eSKILLS PLus Online Quiz

Table of Contents

1. Research skills
   1. Primary sources
   2. Statistics
   3. Secondary literature
   4. Grey literature
   5. Tertiary literature
   6. Library catalogues
   7. News & magazines
   8. Journal databases
   9. Web research
   10. Finding theses
2. Mastering the literature
   1. Evaluating sources
   2. Journal quality
   3. Citation tracking
   4. The Literature review
   5. Keeping up-to-date
3. Career development
   1. Networking
   2. Conferences
   3. Grants and scholarships
   4. Writing for publication
   5. Submitting the thesis
   6. Looking for jobs

Primary sources

1

Identifying primary sources Generally, which of the following could be described as primary sources? a) Newspaper articles b) Diaries c) Journal articles d) History books a) Correct.a) The correct answer is: yes. Newspaper articles written at the time of an event are considered to be original records.b) Correct.b) The correct answer is: yes. Diaries, like autobiographies and memoirs are examples of documents containing eyewitness accounts of events at that time.c) Correct.c) The correct answer is: no. Journal articles are not usually regarded as primary sources, unless they provide details of a particular research project or experiment.d) Correct.d) The correct is: no. History books are usually second hand accounts of past events.

2

Useful primary sources If you were researching the event of the battle of Vinegar Hill, 1804 in NSW, which of the following would be regarded as primary source material? a) A painting dated 1804, by an unknown artist depicting the actual battle. b) A journal article, Stephen Gapps (2004) 'Performing the unknown: The re-enactment of the 1804 battle of Vinegar Hill' History Australia, 1 (2) 308-313. c) Sydney Gazette, 11 March 1804, report on the arrest of Phillip Cunningham (rebel) by Major George Johnston (NSW Corps) at the battle. d) Deposition of Smith, 1804, (convict rebel) quoted in GW Rusden, Curiosities of Colonization, London 1874. a) Correct.a) The correct answer is: yes. A painting from the time of the event can be used as pictorial evidence.b) Correct.b) The correct answer is: no. Journal articles are not considered as primary source material.c) Correct.c) The correct answer is: yes. Government reports from the time of the event are considered as primary source material.d) Correct.d) The correct answer is: yes. Although published in 1804, the book contains a direct quotation from documents at the time of the event.

3	Unpublished material Go to the State library of NSW website. What sort of unpublished original material can you find in the Miles Franklin collection? Manuscripts, correspondence and photographs.

4	Databases indexing primary sources Using the Australian Historic Records Register (AHRR), what sort of unpublished material is available about the Kidman family? Unpublished material on the Kidman family includes; diaries, journals, surveys, and memoirs.