Find information & get help

The Library Research Support Framework sets out the library’s support for research at the University, including contact information for the relevant areas of the library.

Each Faculty has dedicated liaison librarians who can help you save time and introduce you to the range of resources and services available for your area of research.

Liaison librarians can:

• Assist with literature searching, including the identification of suitable search tools and the development of effective search strategies.
• Show you how to find usable datasets by identifying relevant datasets or data repositories or introduce you to the wealth of primary source material available via Special Collections and Archives.
• Help you explore the options for managing your research data and publishing, including open access.
• Introduce you to the range of tools available for increasing, and monitoring, your research profile and impact.

find my liaison librarian

Researchers enjoy generous borrowing time periods and access to the library's requesting system (whereby we deliver books and other items in the library's collections to the library location of your choice - or you can have a scanned copy emailed to you). Learn more about borrowing & requesting.

The interlibrary loan service is available to source books, articles and other materials not available in the library. It is free (unless otherwise stated), and the turnaround times are quick. You can also recommend the library purchase the key books required for your research.

The library has a range of different collections designed to support research (and teaching). Depending on your field of research, you may also like to talk with Special Collections and Archives to discover the wealth of primary sources and other materials held there.

The carefully curated How Do I guides provide a handy pathway into relevant resources and literature and how to find the right information.

The Databases by Title and Subject links to all of the current online subscriptions held by the library. You can browse databases relevant to your subject or search alphabetically by title if you already know what you're after.

Systematic reviews are exercises undertaken by researchers to obtain an overview of useful data in a specific research area.

The Library's Systematic Review Fundamentals self-paced course will guide you through the steps and workflow of conducting a systematic review, with a major focus on troubleshooting your search strategies.

For more information about the resources available at the Library to support researchers who are conducting systematic reviews, or for guides specific to each stage of your review, please refer to the Systematic Review Service Charter.

Systematic searching is a key step in your systematic review or other evidence synthesis process.

Plan your search strategy by identifying key topics and terminology to form a logic grid. This is used to effectively and efficiently search databases.

A self-paced Introduction to Advanced Searching course is also available and will guide you through how to conduct systematic searching in a range of multidisciplinary databases.

Refer to the Databases and How Do I guides section for further database assistance.

Other forms of searching you can undertake include:

• Finding grey literature
• Handsearching
• Scoping reviews

For more information about the resources available at the Library to support researchers who are conducting systematic reviews, please refer to the Systematic Review Service Charter.

Guides to referencing styles and subject specific conventions are available at our How Do I - Reference & manage information guides.

Guides to web and desktop applications like Endnote and Mendeley are available to help you collect and organise your references.

Bookmarking apps and document annotation guides are also available to further your research and information management needs.

Explore tools for research and see advice from publishers about the use of Artificial Intelligence in publications on our Artificial Intelligence guide.

Guides to accessing theses are available via the Theses How Do I guide. This resource details how to access University of Adelaide PhD and Masters research theses via Adelaide Research & Scholarship.

Information about accessing other Australian and international theses is also available.

Questions regarding theses held under embargo should be sent to the Adelaide Graduate Centre.

Face-to-face and online training is available to support your research skills. This includes workshops, lectures and courses that cover discipline essentials and research management modules.

Details of these are available at the library training page.

The Library delivers a program of research support workshops on strategic publishing, Open Access options, systematic reviews, impact metrics, and more; please see the schedule for further information and booking