Find and evaluate information
We have collected together information on how you can best plan your information seeking and find relevant literature in this guide. You will also find information on evaluating sources.
Contents of this guide
Plan your search – we guide you through the various steps of the search process
Advanced search techniques – learn to use advanced search techniques
Searching for materials – tips and suggestions for different approaches to finding relevant sources
Source evaluation – how to assess the credibility and quality of a source
Publication types – learn more about different publication types or document types
Do you need more help?
Book a librarian – if you need help with information searching, citations or managing images.
Chalmers Writing Centre – if you need help from a writing tutor with aspects such as structure, grammar and readability of your text.
Chalmers Writing Guide – recommendations for those writing in the disipline of science and technology.
Services for students with learning disabilities – if you are in need of recorded course literature, audiobooks, and writing aids
Scholarly communication - a brief introduction
Scholarly communication is the process of dissemination research results. It is important that the researcher publish their results so it can reach other research, as well as society at large. The goal for the researcher is:
To get acknowledgement for their research, results and ideas.
To get funding for future research projects.
To spread their findings to colleagues and get feedback on their research.
The process looks like the image above. First, the researcher gets an idea, then they apply for funding and grants to be able to conduct the research project. The preliminary findings of the project are presented at seminars and conferences. The final result can be published, for example as a peer-reviewed journal article.
Publishing in an academic journal is oftentimes the goal for researchers. By getting published it is easier for the researcher to reach other researchers. In conjunction with publishing and scholarly communication you usually also encounter citations, bibliometrics, peer review and open access.
Bibliometric – is a quantitative analysis of research publications, for example number of citations. Read more about bibliometrics.
Citations – how often the text is mentioned by other researchers. The more citations an article has, the higher its impact factor which is used as standardized way of measuring scientific impact.
Peer review – before an article is published it goes through peer-review, which means that the text is checked and commented on by other researchers.
When research output is considered established knowledge it can be included in educational material and dictionaries.
Also read
Copyright – Guide (Opens in new tab)
Learn more about copyright, Creative Commons licenses, how to apply for permission to use other people's material, and important resources when searching for free images.