Topic outline

  • General

  • Welcome

    • Welcome to Study Support for Business & Commerce at USQ Library. On this site you will find guides, tools and resources to build your skills and knowledge in university study, research and assessment. These core skills, such as critical thinking, effective research and teamwork will also serve you well throughout your professional career. 

      Scroll down the page, or navigate to individual sections using the menu. If you have questions, or require further support, please contact us. 

  • Acknowledgement of first peoples

    • USQ acknowledges the Giabal and Jarowair peoples of the Toowoomba area, the Jagera, Yuggera and Ugarapul peoples of Ipswich and Springfield, the Kambuwal peoples of Stanthorpe and the Gadigal peoples of the Eora nation, Sydney as the keepers of ancient knowledge where USQ campuses and hubs have been built and whose cultures and customs continue to nurture this land. USQ also pays respect to Elders – past, present and future (USQ, 2017).

  • Finding Information

    • Throughout your university study, and your professional career, you will need to find, assess and utilise information. This section offers an introduction to effective ways to search, and offers advice on the best resources to use for your assignments. 

    • What is information literacy? Page

      Information literacy is a skill you will grow and develop throughout your lives. While you may not be aware of it, you use it constantly in your everyday life.

    • Why not just Google? Page

      There's a number of reasons why it's wise to look further than Google for information for your assignments.

    • What kinds of information should I use in my study? URL

      You may need to use a wide variety of information for your assignments throughout your studies. Different types of evidence can be used to respond to different questions or problems. This guide explains different information sources available to you and when and where to use them.

    • The internet and university study Page

      While much of the content on the internet is inappropriate to use in your scholarly and professional lives, there is specific information that you will need to source from the web.

    • Key databases for business & commerce Page

      Databases are collections of resources grouped by information type or subject area. Here are a few key databases that may be useful to get started in business and commerce. 

    • Strategies for searching for information effectively URL

      Do you find yourself spending hours going through search results to find the actual information you are looking for? A search strategy targets your search so your results are more relevant, and less numerous.

    • Evaluating your information sources URL

      What is good information? This tutorial offers some guidance on how to evaluate the quality of the information you have found for your assignments.

    • Finding specialist resources URL

      Looking for specialist resources, such as company information, statistics or standards? This section offers links and guides for finding these resources for your study. 

    • Visit the USQ Library URL

      Start searching, or explore other support available through USQ Library.

    • Finding more help URL

      Need further help? Contact USQ Library in person or online. 

  • Assessment & Study Skills

    • Getting started with study: Time Management and Contacts Page

      We introduce some core study skills in this section, such as time management, and important contacts in other areas of the university. 

    • Group work Page

      Group work can be challenging in some situations, but there are ways to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible. 

    • Writing assignments Page

      University is an excellent opportunity to develop the writing skills that will be essential to your future careers. 

    • Critical thinking and problem solving Page

      Critical thinking is an important skill you will develop at university, this section provides an overview of what critical thinking is and some links to further resources.

    • Exam preparation Page

      In this section we provide some tips and advice on preparing for exams. We discuss some useful strategies you might adopt to assist your revision.

  • Referencing

    • Referencing is giving credit where credit is due. When you reference, you are recognising the work of others and their contribution to the development of your ideas.

      Referencing is required in all university study.

      Any time you fail to reference, you are claiming your content is all original work and ideas. This is unethical, and contravenes both university and professional standards.

      Please be aware that different Business and Commerce courses may use different referencing styles. Please ensure you know which style you need to follow before beginning to reference your assignments.

    • Harvard AGPS Guide URL

      The official USQ guide to Harvard AGPS. This is not the same as the basic Harvard style, though it is very similar. This offers templates and examples of in text citations and reference list entries for this style. 

    • Getting started with Harvard AGPS referencing URL

      This tutorial offers an introduction to referencing, academic integrity and plagiarism at USQ.

    • If you are studying Aviation, you will need to use the USQ APA 6th or APA 7th referencing style. 

    • USQ APA Referencing Guides URL

      The official USQ guides to APA referencing with templates and examples of in text citations and reference list entries. 

    • Further information on referencing can be found through the library website. 

  • Specialist Resources

    • As a business or commerce professional, you will need to be able to find, access and use specialist resources, such as company and industry information, statistics, and standards. This section offers links and guides for finding these resources for your study. 

    • Company and industry information Page

      USQ Library provides access to a number of databases with financial and other corporate information about Australian and overseas companies. 

    • Statistics Page

      Statistics can be an important kind of information in research for business and commerce. Statistical information can be used for forecasting, analysis, problem solving and reporting.

    • Standards Page

      “Standards are documents setting out specifications, procedures and guidelines. They are designed to ensure products, services and systems are safe, reliable and consistent.“ (Standards Australia, 2018)

  • Mathematics

  • Postgraduate Support

    • Honours and higher degree research students require more advanced research skills to complete literature reviews and research projects. This section will take you through the research process and offer guides, tutorials and resources to help you conduct in depth research.  

    • HDR Library and Information Tutorial URL

      USQ Staff and Students only. Log-in required.

      This is designed to introduce you to the advanced learning, information retrieval, and management skills required to undertake a Higher Degree by Research. 

      This MUST be completed prior to Confirmation of Candidature.

    • Literature review Page

      A literature review is a comprehensive assessment and documentation of the literature related to your area of research or your problem.

    • Key databases for postgraduate research Page

      Here are a few key databases that may be useful to get started in your postgraduate research (USQ Log-in required). 

    • Finding the full text Page

      Can't find a complete copy of the article? Here are some tips for accessing the full text of books and articles. 

    • Reference or Citation Management software - EndNote URL

      Endnote is a bibliographic management software provided by the university. It allows you to create, search, sort and annotate a personal library of research. Using Endnote you can insert properly formatted citations directly into the text or reference list of your document in Word. 

    • Office of Research URL

      This is where you will find the HDR Thesis Presentation Schedule, which outlines the formatting requirements for USQ theses. Other official forms and guides to completing your HDR program can also be found at the Office of Research site. The Office of Research produces ReDTrain, a series of initiatives and events to help you develop your skills and knowledge.

    • USQ Higher Degree By Research Student Zone (Log-in Required) URL

      This community offers a good space to connect with other USQ research students for advice and support. This is a closed facebook group for USQ research students. You will need to request access to join. 

    • USQ Library Research Support URL

      Find information about research visibility, publishing strategies, data management and other HDR student and research support services.

    • USQ Statistical Consultancy Unit (SCU) [USQ Log-in required] URL

      Need help with statistics? USQ's Statistical Consulting Unit (SCU) offers workshops and consultations on research design, data collection, analysis and interpretation. This service is only available to postgraduate research students at USQ. You can self-enrol to access this site.

    • HDR and Masters Research study skills support URL

      Workshops and consultations are available to assist with thesis writing, supervisory relationships, and grammar and punctuation. Consult your research supervisor before requesting an appointment.

    • NVivo URL

      NVivo is data analysis software designed for qualitative and mixed method data collection. This software can be used to help researchers to collect, organize and analyse content from interviews, focus group discussions, surveys, audio, social media, videos and webpages.

      You must be a current USQ student to download and use this software and attend training.

  • Contact Us

      • Online Study Support Sessions

        Each week the Learning Advisor and Librarian provide a brief online lesson on a useful topic for study. There is time to discuss the topic and for you to ask any library or study-related questions.
        See the Library Events Calendar for details.

      • Appointments

        Book a video (Zoom), phone, or email appointment with a Learning Advisor, Maths Learning Advisor or Librarian.

      • Meet-Up

        Meet-up is a student peer support program where you can discuss your questions and concerns with other students. This may be available in your course, or join (USQ Login required) the online Meet-Up Student Community. 


  • COURSE SPECIFIC GUIDES

    • ACC8105 & ACC3300 Financial statement analysis - USQ Library resources and support

    • MKT1001 Introduction to marketing - USQ Library resources and support

    • ACC2115 Resources

      • Word Support Page

        This page provides links to a range of resources students can access to assist them when using Microsoft Word for coursework or assessment.

      • Report Writing: Useful Resources Page

        This page provides information on and links to resources students can access to develop their report writing skills to assist them with the major written assessment for ACC2115.

      • Writing a Business Letter URL

        This link is to a short video (running time 6:51 minutes) on how to write a business letter. This is a useful short guide that will assist you with course assessment.