All guides: HDR students: Library overview

Literature review

Starting your literature review
This guide is designed to offer guidance for completing a literature review, and will link you to resources, techniques, and approaches to conducting your literature search and writing a literature review.

Contact us

Request Research Advice
The Library offers individual research consultations and enquiry assistance to work with you on your research needs.
Ask the Library
The Library's chat service available 7 days a week.

Help and Support

Support from a librarian

Before conducting your literature search it is recommended that you request a research consultation for assistance with:

accessing library services and resources
developing effective search strategies
database searching and setting up alerts
EndNote

Later, during your candidature we can assist with:

managing your research data
publishing in high quality journals
ORCiD and researcher profiles
adding publications to the RMIT Research Repository

Support from an academic skills advisor

facilitation of research writing groups
planning and writing theses, journal articles and conference papers
reading critically, more efficiently, and with a purpose
managing time and setting goals
taking useful notes
improving academic writing style
improving English grammar and speaking skills
brushing up on referencing skills

Information search overview

LibrarySearch
Lists Library holdings from different sources; such as: books, journal articles, newspapers, streaming videos and so forth.
Google Scholar
Includes journal articles, conference papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts, and technical reports.
Databases
Collections of e-journals, e-books, newspapers, videos, images and other material.
Subject guides
Showcase the variety of resources you can access in the Library and online.

Research skills and training

Research guides
Topics include: Theses, Publishing, Research Data Management, Research Impact, Researcher Profiles and ORCID iDs, Staying current with your research, Systematic Reviews.
Workshops and presentations
The Library offers free workshops to research candidates under the PhD Up program. In addition, there is a Research Spotlight series with sessions presented by librarians and guest speakers.
Research skills for HDR candidates
Online modules covering a range of topics, including: Researching your literature review, Setting up your researcher profile, Choosing where to publish and Are you being cited?
Graduate Researcher KnowHow
This website gives helpful information to assist the research student on their journey. It covers the requisite skills needed to create and publish your research.

Managing references

Reference Managers - EndNote, Zotero and Mendeley
This guide provides an introduction to three common Reference Managers - EndNote, Zotero and Mendeley. It also provides a comparison guide and instructions to help get you started.
Referencing
Easy Cite provides information and examples on a variety of referencing styles used at RMIT.
Document Delivery
Make a request for material not held at RMIT University Library.
Copyright advice
Contact the Library if ever in doubt over material you are using.

Upcoming Research Spotlights

Altmetric's "Explorer for Researchers"

Suitable for both HASS and STEM disciplines, Altmetric Explorer tracks more than publications. This session will detail how to effectively promote your research outputs through different channels, use repositories and other tools to help build attention, and gain insights into the reach of, and engagement with, your research.

Two representatives from Digital Science, Stephanie Guichard (Regional Sales Manager for Digital Science) and Liz Smee (Digital Science’s Product Solutions Specialist), will show attendees how to use Altmetric data for various research activities including grant applications, impact narrative, CVs and building online profiles.

Wed 24 August 2022, 2:30-3:30 PM

Library subject guides

HDR students: Library overview

Introduction