Library Guides: Comparing Search Pathways: Resource types

Defining resource types

You need to explore a range of resource types for your assessments.
Click on the boxes below to read definitions of some broad resource types.

Scholarly sources are published in an academic context to disseminate research or contribute to academic discussion. Scholarly resources are evidence-based and peer-reviewed. Some scholarly resource types include journal articles, books, and theses.

Your subject area probably asks you interact with unique and specialised forms of information.

For example:

Engineering and urban design students may need to explore industry standards or spatial data
Music performance or musicology students may need to explore music scores and recorded performances
Law students may need to access case law and legislation

Your subject library guide is your directory for finding specialised materials for your assessment tasks.

‘Grey literature’ describes resources that are produced in an industry, government, or academic context. Grey literature is published informally and is not peer-reviewed.

Grey literature can include government and industry reports, statistics, patents, and conference papers. Grey literature can be an important source of information, but it can also be difficult to find.

In this guide, 'media resources' refers to audiovisual content. This includes films, documentaries, music recordings, sound effects, and other visual or audio materials.

The library provides access to both physical media (DVDs, CDs) and media that you can stream online.

Comparing Search Pathways

Defining resource types

You need to explore a range of resource types for your assessments. Click on the boxes below to read definitions of some broad resource types.

You need to explore a range of resource types for your assessments.
Click on the boxes below to read definitions of some broad resource types.