All guides: HDR students: Library overview

LibrarySearch

Request Research Advice
The Library offers individual research consultations and enquiry assistance to work with you on your research needs.

Support from a librarian

Support from an academic skills advisor

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

Later, during your candidature we can assist with:

Visit our website for more resources and support available from the Library.

Look out for the 2024 Spotlight here early next year.

Literature reviews
This guide provides information for completing a literature review, and will link you to resources, techniques, and approaches to conducting your literature search and writing a literature review.
Strategies and resources for searching the literature
This online module will explore key resources to use when literature searching, and the features of developing an effective search strategy.
Writing the literature review
This online module describes what a literature review is and its purpose, outlines the steps in writing a literature review, describes note-taking and employing the technique of an annotated bibliography, and structuring and styling the literature review.

Developing an effective research proposal
This online module provides key information, strategies, and resources for developing an effective research proposal.
Becoming a research writer
This online module looks at ways research writers use premises and claims to build arguments. Also covered is the significance of thesis statements and how to position your own work by identifying gaps in the field.

Reference managers
An introduction to three common Reference Managers - EndNote, Zotero and Mendeley. Also provides a comparison guide and instructions to help get you started.
Choosing a reference manager
The module assists researchers in deciding which reference manager to use to organise their references in their work. The module explores the features of three popular reference managers – Endnote, Zotero and Mendeley.
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.

Strategic publishing
Information on applying strategic measures when considering publishing, promoting and tracking your research.
Open access publishing
Introduces open access, its benefits, the different models, Article Processing Charges, policies and resources, and Open Access at RMIT University.
Read and Publish Agreements
Details of agreements the Library has signed with a number of scholarly publishers to support open access publishing.
Publishing a journal article
This module will introduce you to the three Ps of preparing for a publication:
- Planning including setting objectives and selecting a publication source
- Publishing issues such as open access, discoverability and writing tips
- Promoting and tracking your research and publications.

Research guides
Topics include: Theses, Publishing, Research Data Management, Research Impact, Researcher Profiles and ORCID iDs, Staying current with your research, Systematic Reviews.
Research and writing skills for academic and graduate researchers
These modules are for academic and higher degree researchers who want to develop and extend the skills required in the contemporary research environment.
RCD online modules
A series of online modules hosted by Researcher Capability Development on topics ranging from from data management, networking for researchers, grant writing, publishing, impact literacy and many more.
Library Research Spotlight
Attend our regular online presentations by guest speakers on different aspects of research and view recordings of past presentations.
Library Shorts
A series of short videos on MS Stream covering a variety of topics and concepts related to research.
Research Plus (formerly PhD Up) past recordings
Research Plus program
The Research Plus program offers graduate researchers a huge range of workshops, seminars and short courses to build research knowledge and skills.

Researcher profiles and ORCID
Maximise the visibility of your research outputs by discovering how to establish a researcher profile.
Setting up your researcher profile
This module provides an overview of commonly used researcher profiles and how to establish and maintain them.
Research metrics
Information and resources to demonstrate impact using research metrics.
Altmetrics
Information and resources for using altmetrics to demonstrate research impact.
Social media for researchers
Introduces platforms and provides tips to maximise social media usage. It covers relevant university policies and guidelines, as well as copyright information.
Are you being cited?
The number of times your work has been cited by other academics and writers is one indication of your research impact. However, there are other qualitative measures of the value and impact of your research. This module will introduce you to the traditional and non-traditional ways of measuring research impact.