Free, high-quality academic material accessible without a WIN Library subscription or individual login — reputable open-access databases plus selected public, state and national library services for students in Sydney and Canberra.
Find broad academic search tools and open-access research across many subject areas.
Use these resources when starting assignment research or searching across a broad range of subjects — useful for finding scholarly articles, theses, books, conference papers and open-access journals across multiple disciplines.
Google Scholar
https://scholar.google.com
A fast, easy way to find scholarly articles, theses, conference papers and books across many disciplines; especially useful for discovering peer-reviewed research and cited references (not all results are freely available).
Useful for: Starting assignment research, Finding scholarly articles, Locating cited references
One of the world’s largest collections of open-access academic papers, gathering research from universities and repositories globally.
Useful for: Full-text academic papers, Open-access journal articles, Theses and research outputs
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
https://www.doaj.org
A trusted directory of fully open-access, peer-reviewed academic journals across all disciplines.
Useful for: Peer-reviewed open-access journals, Credible academic articles, Checking journal open-access status
Access theses, research publications and scholarly outputs from universities and research institutions.
Use these resources when looking for theses, dissertations, scholarly eBooks and examples of academic research — especially useful for literature reviews and research projects.
Trove
https://trove.nla.gov.au
From the National Library of Australia — an excellent source for Australian theses, government publications, reports and historical materials.
Useful for: Australian theses, Government publications, Historical materials
Open Research Library
https://openresearchlibrary.org
Free access to scholarly eBooks and research publications from respected academic publishers and institutions worldwide.
Useful for: Scholarly eBooks, Literature reviews, Extended academic reading
NDLTD
https://ndltd.org
The Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations indexes graduate research papers from universities worldwide.
Useful for: Graduate research examples, Theses & dissertations, Understanding academic writing structure
Explore open-access business, economics, finance and management research.
Use these resources when researching business, accounting, economics, finance, management or law topics — useful for working papers, journal articles, datasets and emerging research.
RePEc
https://repec.org
A leading open-access resource for economics, finance and business research, including working papers, journal articles and datasets.
Useful for: Economics research, Finance topics, Working papers
SSRN
https://www.ssrn.com
Hosts early-stage and peer-reviewed papers in business, accounting, economics, finance and law.
Useful for: Business research, Legal research, Emerging research & debates
Find open research in computing, artificial intelligence, data science and technology.
Use these resources for open research in computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, software, datasets and technology — especially useful for current technical papers.
arXiv
https://arxiv.org
A major open-access repository for computer science, AI, data science and related technology fields.
Useful for: Computer science research, AI & data science, Current technical papers
Zenodo
https://zenodo.org
An open repository supported by CERN hosting research papers, datasets, software and project outputs.
Useful for: Research papers & datasets, Software outputs, Multidisciplinary research
Explore open-access resources for creative media, design, humanities and cultural heritage research.
Best for:
Internet Archive
https://archive.org
Free access to digitised books, media, films, audio and archived websites.
Useful for: Digitised books, Historical research, Media, film & audio.
Europeana
https://www.europeana.eu
A digital platform offering access to millions of cultural heritage items from European museums and libraries.
Useful for: Visual & design research, Cultural heritage materials, Creative media research
Access government data, reports, statistics and policy research.
Use these resources when looking for government reports, public datasets, statistics, policy information and evidence for business or policy-related assignments.
data.gov.au
https://www.data.gov.au
Official Australian government datasets, statistics and reports — useful for business analysis and policy research.
Useful for: Australian government datasets, Business analysis, Policy research
OECD iLibrary Open Content
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org
Selected open-access reports and data on global economics, education, technology and policy.
Useful for: Global economics, International business research, Policy reports & data
Discover additional research services available through public, state and national libraries.
Students may also access additional research databases, digital collections, newspapers, eBooks and study spaces through public, state and national library services.
State Library of New South Wales
https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/
Free public access to academic databases, eBooks, journals, newspapers and reference materials; most electronic resources are available remotely after free registration.
Useful for: Academic databases, Australian-focused research, Historical sources
City of Sydney Library
https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/library
Free public access to research materials, digital resources, language learning tools and professional development content.
Useful for: Background research, Skills development, Supplementary reading
National Library of Australia
https://www.library.gov.au/
Australia’s largest reference library, offering digital collections, research guides, academic databases and government publications.
Useful for: Digital collections, Research guides, Government publications
Libraries ACT
https://www.library.act.gov.au/
The public library network serving Canberra, offering digital collections, research support and quiet study spaces.
Useful for: Digital collections, Research support, ACT-based study support
Open access databases can provide high-quality academic material, but students should evaluate sources carefully before using them in assignments.
Students are encouraged to use Open Access Resources alongside WIN Library’s subscribed databases, EBSCO eBook collections and the Library Catalogue to support high-quality academic research.
