Library Guide for Aboriginal Studies
Contents

INTRODUCTION
DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR TOPIC?
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR BOOKS ON YOUR TOPIC?
USE THE CATALOGUE
BROWSE THE LIBRARY SHELVES
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR JOURNAL ARTICLES ON YOUR TOPIC?
BROWSING JOURNALS
USING DATABASES
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR INFORMATION FROM THE INTERNET?
INTRODUCING WEBLINKS

 
INTRODUCTION

This guide will help you locate information in the area of Aboriginal Studies. You may need to use both print and electronic resources to obtain the information you need. The guide is an introduction only and students should ask Library staff for assistance if needed.

 
DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR TOPIC?

Dictionaries and encyclopaedias are a good starting point for research. They give definitions and provide background material that will assist you in understanding your topic.

A useful reference book in the Aboriginal Studies area is The Encyclopedia of Aboriginal Australia.

Check the Library catalogue to see if a particular reference book is held in your campus library.

 
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR BOOKS ON YOUR TOPIC?

Books provide detailed information on a subject. You can locate them by using the Library catalogue or browsing the shelves.

 
USE THE CATALOGUE

To locate material (including books, magazines and videos) use the terms from your topic in a general keyword search of the Library catalogue. For a more structured approach use the following headings for a subject search of the Library catalogue.

Aboriginal Australian poetry
Aborigines, Australian
Aborigines, Australian - Alcohol use
Aborigines, Australian - Antiquities
Aborigines, Australian - Art
Aborigines, Australian - Biography
Aborigines, Australian - Children
Aborigines, Australian - Civil rights
Aborigines, Australian - Criminal justice system
Aborigines, Australian - Economic conditions
Aborigines, Australian - Education
Aborigines, Australian - Employment
Aborigines, Australian - Ethnic identity
Aborigines, Australian - Folklore
Aborigines, Australian - Food
Aborigines, Australian - Government policy
Aborigines, Australian - Government relations
Aborigines, Australian - Health and hygiene
Aborigines, Australian - History
Aborigines, Australian - Land tenure
Aborigines, Australian - Languages
Aborigines, Australian - Legal status, laws, etc.
Aborigines, Australian - Legends
Aborigines, Australian - Medicine
Aborigines, Australian - Music
Aborigines, Australian - Politics and government
Aborigines, Australian - Religion
Aborigines, Australian - Rites and ceremonies
Aborigines, Australian - Social conditions
Aborigines, Australian - Social life and customs
Aborigines, Australian - Treatment
Aborigines, Australian - Women
Aborigines, Australian - Women - Biography
Australia - Race relations
Native title
Prehistoric peoples - Australia
Racism - Australia
Wild foods - Australia
Wild plants - Edible - Australia

BROWSE THE LIBRARY SHELVES

By browsing the Library shelves you can get an idea of what the Library has in your area. Dewey numbers that you may find useful in the Aboriginal Studies area are:

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR JOURNAL ARTICLES ON YOUR TOPIC?

Journals are also known as magazines, serials and periodicals.

Journals provide up to date information and cover recent developments in that subject area. For some areas they are the best source of information.

To locate journal articles you can browse (look through whole issues), or search for journal articles in databases.

 
BROWSING JOURNALS

Some journals that may be useful in the Aboriginal Studies area are:

Check the catalogue or with Library staff to see if these or other journals are held in your Campus Library.

USING DATABASES

Databases are electronic indexes to journals and other resources. Some databases offer the full text of the article whilst others will provide only information about articles.

Check with your campus library for details of database access.

Electronic databases that may be useful in the Aboriginal Studies area are:

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR INFORMATION FROM THE INTERNET?

INTRODUCING WEBLINKS

The Internet provides access to a vast amount of information. Websites providing this information range from reliable and authoritative to less reputable sites. Weblinks is a collection of websites, covering a range of topics, selected by North Coast Institute library staff for their relevancy and reliability.

Some Weblinks topics that you may find useful are:

Aboriginal art
Aboriginal health
Aboriginal history

Or you can select from the Weblinks for Aboriginal Studies

For further assistance in locating information, or using some of the sources listed in this guide, take a look at Searchpath an online research tutorial, or contact library staff.