Library guides: Indigenous Education: Key resources

Key databases

Key databases to get started

Start your research in the following key databases.

Warning: The records in these databases may contain names and/or images of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

InfoRMIT This link opens in a new window
Australian database including journal articles, books/book chapters & conference papers. Click 'Change database' to limit to a collection, e.g. full-text collections:
- Indigenous
- A+ Education
- Humanities & Social Sciences Collection
Abstract only collections from peak research bodies:
- Australian Education Index
- Indigenous Studies Bibliography
Ebsco databases This link opens in a new window
Try searching Education Research Complete and ERIC. The multidisciplinary databases Humanities International Complete and Academic Search Premier may also be helpful.
Try adding (Aboriginal OR "Torres Strait Islander" OR Indigenous) AND Australia* to your search for more relevant results.
ProQuest This link opens in a new window
Multidisciplinary database, including education content.
Try adding (Aboriginal OR "Torres Strait Islander" OR Indigenous) AND Australia* to your search for more relevant results.
Emerald This link opens in a new window
Includes an extensive collection of education journals.
Try adding (Aboriginal OR "Torres Strait Islander" OR Indigenous) AND Australia* to your search for more relevant results.

Specialist databases

Try the following databases if you are searching for more specific education literature.

Learning Ground
A free index of articles, conference papers and reports on Indigenous education from publishers in Australia and overseas. Search the SCU Library collection if there is no link to a freely available full-text version.

VOCEDplus - the international tertiary education research database. This link opens in a new window
A free research database from NCVER, encompassing vocational education and training (VET), higher education, adult and community education, informal learning, and VET in schools. Explore the themed Pods or browse by subject. Full-text for most resources is available.

Additional databases for comprehensive searching

Indigenous Knowledge (Gnibi) databases
If you need further literature, try searching the additional databases listed on the above page.

Tip: When searching in large multidisciplinary databases, try adding (Aboriginal OR "Torres Strait Islander" OR Indigenous) AND Australia* to your search to find more relevant results.

Key book & journal titles

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Resources
*NEW*: A collection showcasing works written by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors. Note: more collections will be added over time.

The Routledge Handbook of Australian Indigenous Peoples and Futures by Carlson, Bronwyn; Day, Madi; O'Sullivan, Sandy; Kennedy, Tristan
Publication Date: 2023
Indigenous Education in Australia: learning and teaching for deadly futures by Marnee Shay & Rhonda Oliver (Editors)
Publication Date: 2021
8 ways : Aboriginal pedagogy from Western NSW by NSW Department of Education and Communities
Call Number: 371.8299915 EIGH
Publication Date: 2012

Library Tutorial for Indigenous Units

This online tutorial will take approximately 20-25 minutes to complete, and is designed to help you with finding resources for your assessments. At the end of the module you will know how to:

Find journal articles in the library catalogue and databases
Apply research tips and tricks to get the most out of your searching
Access further help from the library

Click the arrows at the bottom right to view the tutorial in full-screen mode.

Peer reviewed or scholarly?

You may be required to find peer-reviewed journal articles. Here are some tips for finding out if an article is published in a peer-reviewed journal:

There are 4 ways to check for peer-reviewed status:

does the database allow you to restrict your search to peer reviewed publications (like Ebsco)
does the database offer a way to check by clicking the journal title, or a browse title link (like APA-FT)
search a specialised database such as Ulrichsweb or Serials Directory for the journal title. In Ulrichsweb you are hoping to see a little black and white striped referee shirt , in Serials Directory you are hoping for a statement: "Peer Reviewed: Yes".
search the web for the home page of the journal. Look for an information for authors/contributors page. Does it tell authors that their work will be subject to a peer-reviewed process.

Also remember to check that your article is scholarly and not just an opinion or commentary piece that happens to be in a peer-reviewed publication. Some good indicators:

the author gives their academic qualifications/affiliations with a university
often there is an abstract
substantial document - longer than 2 pages
list of references at the end.

Research Ready - Scholarly vs non-scholarly sources

This module that explains the difference between Scholarly and non-Scholarly resources.

Research Ready - Evaluating resources

A short module showing how to evaluate resources using the CRAAP test