1. Introduction
The purpose of this manual is to provide you with essential materials
that will help you conduct professional and academic research. In addition,
there are also suggestions to guide you in extending your research skills and
exploring further sources of information. We encourage you to take up these
opportunities regularly because your success as a researcher depends at least
in part on your familiarity with available resources.
2. Referencing
Referencing is a method of acknowledging the sources you have
used in your academic work. It is a way of ensuring that you maintain academic
integrity in all of your written assignments and that you use the work of
others in an ethical way.
Acknowledge any ideas or information which are not your own
when:
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quoting directly, or word for word
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summarising or paraphrasing another person’s work
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using data such as statistics, images, diagrams,
graphs, etc.
Sources of information you need to reference include:
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books or chapters from books
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articles from journals or newspapers, both print and
online
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films, television, podcasts or radio programs
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emails, interviews or letters
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blogs or wikis
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works of art or music
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websites
Your list of references, or bibliography enables another to
follow the steps you have taken in your research. In addition, this enables
others to verify your citations and confirm that you have not plagiarised the
work of another person. Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s
work or ideas as your own. Plagiarism is a serious breach of ethics in the
workplace and is not taken lightly.
2.1
Styles of Referencing
While there are multiple referencing systems that exist
throughout the world, it is important to choose one style and apply it
consistently throughout your work. Two of the most widely applied referencing
systems are as follows:
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An online guide for the Harvard referencing system can
be found here: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/assets/harvard_quick_guide_tcm44-47797.pdf
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An online guide for the Vancouver referencing system can
be found here: https://workspace.imperial.ac.uk/library/Public/Vancouver_referencing.pdf
2.2
Citation Machines
Citation machines or generators help students and professional
researchers to properly credit the information that they use. Citation machines
can be found for a variety of referencing systems, including ALA, MLA, Harvard,
Vancouver and Chicago.
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Queen’s University of Belfast provides a citation
machine that generates the Harvard and Vancouver system of referencing: http://www.qub.ac.uk/cite2write/
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The website ‘Cite This For Me’ also provides a citation
machine that generates the ALA, MLA and Harvard systems of referencing: http://www.citethisforme.com/
3. Locating Resources
This section will help you learn how to find the various types
of academic information that will assist you in the workplace and university.
3.1
Primary and Secondary Sources
Primary sources represent original thinking, reports on
discoveries or events, or they can share new information. They are usually the
first formal appearance of original research.
Secondary sources involve analysis, synthesis, interpretation,
or evaluation of primary sources. They often attempt to describe or explain
primary sources.
Scholarly journals, although generally considered to be
secondary sources, often contain articles on very specific subjects and may be
the primary source of information on new developments.
Secondary Sources
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commentary and digests
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journal articles and research reports
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textbooks
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books and articles that interpret or review research
works
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histories
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criticism of literature
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biographies
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political commentary
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encyclopedias
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dictionaries
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newspaper editorials
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Primary Resources
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statistical data
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manuscripts
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surveys and interviews
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speeches
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autobiographies
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oral histories, interviews
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reports involving empirical research
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government documents
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original documents e.g. trial transcripts
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domestic and international legislation
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domestic and international case law
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3.2
Peer-Reviewed Literature
Journal articles that are peer-reviewed have been assessed by
the author’s peers, an editorial board of subject specialists in a particular
discipline. They review, and accept or reject articles that have been submitted
for publication based on the validity and scholarship of the article.
This scrutiny by the author's peers ensures that high standards
of research and scholarship are maintained. The peer-review process also helps
build a reliable body of knowledge.
Peer-reviewed articles:
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present more highly regarded and authoritative
information
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include bibliographies that provide you with further
reading of a similar quality and standard
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focus on original academic research
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are also called refereed articles
3.3
Alternative Subject Terms
When you start to look for resources on a topic, it is useful
to identify some alternative terms or keywords to help you search.
The words in your assignment question may not be the same words
or terms that are used in a library catalogue or database.
Terms that describe things may vary between countries, for
example:
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caravans can
also be referred to as trailers
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primary school
can also be referred to as elementary
school
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university can
also be referred to as college
Identifying alternative terms or keywords will help you to find
a range of resources that are relevant to your topic.
Subject dictionaries and encyclopedias help you identify
alternative terms and keywords.If you are looking for a definition of fascism,
look for a dictionary or encyclopedia on a broader subject such as politics.
Find dictionaries and encyclopedias using www.thefreedictionary.com
or www.tfode.com
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search using broad subject terms, such as politics, medicine, engineering
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truncate encyclopedia e.g. encyclop* to find
encyclopedia (US spelling) and encyclopaedia (UK spelling)
Very new terms
As subjects develop, new terms are created. If you are trying
to find a very new term, look in a recently published dictionary.
Some terms could be too new to be included in print
dictionaries. Search the internet for information about very recent terms, but
remember to evaluate information found via the internet before using it in your
work.
3.4
Selecting Information
When you are researching a new topic and you don't have a
reading list, you will need to find information that will be appropriate for
your assignments.
Some sources of information are regarded as more reliable than
others because of the way they are produced or created.
The following guidelines will help you select information:
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some sources of information have a higher level of
accountability, e.g academic texts and peer-reviewed journals;
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go through an evaluation process with any information
you find, checking it for quality, relevance and usefulness.
3.5
Sources of Academic Information
Databases
A library database is a collection of published literature,
such as journal and newspaper articles, conference proceedings, reports and
book chapters. Databases can be subject specific or multi-disciplinary. They
can als be subscription or open access. Searching a library database is a good
way to find scholarly information.
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Subscription
databases
Many important databases require users to pay for access to
their content. Libraries subscribe to these databases and access to each
individual database is subject to licence agreements. This means that only
currently enrolled students and staff have access to UNSW Library subscription
databases.
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We encourage all interns to ask whether their
universities or employers have access to any subscription databases.
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Open Access
Databases
Some databases are open access, providing free access to
selected scholarly journal articles, these, scholarly monographs and book
chapters.
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The Directory
of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) is an online database that aims
to be comprehensive and cover all open access scientific and scholarly journals
that use a quality control system to guarantee the content: www.doaj.org
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Jurn
provides journal articles in the arts and humanities: www.jurn.org/
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Social Science
Research Network is a website devoted to the rapid dissemination of
scholarly research in the social sciences and humanities: http://www.ssrn.com/en/
Library Catalogues
Library Catalogues provide records of items held in a library’s
collection. They can also link you to online content such as e-books,
e-journals, digitised content such as images, documents and databases. Library
Catalogues can be searched online from anywhere in the world, helping you
discover what is held in a Library’s collection.
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We encourage all interns to ask whether their
universities or employers have access to any library catalogues, as they
usually require a login.
Google
Google is a fast, easy way to search for information, ranging
from the very general to the scholarly. It is important to carefully evaluate
any information you find through Google. If you are specifically searching for
scholarly information, it can save you time to first search library resources
such as databases, journals and catalogues.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar can link you to scholarly literature, such as
journal articles, books and conference papers. Not all academic material will
be available via Google Scholar. Searching library resources such as databases
can be a more thorough way of checking the literature in a subject area,
ensuring you do not miss key information.
Legal Resources
International and Foreign Sources of Law
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GlobaLex
provides information on international law, comparative law, foreign law
research, as well as tools for building foreign, comparative and
international law collections: www.nyulawglobal.org/Globalex/
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JuriGlobe
provides multilingual information data bank, containing general information
relating to the different legal systems in the world, to the different
official languages and to some of the most important international commercial
conventions and multilateral commercial tools: www.juriglobe.ca/eng/apropos/index.php
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LLRX
provides free international and foreign legal research resources and tools:
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LLRX
International: www.llrx.com/category/857
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LLRX Foreign: www.llrx.com/category/1050
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Max Planck
Encyclopedia of Public International Law (MPEPIL) provides a
comprehensive analytical resource covering the whole of public international
law, plus online-only articles since 2001: http://opil.ouplaw.com/home/EPIL
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WordLii is a free, independent and non-profit public
access to worldwide law by the Free Access to Law movement. It provides
access to law journals, databases, international law libraries, courts and
case law and an international treaty collection: http://www.worldlii.org/
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HUDOC provides a database of the case-law of the
supervisory organs of the European Convention of Human Rights: www.hudoc.echr.coe.int/
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African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
provides relevant legal information on African legal instruments: www.achpr.org
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Domestic
Sources of Law
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The Chbab.net
website is building a repository of Cambodian jurisprudence to enable access
to Cambodian laws: www.chbab.net
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Cambodian
Centre of Human Rights provides relevant legal information on human rights
law in Cambodia: http://www.sithi.org/
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The Senate
website provides law lists, reports and publications on legal developments in
Cambodia: http://www.senate.gov.kh/
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Asian Legal
Information Institute (AsianLii) provides free access to Asian Law, including
Cambodia: http://www.asianlii.org/
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Open Development
provides certain Cambodian laws and regulations: http://www.opendevelopmentcambodia.net/laws-regulations/
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The Guide to
Law Online contains a selection of Cambodian legal, juridicial and
governmental sources accessible through their website: http://www.loc.gov/law/help/guide/nations/cambodia.php
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GoCambodia
provides a wide variety of laws and regulations: http://www.gocambodia.com/laws/
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