Research

Reviewing the published literature and theses from the field

We can assist you in finding the scholarly literature relevant to your research focus. Major citation databases and other resources will help you identify key authors, articles and ideas to be included in your literature review.

• Subject guides identify key resources, including recommended library databases, in a wide range of subject areas. Consult these guides if you are not sure where to begin your literature search.
• The Finding and obtaining theses guide will help you locate RMIT, Australian and overseas theses.
  

Consult RMIT University’s Higher Degrees by Research policy for advice on the thesis submission process.

Getting items not held at the Library

Locate items held in other Victorian academic libraries by searching their individual catalogues or the Libraries Australia database of holdings of major Australian libraries. Once you’ve located the items you need, you may be able to borrow them in person, or request them through our Document Delivery Service.

• Search other library catalogues
• Get items from other libraries
• Recommend items for the Library to buy

Staying up-to-date with your research

Save your searches and set up database or search engine alerts so that you are informed when new references matching your research are added to the database. Most major databases allow you to set up alerts, but they vary in the type of alerts they offer.

• Staying current with your research guide

Choosing where to publish your research

We have compiled information and links to a range of tools and resources to help you find the most suitable journals, conference proceedings and other publications in which to publish your research. We also provide you with information on different models of open access publishing adopted by publishers and some guidance to avoiding the pitfalls of predatory publishing.

• Publishing your research guide

Tracking the impact of your research

There are tools and resources that will help you to measure and demonstrate the quality of your research. It includes information on citation, journal and researcher metrics, as well as Altmetrics.

• Research metrics guide

Managing your ORCID researcher profile

Establish and maintain your researcher profile. Use research identifiers to create and manage your profile as a researcher, ensuring that all of your publications are identified with you. To increase research impact and attract collaborators, share your publications and promote your research through academic networks and by blogging or tweeting about your research.

• Research profiles and ORCID IDS guide

Research skills training for Higher Degree by Research (HDR) candidates

The Library runs workshops for research candidates and supervisors through the School of Graduate Research’s PhD Up! program. They include:

• Getting started with your research degree
• How to set up a writing group
• Researching your literature review
• Writing your literature review
• The traditional thesis structure
• Exploring alternative thesis structures
• Facing the blank page
• Academic English for research writers
• Writing with authority
• Endnote, Zotero, Mendeley - which reference manager?
• Privacy and your thesis
• Editing your thesis for submission
• Choosing where to publish
• Endnote for your theses
• Are you being cited?
• Research data management for the research student
• Setting up your researcher profile and identifier

PhD Up! program

Writing and general study skills

The Library offers advice specific to research candidates on writing, critical and effective reading strategies, managing your workload, negotiating supervisor relationships, planning and presenting your research, poster presentations and maintaining motivation:

• Workshops on research writing in the School of Graduate Research’s PhD Up workshops.
• Individual appointments with an Academic Skills Adviser for advice on research writing, including thesis structure and development, journal articles and conference papers. Make an appointment by filling in the ‘Library assistance for researchers’ form.

Online training

• Library guides related to research
• Graduate Researcher KnowHow
• Research skills for HDR candidates
• Literature review guides
• Online moderated course on writing a research proposal
• Explore some of the study and writing requirements of postgraduate study in the Learning Lab.

Referencing support

The Library has guides that show how to integrate referencing into your writing and how to reference in the major referencing styles used at RMIT. 

• Learning Lab: Referencing includes guidance on how to integrate referencing into your writing.
• Referencing guides for printing
• Easy Cite online referencing tool

Manage your references

The EndNote is a reference management application that will help you

• store and organise references found during a literature review 
• insert citations into your documents, and 
• create bibliographies in the required referencing style.

EndNote: managing your references

Copyright

We provide copyright advice and resources regarding IP rights and including copyright works in publications and presentations.

• Copyright Services website
• Copyright guide
• Attribution builder helps you cite openly distributed work, such as work licensed by Creative Commons

Choose where to publish your research

The Library ‘Strategic publishing’ guide provides information and links to a range of tools and resources to help you find the most suitable journals, conference proceedings and other publications in which to publish your research. The guide also provides information on different models of open access publishing adopted by publishers and some guidance to avoiding the pitfalls of unethical publishing.

Strategic publishing

Add your publications to the RMIT Research Repository.

The open access RMIT Research Repository showcases RMIT researcher publications, increasing their visibility and impact. Ensure that publication records and full-text is added to the Repository by reporting eligible research outputs.

The Repository is also the central location for all RMIT University digital theses, providing worldwide exposure to research by RMIT higher degree graduates.

RMIT Research Repository

Reporting your research publications and outputs

Increase your publication’s impact by making your accepted manuscripts available open access via the Research Repository. Send your accepted manuscripts to repository@rmit.edu.au

All publications need to be reported for the Excellence in Research for Australia process, which evaluates the quality of research conducted in Australian universities and allows for both national and international benchmarking.

Reporting your research publications and outputs

Manage your research data

Research data management includes the planning, collecting, storage, sharing and promotion of research data. We can discuss with you the different aspects of research data management during a research consultation.

Research Data Management guide

Share information about your research data

Publish information about your research data using the RMIT Research Data Catalogue and enjoy the benefits of sharing this information with the wider community.

RMIT Research Data Catalogue