Library FAQs

They key to finding trustworthy information is to critically evaluate it.

Ask yourself:

Authority

• Who wrote or produced the information?

Accuracy

• Is the work peer-reviewed?

Objectivity

• Are the goals of the research stated?
• Is the information provided sound and well-researched?
• Is any bias acknowledged such as funding?

Currency

• When was it published?.

Coverage

• What is covered by the research

Audience

• Who is the target audience?

Quality

• What’s the quality of the article

Knowing the best way to narrow down your search in Google can be difficult. Here are some tips for searching in Google.

If you want to:

Exclude a word:

• Use a hyphen (i.e. cat –dog)

Include both words:

• Use a plus sign (i.e. cat +and dog)

Combine searches:

• Use ‘OR’ (i.e. cat OR dog)

Exact match:

• Use quotation marks (i.e. “Cats love dogs”)

Wildcards or unknown words:

• Use an Asterix and quotation marks (i.e. “largest * in the world”)

Specific site:

• Use a colon and the word ‘site’ (i.e. site:drugarm.com.au)

Related sites:

• Use a colon and the word ‘related’ (i.e. related:drugarm.com.au)

Need further help? Just Ask a Librarian!

Some of the items on the catalogue are only visible if you log in as a member, and some items are only available when using a Drug ARM computer.

Contact our Librarian if you need support accessing information.

Send the details of the item to the library. You can also make suggestions by logging into the catalogue as a member.

Yes, donations are greatly appreciated!

You can help facilitate access to trustworthy information on alcohol and other drugs and mental health by making a financial or in-kind gift to the Library.

We do take donations of books, but only if they will fit in with the collection.  We appreciate your understanding in this matter.

Please note that once a book is donated we cannot return it.