Books (or monographs as they are often called) are available in print and/or electronic format from the ECU Library Service.
Books provide a useful starting point for an introduction to the subject, and generally also provide an in-depth coverage of a topic. They may not be the most up-to-date research, however, try searching for academic journal articles for current material.
Find print books or eBooks by using ECU library search. A keyword search is a quick way to start your research on a particular topic, if you are looking for a particular title, search using "quotation marks" around the title.
You can also use the Advanced Search options to assist you to refine your search by keyword, author, title, etc.
Searching by Subject Terms may find a range of items as the search is from the subject perspective. In ECU library earch, there are a couple of ways to use Subject Headings, included Advanced Search, which allows you to link a number of Subjects together with title words, authors, etc.
Find Subject Headings by searching for one item that matches part of your overall search, then identify which Subjects have been used for that.
Then directly type in su: and the subject term. Be sure to choose the library option of Edith Cowan University to display items in the library collection. Refer to the Useful Subject Terms for Video and Film for a list of the main subject terms that you can use to search for resources in the library.
You can also combine Subject Headings with other Subjects, or titles, authors, etc. in the Advanced Search page of ECU library search.
1. Identify key concepts and Synonyms (alternative keywords) and combine using OR (broadens the search):
(poetry OR verse OR lyrical)
(writer OR author)
Note: (Brackets) group concepts together to be searched in parrallel
2. Identify Key concepts, joining concepts using AND (narrowing the search):
writing AND technique
postmodernism AND litera* (“literacy” OR “literature”)
“science fiction” AND poetry
3. Mix and match concepts AND / OR synonyms:
(writer OR author) AND technique
"science fiction" AND (poetry OR verse OR lyrical)
4. Exclude concepts with NOT
postmodernism NOT architecture
5. "..." (Inverted commas specify the exact phrase)
"New Criticism"
"North American Literature"
6. Use Truncation (putting * at the end of a word stem):
litera* (“literacy” OR “literature”)
7. Bringing it all together!
(postmodernism AND litera*) NOT (poetry OR verse OR lyrical)
A good search strategy is only the beginning, you may end up with many results that are on your topic, but that are unsuitable for other reasons, such as availability, format, age, etc.
ECU library search allows you to narrow your search results with Filters. You will also find that most Databases have similar functions.
Make sure to narrow them down by using the filters on the left hand side of the web page. |
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Pick: Library: Edith Cowan University For academic material select: Peer Reviewed Select: Format: Book, DVD, Music, etc. |
For new material, click: Year: Last 5 / 10 Years This will not change your search, but will narrow the number of results. |
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For a more precise search, click into the Title and the Description, to find the Subjects an item has been catalogued under. These are more precise than standard Keyword searches, and can be searched via the Advanced Search screen. |
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Combine these Subjects to get strong results. |
These four brief presentations cover the skills you need to research any assignment topic:
Forms and tip sheets to help manage your research:
The following guides are designed to help you with your research skills:
Edith Cowan University acknowledges and respects the Noongar people, who are
the traditional custodians of the land upon which its campuses stand and its programs
operate.
In particular ECU pays its respects to the Elders, past and present, of the Noongar
people, and embrace their culture, wisdom and knowledge.