Finding information

Searching for specific resources

You can find most of the resources you need for your university assessments by searching the Curtin Library catalogue or using one of our databases. However, some types of resources may need a more focused search. This page gives you tips on where to look for different kinds of information and strategies to make your searches more successful.

Use the menu below to choose the type of resource you want to find or learn more about.

You should always quality-check the information you would like to include in your assessments. See Critical reading for tips on evaluating sources.

Standards

“Standards are voluntary documents that set out specifications, procedures and guidelines that aim to ensure products, services, and systems are safe, consistent and reliable” (Standards Australia).

Where can I find standards?

The Library provides access to standards via the databases listed below.

  • Intertek Inform provides full-text access to Australian standards.

  • ASTM Standards (Compass) provides access to American Society of Testing and Materials standards.

  • IEEE Xplore provides digital engineering standards, codes, and regulations. Select Standards from the Browse drop-down list to view a list of standards available from IEEE.

  • National Construction Code provides technical requirements for the design, construction and performance of buildings and plumbing systems across Australia. Includes the National Construction Code, Building Code of Australia and Plumbing Code of Australia.

Standard not available? Curtin staff and postgraduate students may request other standards (for example ISO, IEC) through Intertek Inform. Search for the standard, open the record, then click Request Access on the right side. The Library will be notified of the request and investigate access.

Tips for finding standards

  • Try searching using the full title or the standard number (for example, ASCRM 035:2014). Using just keywords might give you too many results and make it harder to find the right one.
  • Standards are updated often, so make sure you are using the most recent version. Databases will tell you if a standard is current or if it has been replaced by a newer one.
  • Some international (ISO) standards have equivalent Australian and New Zealand versions. If you are looking for an ISO standard, try searching for the standard by the number (for example, 9000:2016). You may find an identical version in the database, such as AS/NZS ISO 9000:2016.

Downloading standards

Many standards are protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM), which limits how the files can be used and shared. This helps make sure users follow copyright laws and licence agreements.

To download and open a DRM-protected standard on your computer:

  1. Install Adobe Acrobat Reader. You need this program to open the PDF file
  2. Search for the standard in the database and click Download. Make sure you know where the file is saved (for example, in your Downloads folder) Important: Do not try to open the file in your web browser—it will not work properly
  3. Go to the folder where the file was saved. Right-click the file and choose “Open with…”, then select Adobe Reader
  4. You should now be able to view the standard. Because it is protected by DRM, it is for your personal use only. You are not allowed to email it or share it with others.

Case studies

A case study is a research method that closely looks at a person, a group of people, or another small sample to understand a real-life issue or problem in depth. Case studies can:

  • Show how certain ideas or concepts work in real situations
  • Help explore complicated problems in detail
  • Support decision-making and offer useful recommendations.

Tips for searching for case studies

  • Case studies are usually published in academic or professional journals. When searching for them, it helps to use keywords related to the subject area you are researching.

  • Many library databases let you limit your search to case studies. Look for filters such as: document type, publication type or article type.

  • If the database does not have an option to limit to case studies, try adding case study or case studies to your topic search. For example: business ethics AND case study OR case studies.

Where can I find case studies?

Many library databases include case studies. Below are some key databases that cover a range of subjects:

  • CINAHL Ultimate has case studies in nursing and allied health.

  • Business Source Ultimate provides case studies in business.

  • Emerald covers subjects like management, information science, engineering, education, health, and social care. You can limit your search by selecting Case Studies.

  • ProQuest provides case studies in a range of subject areas.

  • WARC database focuses on advertising and marketing. Select Case studies at the top of the page to access the Case Finder.

Conference papers and proceedings

A conference paper is the written version of a presentation given at a conference. It usually shares new research, ideas or developments in a particular field. Conference papers are often collected and published together as a conference proceeding.

Conference papers and proceedings can be published in different ways, which can make them hard to find. They may be published as books, journal articles, special issues or supplements of journals, or as part of a conference series. Some conferences publish abstracts (short summaries) instead of full papers, while others provide papers only to conference attendees. In some cases, conference papers may not be published at all.

Tips for searching for conference papers and proceedings

  • Try searching using the full name of the conference or use a few keywords along with the location and year of the event.

  • If you know the title of a specific paper or the author’s name, you can search for that directly.

  • Many library databases let you limit your search to conference papers. Look for filters like document type, publication type or article type.

  • Unpublished conference papers can be difficult to find because often only the title, author and abstract are published. They may be found on the conference website, on the author’s personal website, or in a university repository. If you cannot find a copy, you can try contacting the author directly and asking whether they can provide the full paper.

Where can I find conference papers and proceedings?

Conference websites may provide access to papers presented at the conference. A Google search can help you locate these websites and any available papers. Conference papers and proceedings can also be found using Google Scholar.

Curtin Library catalogue

To find conference papers or proceedings in the library catalogue, you can limit your search results by selecting Conference Proceedings or Conference Papers under Resource Type.

Library databases

Many library databases include published conference papers and proceedings. Below are some key databases that cover a wide range of subject areas:

  • Scopus is large database that includes summaries and references for peer-reviewed research. It covers areas such as science, technology, medicine, social sciences, arts, and humanities.

  • Web of Science indexes journal articles, conference papers, data sets, and more. It covers subjects in science, social science, arts, and humanities.

  • ProQuest is a large database that covers many types of content, including conference papers.

Datasets

Data is the raw information collected during a study, experiment or survey. It usually needs to be processed or analysed using software to make sense of it.

A dataset is a collection of data that has been organised in a structured way. The records in a dataset can be arranged differently, depending on how you want to access or use the information.

Where can I find datasets?

Finding datasets can take time and may involve searching different sources. Some common places to look include: government websites, data directories, university or institutional repositories, research centre websites or search engines, like Google or Google Scholar.

Key Australian repositories
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)/Universities Australia Agreement

Students and staff at Australian universities are able to access a range of data services from the ABS free of charge on a range of topics including the Census of Population and Housing, health, education, business, labour force, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, migrants, crime, disabilities and ageing.

More information including registration and access details are available on the ABS/Universities Australia Agreement page.

Commercial data repositories and registries
International data archives

Using datasets

When research data is meant to be shared and reused, it should have a license that explains how it can be used. If you use a licensed dataset, make sure you follow the rules set out in the license. If the dataset does not have a license, you must contact the data owner (also called the rights holder) to ask for permission before using it.

Drug resources

Drug resources provide information on the identification and prescription of drugs, including information on dosage, side effects, drug interactions, ingredients and more.

Where can I find drug resources?

The library provides access to a range of drug databases and resources to assist you in finding accurate, evidence-based information.

  • Australian Medicines Handbook (AMH) provides a concise, up-to-date source of independent drug information to facilitate effective, rational, safe and economical prescribing and dispensing.

  • AMH Children’s Dosing Companion provides information for prescribing and administering medicines to children from birth to 18 years.

  • MIMS Online contains both abbreviated and full prescribing information, consumer medicine information and product images for pharmaceuticals available in Australia.

  • Australian Injectable Drugs Handbook provides information about the preparation and administration of injectable medicines.

  • Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference is a comprehensive reference resource on drugs and medicines used worldwide. Coverage includes: drug monographs, proprietary preparations, manufacturers and disease treatment reviews.

  • Therapeutic Guidelines contain searchable, peer-reviewed clinical guidelines covering a broad range of topics. It also has drug information and dosing regimens for a range of diseases.

  • British National Formulary (BNF) provides information on the selection, prescribing, dispensing and administration of medicines.

  • Stockley’s Drug Interactions is a source book of drug interactions, their mechanisms, clinical importance and management. Covers interactions between therapeutic drugs, proprietary medicines, herbal medicines, foods, drinks, and drugs of abuse.

Pharmacopoeias

Pharmacopoeias provide standards for pharmaceutical substances and medicinal products used in a country. These legally binding standards are important in regulating the quality of medicines.

Complementary and Integrative Medicine

Complementary and integrative medicine should be considered alongside drug interventions in terms of their efficacy, but also their interactions and toxicities.

ebooks

An ebook (short for electronic book) is a book that you can read on a computer, tablet, phone or other device.

Where can I find ebooks?

The easiest way to locate ebooks is by searching the Library Catalogue.

  1. Enter keywords from your topic in the search box and then click on the Search button
  2. On the results page, refine by selecting the Available Online filter in the right side menu
  3. Then select the Books Resource Type to limit your results to ebooks only.

Once you have found a suitable ebook, select Available Online in the item record. This will provide the link to the database where you can read (and sometimes download) the ebook.

How to use ebooks

Ebooks are different from printed books. They do not need to be borrowed using your library card, and you do not have to return them yourself because this happens automatically. However, many ebooks use something called Digital Rights Management (DRM). DRM is a system that controls how you can use the ebook, especially when it comes to downloading or printing.

All ebooks can be read online, as long as a copy is available. However, your session needs to remain active. If you stop interacting with the book, the session may time out, and you will need to search for the book again and reopen it.

Many ebooks now use the EPUB format as it is more accessible and works better with screen readers. EPUBs adjust to the device you are using – the text resizes to fit the screen you are on and they also allow you to change the font style and size, line spacing, and background colour.

Titles in EPUB format have dynamic page numbering, which means the page numbers can change depending on the device you use. For this reason, if you need to cite a quote, it is better to use other identifiers instead of page numbers. Check the relevant referencing guide for more details.

Some ebooks let you download the whole book or just a chapter so you can read it without an internet connection.

If you download the entire book, you will usually need to install an app. Follow the instructions in the database to get the right software. After downloading an ebook, you usually have between 1 and 14 days to read the book offline. When this time ends, the ebook will expire and you can no longer open it. If you still need it, you will have to download it again.

If you download a chapter or a few pages, the file is usually a PDF. You can open it in a PDF reader or in your web browser.

You can print or download chapters from some ebooks, but DRM rules decide how much you are allowed to print or download. Most of the time, you can print, save, or download one chapter of an ebook. This follows the fair dealing rules in the Australian Copyright Act 1968.

Some ebook platforms also let you highlight text or make notes while reading online. These changes are saved, so you can see them next time you open the book. You may need to create an account or log in to use these features.

Why can’t I open an ebook?

DRM controls how many people can access an ebook at the same time, based on the number of licenses available. Just like a physical book that is checked out, some ebooks cannot be opened if someone else is using them.

We know which ebooks are likely to be in high demand and have turned off the download option for those titles. If you try to open an ebook and it will not load, or it only gives you five minutes to read, try again later. Avoid peak times like the middle of the day.

Grey literature

Grey literature includes research and information that is produced by governments, universities, businesses, and other organisations but is not published through commercial publishers. Examples include government reports, policy documents, fact sheets, theses, newsletters, surveys, and interview findings. Grey literature is valuable because it can provide a more complete picture of a topic by including information that may not appear in academic journals, offer up-to-date evidence on new or emerging issues, and serve as an important source of information in fields such as social sciences and government policy.

Tips for searching for grey literature

  • Searching for grey literature can be challenging and often takes more time than searching library databases. Simple searches using your main topic keywords are usually more effective than long, complex search strings.

  • When using a search engine such as Google and Google Scholar, the Advanced Search tool can help you narrow your results by date, language, or region.

  • Try focusing your Google search to particular domains or by file type.

  • Most databases also allow you to limit your search by publication type, document type or source type, which can help you identify and retrieve grey literature sources more efficiently.

Where can I find grey literature?

Websites of relevant organisations

Searching the websites of organisations that work in your research area can be a useful way to find grey literature. These may include government agencies, universities and research institutes, private companies, professional associations, and advocacy groups. Depending on the focus of your topic, the following sources may be useful:

Library databases

Many library databases include a range of publication types beyond journal articles, such as conference papers, policy documents, reports, theses, and government publications.

  • Overton is a multidisciplinary database of policy documents and grey literature. It is useful for finding policy reports, guidelines, government documents, and other grey literature sources.

  • Scopus and Web of Science index conference papers and technical and other reports.

  • ProQuest indexes sources such as dissertations and theses, market reports, government documents, pamphlets and conference papers.

  • Informit (an Australian database) indexes conference papers and many government documents.

Grey literature databases, library catalogues and repositories

  • Specialised databases, such as GreyNet International, index grey literature in a number of subject areas.

  • Trove is a search tool that lets you find information from many Australian libraries, archives and repositories.

  • Institutional repositories, such as CURATE at Curtin, hold digital theses and research papers. Open Access Australasia provides a list of research repositories.

Images

An image is a visual representation of a person, object, or idea. Images can include: paintings, photos, drawings, cartoons and illustrations, diagrams, graphs, computer graphics and plans.

Original images are considered artistic works and are protected by copyright laws.

Ownership and use of images

It is important to follow copyright rules when using images. Just because an image is easy to find online does not mean you can use it freely. Some images can be downloaded and reused under certain conditions. Others, like those from Associated Press, iStock by Getty Images, or Shutterstock, require payment for a license.

Open license, Creative Commons and public domain images

An easy way to avoid copyright issues is to use images that are Open license, Creative Commons (CC) or in the public domain.

An Open license allows people to use and share content with few restrictions. Creative Commons is the most common type of open license. Creative Commons licenses do not remove copyright, instead creators give permission for others to use the content in specific ways. You do not need to ask for permission if you follow the rules of the license. You can learn more about CC licenses on the Creative Commons website.

Public domain images are either no longer protected by copyright or have been made freely available by the copyright owner.

Where can I find Open License, Creative Commons and public domain images?

The following websites provide easily accessible advanced search filters to quickly identify Creative Commons or public domain images:

Attributing open license, Creative Commons or public domain images

If your work will be shared publicly, you may need to include an attribution statement giving credit to the creator.

To properly attribute a Creative Commons image:

  • Name the creator
  • Include the title of the work
  • Provide the URL where the image is hosted
  • Mention the type of license and link to it
  • Keep any copyright notice that comes with the image

For help with attribution, see Best practices for attribution on the Creative Commons website.

Referencing images in Curtin University assessments

When using images in your assessments, follow the correct referencing style for your unit. Curtin University provides guides for:

Legal materials are documents used in legal research and are usually divided into two main types:

  • Primary legal sources are those created by the government, courts, or other official bodies. These include legislation (laws made by parliament) and case law (court decisions)

  • Secondary legal sources are based on primary sources and help explain or analyse the law. These include journal articles, books, legal dictionaries and encyclopedias, commentaries, and newspapers. They are useful for helping you find and understand primary legal sources.

How can I find legislation?

Legislation is made by parliament and includes: Acts (also called Statutes or Acts of Parliament) and subsidiary legislation (also called subordinate or delegated legislation), such as regulations, rules, orders, statutory instruments and by-laws.

You can find Australian legislation on government websites:

How can I find case law?

Case law (also called court decisions or judgments) records how courts make decisions in legal disputes. In Australia’s common law system, courts can set precedents—legal rules that apply to future cases.

To search for a case, it helps to understand the case citation. For example:

Commonwealth v Tasmania (1983) 158 CLR 1

  • Commonwealth v Tasmania - the case name (plaintiff vs defendant)
  • 1983 - the year the case was published
  • 158 - the volume number of the law report series
  • CLR - the abbreviation for the law report series (in this case CLR stands for Commonwealth Law Reports)
  • 1 - the page number where the case starts

To find a case:

  1. Look up the full name of the law report series. Use the Legal abbreviations from Monash University Library
  2. Search for the name of the Law report series in the Library Catalogue
  3. Click Available online to access the database that holds the law series
  4. Search for the case name or citation in the database.

The following selection of databases include legal materials. For more legal databases, see the Databases A-Z.

  • Lexis+ Australia - Australian primary and secondary legal sources.

  • Westlaw AU - Australian legal journals, case law, commentaries, precedents, encyclopedias and legislation.

  • CCH iKnowConnect - Australian and some international commentary, cases, legislation and news.

  • AustLii - Free access database of Australian Commonwealth and State legal information, including legislation, case law, and journal articles.

Further resources

To learn more about finding legal materials see:

Newspapers and other media sources

News and media sources help people stay informed about current events and issues. They include newspapers, magazines, television news programs, online news websites, and news blogs. Some cover a wide range of topics (e.g. daily newspapers like The Australian or the New York Times), while others focus on specific subjects such as business, politics, or industry news (e.g. Foreign Policy or the Australian Financial Review).

Because news is published quickly, it provides information about events as they happen. This makes media sources useful for finding recent information, images, statistics, quotes, opinions, and other primary source material. They can show how people felt about an issue at a particular time, present different viewpoints on controversial topics, and report new data and statistics as they are released.

Tips for searching for news and media sources

  • News stories are written for the general public, so they use everyday language rather than technical terms or academic jargon. When searching for news, it is often more effective to use simple, commonly used words and phrases rather than specialised subject terminology.

  • If you find an article on a newspaper’s website, try searching for it in the Library’s news databases. The Library may provide access to the full article even if the newspaper’s website requires a subscription or payment.

Where can I find news and media sources?

Google can be an effective starting point for finding news articles and blog posts, particularly when you are exploring a topic or looking for up-to-date information.

Library catalogue

To find news sources in the library catalogue, you can limit your search results by selecting Newspaper Articles or Magazine Articles under Resource Type.

Library databases

  • NewsBank provides access to a wide range of Australian and international news sources including The Australian, Australian Financial Review, Sunday Times, The West Australian and National Indigenous Times.

  • ProQuest provides access to over 2,000 newspapers including 300 Australian newspapers and 63 related specifically to business and economics.

  • West Australian Online (archive digital editions) provides access to archived digital editions of the West Australian newspaper from 2004 onwards. It is updated daily with each edition available the day after publication.

  • TV News (Informit) is an archive of Australian television news, current affairs and selected documentaries from the free-to-air networks. The content is mostly video, however detailed synopses are also provided for each entry.

News websites

  • ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) News provides local, national and international news through television, radio, online news services, and digital platforms.

  • SBS News provides news and current affairs coverage from Australia and around the world, with a focus on diverse perspectives and international issues.

  • BBC News provides news from the United Kingdom, the U.S. and around the world, as well as local and regional news coverage, analysis and current affairs reporting.

  • CNN provides U.S. and international news, with coverage of world events, politics, health, weather, business and entertainment.

Original research articles

Original research articles, also called primary research articles or empirical articles, are journal articles written by researchers to report the results of their own studies. They explain the research question, the methods used to collect and analyse data, and the study’s findings. Before publication, these articles are usually reviewed by other experts in the same field through a process called peer review. This helps ensure that the research is reliable and meets academic standards.

Original research articles are important because they present new knowledge and evidence for the first time. They provide the data and findings that other researchers can use to support, compare, or build on in future studies.

How do I know if an article is original research?

Original research articles:

  • Include the following sections: background/literature review, methods/methodology, results, discussion and conclusion
  • May mention the type of study conducted (e.g., cohort study, longitudinal study, randomised controlled trial etc.) in the title or abstract (summary) of the article
  • May be labelled as Original research, Research article, Original article or something similar.

Example: Time-restricted eating without calorie counting for weight loss in a racially diverse population: A randomized controlled trial

Some articles may appear to be original research but are actually summaries or analyses of previously published research. Look carefully at the title and abstract for terms such as review, systematic review, meta-analysis, retrospective study, or literature review, as these types of articles are generally considered secondary sources.

Tips for finding original research articles

  • Add keywords such as trial or study to your topic search, e.g. play or pretend play AND child development AND study or trial

  • Check the databases for limits such as ‘Research articles’ or options to filter to particular study designs (e.g. randomised controlled trials)

Where can I find original research articles?

Databases are a great source for journal articles on a wide range of topic areas. Below are a selection which are useful for finding original articles.

  • Science Direct - You can refine to Research articles under Article type on the search results page. Note that some systematic reviews may be included so check the abstract for further details about the type of research conducted.

  • ProQuest - Add the term trial or study to your topic search. Check the abstract for further details about the type of research conducted as review articles may be included in the results.

  • PsycINFO - Perform a search for your topic. Once results are returned, click Additional Limits. Under Methodology, select relevant study types e.g., Clinical trial, Empirical study, Field study, Qualitative study, Quantitative study… and click Limit a Search.

Patents

A patent is a legal right that gives a person or organisation exclusive control over a new invention, such as a product, process, method, or substance. This means other people cannot make, use, or sell the invention without permission for a set period of time. Patents include detailed information about how the invention works and are often the first public source of information about new inventions. They can help you understand what has already been developed and may prevent you from spending time and resources researching something that already exists.

Where can I find patents?

In most countries, patents are issued by a government agency responsible for intellectual property. Patent records are usually available through the agency’s official website, where you can search for and view patent applications and granted patents. Some useful search tools for finding patents include:

  • IP Australia administers Intellectual Property issues in Australia, and using their website, you can search for patents, trademarks and designs.

  • United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) allows free searching for USA granted patents. It contains the full text and drawings of USA patents since 1976.

  • Espacenet Patent Search contains patent applications issued by both the European Patent Office (EPO) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

  • PATENTSCOPE provides access to international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications in full text format on the day of publication, as well as to patent documents of participating national and regional patent offices. This database is also hosted by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

  • The Lens is a not-for-profit organisation that provides universal access to patent information, including biological sequences. It also includes some analytics such as patents which cite a journal publication.

  • Google Patents includes over 120 million patent publications from 100+ patent offices around the world.

Primary sources

A primary source provides a first hand account of a topic. It reports on events, discoveries, or new information and has not been interpreted, summarised, or evaluated by someone else. In contrast, secondary sources analyse, discuss, summarise, or interpret information from primary sources.

Examples of primary sources include plays, photographs, news reports, diaries, surveys, and social media posts. Journal articles can also be primary sources. Original research articles, written by the researchers who conducted the study, are primary sources because they present new findings and explain the research methods and results.

Primary sources are valuable because they provide direct evidence, report research findings as originally published, offer insight into events and experiences from the time they occurred, and supply the original information that other researchers can build upon.

Where can I find primary sources?

Google can help you discover blogs, social media content, statistics, court records, historical documents, autobiographies and more.

Library Catalogue

Many primary sources can be found in the Curtin Library Catalogue. Select from the options under the ‘Resource Type’ filter (on the right side of the results screen) to find specific types of primary source material (such as newspaper articles, images or government documents).

Library databases

  • JSTOR contains letters, manuscripts, pamphlets, and official government papers predominantly in the humanities and social sciences.

  • Alexander Street Press provides discipline-focused, primary source collections of diaries, letters, oral history transcripts, images and autobiographies.

  • Early Experiences in Australasia is a collection of primary sources such as personal narratives, diaries and letters, this database provides a unique and personal view of events in Australasia from 1788 to 1901.

  • Documents on British Policy Overseas is a collection of primary source documents from Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, shedding light on diplomatic history throughout the twentieth century

Other sources

National and State Libraries, National Archives and State Records Offices as well as archives of international organisations are a rich source of primary source materials.

  • National Archives of Australia provides links to the resources of Australian Archives as well as to most other major archives in Australia.

  • Trove is the National Library’s discovery service for information, resources and people. You can search for pictures and photos, digitised newspapers, diaries, letters, music, sound and video.

  • State Library of Western Australia provides access to oral histories, ephemera, private archives, photographs and more through the WA Heritage Collections.

  • State Records Office of Western Australia provides access to records created by the colonial, state and local government authorities, including historical maps, survey plans, architectural drawings and other primary source records from 1829 onwards.

Reports

A report is a type of writing that examines a specific issue, event, project, or finding in detail. Reports are commonly produced by governments, researchers, businesses, and not-for-profit organisations. They are often created to document an organisation’s own work, research, activities, or outcomes.

Reports may present original data, statistics, findings, and recommendations and include information not available elsewhere. Because they often focus on sharing an organisation’s own evidence and analysis, reports may contain fewer references to external sources than academic journal articles.

Reports can be valuable sources of information because they provide detailed background, context, and insight into a topic from people or organisations directly involved in the work. However, it is important to evaluate reports carefully. Some reports, particularly those produced by companies or charitable organisations, may emphasise positive outcomes while giving less attention to negative findings, limitations, or alternative viewpoints.

Tips for searching for reports

  • Reports are often freely available online, and simple search techniques are usually more effective than the complex search strategies used for academic databases.

  • You can use the site: function in your Google search to find information from specific types of websites, such as government or organisation websites.

  • When searching websites of relevant organisations, look for sections called Publications, Reports, Resources, or Collections.

  • Because many reports are published as PDF files, you can limit your Google search by filetype.

Where can I find reports?

Websites of relevant organisations

The following is a selection of organisations that provide reports in different subject areas:

Online search engines

Search engines such as Google are useful for finding reports. Google searches will often return large numbers of results, so consider limiting your search by date (e.g., the last 5/10 years) in Advanced Search.

Statistics

Statistics is the practice of collecting, organising, analysing, and interpreting numerical data. By examining sample data, statistics can help us draw conclusions about a larger population.

Statistics are widely used in research, decision-making, and understanding societal trends. They are often presented in tables, graphs, or charts to make information easier to understand. In your studies, statistical data can strengthen your arguments, support your ideas with evidence, and add credibility to your research and assessments.

Tips for finding statistics

  • When searching, include the term ‘statistics’ alongside your other topic keywords, e.g. Indigenous education AND statistics.

  • You can use the site: function in your Google search to find information from specific types of websites, such as government or organisation websites.

  • If statistics are not available for a specific country, it may be helpful to search for data at a regional level, such as Africa, Southeast Asia, or Europe.

  • For some countries, reliable statistics can be difficult to obtain. Developing countries or countries with unstable governments may have limited resources for collecting data, incomplete reporting systems, or disruptions that affect the accuracy of official statistics. International organisations such as the United Nations, World Bank, World Health Organization, and OECD can be useful alternative sources of statistics for these countries.

  • Keep in mind that statistics are not always available for every topic. Collecting and publishing data takes time, so the most recent figures may not yet be available. In some cases, the data may never have been collected or may not be publicly accessible.

Where can I find statistics?

Websites of organisations related to your topic are a good starting point for finding statistics. Government departments, research institutes, professional associations, international organisations, and not-for-profit groups often publish data, reports, and statistical summaries. Statistics can also be found in journal articles, reports, books, databases and newspapers.

Websites of relevant organisations

The following websites provide statistical data for Australia and other countries around the world.

  • Eurostat is the European Union’s statistical information service, responsible for publishing high quality Europe-wide statistics and indicators.

  • OECD provides global statistical coverage on economics, trade, industry, finance, employment and health.

  • United Nations Statistical Division - UNSD compiles and disseminates global statistical information including economic, demographic, social, environment and energy statistics along with the National Statistical Offices for member countries.

  • World Bank collects and publishes statistics on topics such as population, health, education, poverty, employment, the economy, the environment, and technology from countries around the world.

  • World Health Organization (WHO) compiles the most recent available data on health and health-related indicators, including topics such as mortality and burden of disease, health systems, health equity, and more.

  • World Trade Organization (WTO) provides information on international trade figures for commodities and commercial services such as transport and financial services.