.

Science / Levels 9 and 10 / Science Inquiry Skills / Questioning and predicting [VCSIS134]
Formulate questions or hypotheses that can be investigated scientifically, including identification of independent, dependent and controlled variables
Science / Levels 9 and 10 / Science Inquiry Skills / Analysing and evaluating [VCSIS138]
Analyse patterns and trends in data, including describing relationships between variables, identifying inconsistencies in data and sources of uncertainty, and drawing conclusions that are consistent with evidence
Science / Levels 9 and 10 / Science Inquiry Skills / Analysing and evaluating [VCSIS139]
Use knowledge of scientific concepts to evaluate investigation conclusions, including assessing the approaches used to solve problems, critically analysing the validity of information obtained from primary and secondary sources, suggesting possible alternative explanations and describing specific ways to improve the quality of data
Science / Levels 9 and 10 / Science Inquiry Skills / Communicating [VCSIS140]
Communicate scientific ideas and information for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions and representations

Science inquiry skills [ACF.S200]
These involve posing questions, planning, conducting and critiquing investigations, collecting, analysing and interpreting evidence and communicating findings. This strand is concerned with evaluating claims, investigating and making valid conclusions.