Finding information in project management

The purpose of this publication is to provide you with a starting point to finding resources in Project Management.

• Reference sources
• Books
• Journals
• Journal databases
• Internet resources
• Related guides and information

Reference sources

Reference sources are a good starting point for any assignment topic, as they can help to clarify concepts and keywords, as well as provide an overview of a topic. They include dictionaries, encyclopaedias, directories, handbooks, manuals, etc. Reference books are not available for loan, but can instead be used in the library.

Books

To find books on a topic, the best starting point is to perform a keyword search on the library catalogue. Once you have found an item that looks relevant, you can then use the subject headings assigned to that record to find other items. Alternatively, you can browse the shelves at the following locations:

Journals

(Also referred to as magazines, serials or periodicals.)

The library subscribes to a large number of print and electronic journals. Journals cover articles about current developments and research in a subject area. Browsing relevant journals is a good way of keeping up to date in your area, and often your lecturer will recommend certain journals.

For a list of print and electronic Project Management journals, perform a Subject search for “project management” on the Library Catalogue (using the Periodicals option). Journals are not available for loan.

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Journal databases

Locating journal articles is different from locating books. The Library Catalogue will tell you if QUT Library holds a particular journal but it will not provide information about individual journal articles. However, the journal databases will help you to locate references to journal articles, and sometimes the abstract and full-text of the articles.

The journal databases vary in the amount of information which they provide. If you find a reference to a journal article, but not the full text, then you will need to perform a Title search, using the Title of the journal (NOT the article) on the library catalogue. The library catalogue will provide the print and/or electronic holding details if the journal is available to QUT staff and students.

Effective use of the databases requires an understanding of search techniques and the Pilot Information Literacy tutorial provides help on developing search strategies.

In addition, library staff offer training sessions on how to use databases throughout each semester. The Tours & workshops page provides further information.

QUT staff and students can access the databases from within QUT libraries or remotely from your School, home or office via the Internet. Most databases require your QUT username and password. Access to the databases is available from the Databases page.

A selection of Project Management related databases are listed below.

For more recommended databases, see the Databases Subject Guide (project management):
/find/databases/subjectguide_index.jsp#002000000

Internet resources

The Internet provides access to a large range of resources in the Project Management area. However, the quality of the resources varies, and as part of your research process, you will need to evaluate each web site. There are guidelines for evaluating information which can help you with the evaluation process.

A selection of authoritative Project Management related web sites are listed below.

Website	Type of resource	Description
Association for Project Management http://www.apm.org.uk	Professional association	The Association for Project Management is the largest independent professional body of its kind in Europe. It has over 13,500 individual and 240 corporate members throughout the UK and abroad. APM’s key objectives are to develop and promote excellence in project management across all sectors of industry and beyond
Australian Institute of Project Management http://www.aipm.com.au/html		The Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) is the peak body for project management in Australia.  The AIPM’s role is to improve the knowledge, skills and competence of project  team members, project managers and project directors, all of whom play a key role in the achievement of business objectives, not just project objectives.
Centre for International Project and Program Management http://www.iol.ie/~mattewar/CIPPM	Professional association	CIPPM is a nonprofit international association and centre of advanced communication, research, and learning for professional project managers and those interested in project management. CIPPM exists to serve, support, and advance project and quality management which serves society, including public and private business, politics, and social.
The PMForum http://www.pmforum.org	Professional association	A Canadian bases site, the PMForum is a resource for information on international project management affairs.  The PMForum supports the development, international cooperation, promotion and advancement of a professional and worldwide project management discipline.
Project Management Institute http://www.pmi.org		Established in 1969 and headquartered outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA, the Project Management Institute (PMI) is a leading not-for-profit project management professional association, with over 86,000 members worldwide.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors http://www.rics.org.au		RICS members are the leading worldwide source of professional advice on land, property, construction and related environmental issues.  They understand property, those who use it, the legislation governing it, the markets trading it, the services supporting it and the economics of building, buying, managing, maintaining and selling it.

Related guides and information

For further information about using libraries and the principles of searching the Library Databases and the Internet, try Pilot. It is a series of short interactive tutorials on finding information in the library and on the Internet.

There are also guides to citing information (in both APA and Harvard format), and how to find standards in your research area.