VU at the Midsumma March 2021

Lou Connell   lou.connell@vu.edu.au
Meg Weller    meg.weller@vu.edu.au 
Gabe Thomson  gabe.thomson@vu.edu.au

INTRODUCTION

At VU, we are committed to being proudly progressive – it’s a literal part of our new University strategy, which encourages us all to care about increasing equality and inclusion, and, more importantly, to take action.  The VU Library team has taken action in preparing resources that will support all members of the VU community to take their own actions to make VU more inclusive and a thriving place to study and work.  For members of the LGBTIQA+ community, it supports the ongoing message that we are seen, included and supported by our peers and colleagues. 

Much change has occurred across my lifetime that has benefited me.  I am certainly proud to be part of a University that continues to push forward to overcome the many barriers to equality and inclusion that still exist, for many different reasons.  We are all individuals, and understanding more about the different elements that may make up someone else’s experience is important work for us all to continue.  I hope you will join me in that work and make the most of the wonderful resources gathered here in support of those of us of diverse genders, sexes and sexualities.

Ross Coller

Executive Sponsor, VU Pride and Ally Network

Executive Director, Engagement & Advancement

• Think carefully about your keywords including synonyms as well as broader and narrower terms:
  • Take a look at the advice for Subject searching on the Books page of this guide, as well as the Glossary
  • Find out more about keywords on the Finding Resources library guide
  • Continue to update your keywords list with those used by authors in the most useful resources you find
• Once you have collated your keywords, use AND, OR and NOT, as well as truncation and wildcards to build robust search strategies:
  • Use the Planning Your Search and Database Search Tips resources (from the Finding Resources guide) to learn how to build successful searches
• There are a broad range of academic resources that will be relevant to LGBTIQ+ research - think outside the box!
  • For example, if you are interested in the financial circumstances of young LGBTIQ+ people consider using Business and Economics databases as well as Social Science and Humanities databases
• There have been significant historical changes in the language and the expression of ideas relating to LGBTIQ+ people and their experiences. This evolution continues today. Be mindful that these changes in language will be reflected in the research literature:
  • Please be aware that historical terms and ideas about LQBTIQ+ people and issues may be outdated and considered inappropriate to our modern values, but will still persist in older academic resources. Please practice self-care while engaging in research that might involve difficult topics or language.