Mount Sion iCentre: Research

You can access a variety of subscription databases from our library.

Britannica Online password: library
GALE - Student Resources in Context password: library
GALE - History in Context password: library
GALE - Global Issues in Context password: library
GALE - Science in Context password: library
Clickview Video Library

Databases allow you to access citations, links and downloads.

TROVE 

National Library of Australia collects and organises a vast array of Australian content.  You can search 
over 436,402,797 Australian and online resources: books, images, historic newspapers, maps, music, archives and more.

Britannica School is a safe, up-to-date and age-appropriate information resource.

Kidcyber provides information on a wide range of topics like Sports, Space, Technology and Inventions. Have a look!

Password: ATCstudent

It is easy to find lots of information when you are searching, but this does not mean that it is quality information.

You need to evaluate any information you find to ensure it is accurate, relevant, and good quality. There are 5 criteria you need to consider:

Authority

• Who is the author? Are they an expert in their field and the topic?
• Have they been cited by other authors?
• Have they written other articles/books?
• Who is the publisher?
• Is the web page hosted on a reputable web site?
  e.g. educational website (.edu), government website (.gov)

Currency

• When was the article/book published?
• Is the publication date right for your need?
• Do you need current or historical information?
• How old is the information cited in the article/book?

Content

• Is the information relevant to your topic?
• Is the target audience appropriate?
• Is it written in an academic or scholarly language?  Do you have to concentrate to understand it?
• Is the information fact, spoof or satirical?

Accuracy

• Can information be verified for accuracy in other sources?
• Have other experts in the field reviewed this information?
• Have other websites you trust linked to this website?

Bias

• Is the author associated with an organisation with a clear bias on the topic?
• Is the research sponsored by an organisation?
• Is the author trying to sell or push a product or service?
• Do other authors agree with the author's point of view?

Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Sources

Primary sources are first-hand accounts at the time of an event
e.g. news reports, podcasts, diaries, census and statistics.

Secondary sources are second-hand accounts of an event or topic
e.g. journal articles, textbooks, newspaper articles and books.

Tertiary sources combine primary and secondary sources
e.g. fact books, almanacs, dictionaries and encyclopaedias.

Databases

A database is an online collection of electronic journal and newspaper articles, research papers and much more. Most databases offer Advanced Search functions, so you can use your search strategy.

You will find peer-reviewed and scholarly journal articles in databases.

Websites

Because it is easy for anyone to publish anything on a website, you need to find websites that contain reliable information.

Websites with these domains (the URL ending) generally have reliable information:

• .org (a registered organisation)
• .edu (an educational institution)
• .gov (a government agency)
• .gov.au (an Australian government agency)

Websites with .com or .net. are not unreliable, but they should be used with caution.

In Google's Advanced Search, you can limit your searches by domain.

You still need to evaluate any information you find (see Step 5) no matter what source you use.