Lazarus, K n.d., Barn Owl, Unsplash, viewed 20 November 2018, <https://unsplash.com/photos/sPZXWoWHqX8>

This is Module 1 in the Search, Evaluate, Integrate, Reference and Act Ethically (SEIRA) Owl modules.   These modules are about scholarship in using sources.   That is, how and where to find the best sources; how to integrate them convincingly and correctly in your writing and how to approach academic activities with ethics and integrity.  The Owl image has been chosen as a symbol of wisdom.  The SEIRA Owl is synonymous with learning and it will accompany you on your first steps to academic writing at UniSA.

'Authorship' is everything in the Western academic tradition.  In Engineering and other disciplines at UniSA, information presented by an author, their research findings and ideas will need to be attributed using the APA 7 Referencing method.

The first step, though, is to develop your understanding about where to find the most appropriate sources, and what makes these sources suitable for academic writing.

Once you have developed these skills, you can then learn to integrate them into your writing.

Three steps to searching successfully

   Watch the film

This film is about the first step in using sources correctly - that is, knowing where to find them.   Nathan and Kim, two students from Sustainable Engineering Practice, visit their Course Coordinator Liz to ask how to start their first assignment.   Liz suggests a visit to Academic Librarian, Catherine, to learn about the best places to find sources which are suitable for academic writing (5 Minutes).  After watching the video, you will learn:

• where to look on the UniSA Library website to begin your search for information
• about the Engineering subject guide
• where to find the catalogue, links to databases and Google Scholar.

  Skim the resources

How to find scholarly sources

Engineering Guide

 Take the Quiz

Complete the quiz questions to test your understanding about how to search for sources to use in an engineering assignment.  This quiz has been designed to test your understanding about the best places to search; the resources available and some useful search strategies.   There are a total of 10 questions and you will receive immediate feedback on your attempt.  You can try this quiz as many times as you like!  Good luck.