Library research support

As a researcher at Victoria University (VU), you can access a great range of resources and support services.

The VU library gives you access to countless journals, collections and research materials. Plus, as a research staff or Higher Degree Research candidate, you can use research lounges and receive valuable professional and personal support.

Resources

Databases

Our library subscribes to a number of online databases, which collectively cover a huge range of disciplines and subjects.
Special collections & archives

The Special Collections comprise of many individual collections and are a valuable research resource.
eJournals
Victoria University Research Repository

The Victoria University Research Repository is a place for you house your publications.
Research study spaces

Take advantage of our student lounge at our Footscray Park library, and and research rooms at our St Albans and Werribee campus libraries.
Document request service

Gain access to material not held at the VU Library though the document request service.
Using other libraries

If you are not able to find particular items within the VU Library, you can try to obtain these items from other libraries.

Support services

Boost your impact

Development

The Researcher Development Program includes library-specific sessions.

Research fundamentals:

using Endnote
managing information
using library resources, such as research databases and research tools.

Research impact & dissemination and getting published:

managing your research profile
identifying high quality journal publications.

Advice

Make an appointment for expert advice and assistance with:

conducting library research
deciding where to publish to increase the impact of your research
managing your research profile
claiming and depositing research publications in VU Elements
research data management
copyright advice
getting your publications in the VU Research Repository.

More information & sessions

Email [email protected] to request:

more information about these programs
additional development sessions for a specific audience.

Theses & research papers

According to University regulations, PhD and Masters by Research theses are required to be deposited with the:

Victoria University (VU) Library
University Archive
College in which the candidate conducted the work.

It is also compulsory to lodge an electronic copy with the Victoria University Research Repository (VURR). Your thesis will then be indexed by search engines, eg. Google.

: Copies of VU Honours and Higher Degree Coursework (minor) theses are kept by the College in which the student was enrolled. Access to these theses is dependent on conditions imposed by the relevant College. Contact should be made directly to the College concerned.

VU Library has copies of theses for loan. Most are in book format, some of the older ones are available only on microfiche.

To locate a VU thesis, use Library Search to carry out a keyword search and combine terms such as 'thesis' and 'Victoria University' with broad subject categories, for example, 'marketing'. Older theses from the former Footscray Institute of Technology can be located by substituting 'Footscray Institute' for 'Victoria University'.

If you cannot find a thesis in the Library or the College, contact the University Archivist at [email protected] . If the thesis is held by the Archives, arrangements can be made to view the archive copy under supervision.

VU theses may also be available electronically in the Victoria University Research Repository (VURR).
: Some theses from other Australian institutions may be held by Victoria University Library. These can be located by doing a keyword, author or title search in Library Search.

Locate Australian theses by searching:

Victoria University Research Repository

Trove – combined catalogue for searching Australian libraries

Subject databases and some specialist databases index theses.
: VU Library may have some international theses in the main collection that are available to borrow, however most international theses will not be held.

Locate international theses by searching:

OpenDOAR: an international directory of academic open access repositories that assists you to locate institutional repositories on any subject area, from any country (including Australia).

Digital Dissertations: a database of citations and abstracts describing Masters and PhD theses and dissertations. The emphasis is on theses from universities and graduate schools in the US with some coverage of Northern European, Australian and Asian universities.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD): a site that provides access to mainly dissertations and theses from America but includes other countries.

Libraries Australia: this searches Australian libraries, which may have some international theses in their collections.

Subject databases and some specialist databases index theses: these can be located through Google or Google Scholar, or other internet search engines and directories.
Australian and international theses that have been located but are not held by VU Library can be obtained by:

Document request system: a service that is only available to staff and Higher Degree students. Not all institutions will lend theses.

Suggestion for purchase: some theses may be purchased for the VU Library collection. Purchase depends on available funds and collection selection criteria. Selection is approved by the appropriate Liaison Librarian for the College and Campus.

Making personal arrangements to visit the holding institution: VU staff and students can borrow at other universities by enrolling in the CAVAL or National Borrowing Scheme.

Contact us

Area of support	Name	Contact
Research Services	Cameron Barrie	+61 3 9919 4620 [email protected]
Copyright	Ingrid Unger	+61 3 9919 5958 [email protected]
Digital Repositories	Digital Services	[email protected]
Business & IT	Lou Connell	+61 3 9919 4423 [email protected]
Sport, Health & Engineering	Suzanne Poliness	+61 3 9919 8629 [email protected]
Law, Justice, Arts & Education	Murray Greenway	+61 3 9919 1834 [email protected]