Frequently asked questions about Informit Explore
Who is Informit?
Informit is a research platform based at RMIT University. Informit provides access to a wide range of scholarly and research-oriented content, including academic journals, conference proceedings, reports, and other publications across various disciplines. We are committed to fostering diversity in publishing and the promotion of critical thinking for a better informed and knowledgeable community.
What do we mean by ‘Australian’ content?
Supporting Australian content makers is at the heart of what Informit stands for. The majority of Informit’s catalogue content comes from Australian publishers and content creators. Our Explore platform also boasts unique Australian content created in partnership with local teachers and the Australian Council for Education Research (ACER). Every issue page on Informit has been developed in partnership with an Australian teacher and reviewed by ACER for accuracy and curriculum mapping.
What products are available to schools and public libraries?
Currently there are two versions of Explore available for subscriptions.
- Explore: Full text standalone
- Explore: Full text + TVNews
All Explore customers will receive access to Informit’s full text collections. Our media product, TVNews, which includes access to an archive of Australian news and current affairs programs from 2007, is also available as an add-on to Explore.
What titles are included in Informit?
Full title lists can be accessed here:
Humanities and Social Sciences
We are currently working on a combined list.
How much does it cost?
Pricing varies depending on your sector, state and the number of patrons/students at your institution. To get a quote for your institution, please contact:
Schools: rick.susman@booklegger.com.au
Public libraries and other sectors: jodie.fitz@rmit.edu.au
What curriculum areas are covered?
Explore’s issue pages have all been mapped to curriculum learning areas and cross curriculum priorities. Some of the key areas we focus on, include:
- English
- Humanities and Social Sciences
- The Arts
- Technologies
- Health and Physical Education
- ICT
- Critical and Creative Thinking
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
- Sustainability
For more information, please refer to this article.
How can I access a trial?
To access a trial of Explore, please reach out to your sales representative.
Schools: rick.susman@booklegger.com.au
Public libraries and other sectors: Jodie.fitz@rmit.edu.au
For a full guide on accessing your trial, please see this article.
How do we access when subscribed?
Initially, via a link and password. If you sign up for Informit Explore in the long-term, we will set you up with your own account via your preferred authentication method.
Some of these methods include:
- Barcode
- IP range
- Email domain
- Single sign on
How do I set up an individual account?
To set up an individual account, please click this link. Once you have an individual account you can save searches and review your search history, so long as you have authenticated with your institution and logged
Is everything full text?
Explore customers have access to Informit’s full text journal, book and report records, while some customers may also have access to video content too if it is included in their subscription. There are index records that are also included in Explore and we are working on having them removed for a smoother search experience for early researchers.
Why am I seeing abstract-only results in my search?
Informit Explore only predominantly includes access to full-text content available on Informit. Currently, this includes records that link out to external websites that host the full-text content, which may be behind a paywall. We are working to remove this content from your Explore experience.
What do the green, orange and red padlocks mean?
You may notice padlock icons attached to search results. A green unlocked padlock means that the full text is available on Informit. An orange padlock means that it is available and an open access item. Meanwhile, a red padlock means that you don’t have access to an item on Informit.
On the filter side-bar during a search, I can filter by ‘journal’ or ‘journal article’. What is the difference?
‘Journal’ is the parent category ‘journal article’ records fall under.
Why am I seeing duplicate records in my search?
Duplicate records may exist due to how Informit sources its content. We are currently progressing in removing duplicates. Some items may appear to be duplicates but are actually different records referring to the same subject content, for example, two or more ABC state broadcasts on the same story. These are included for potential differences in coverage.
Is this all suitable for school children?
Explore has been designed for early researchers and the broader public interested in sourcing authoritative information. Within a schools context, it will be most useful to secondary students who are either starting to engage in research as part of their studies, or those who are comfortable researching.
Which media are included? – Academic, magazine, TV news, current affairs, books, newspapers?
Informit provides access to a wide variety of content types. Some of these include:
- Journal articles
- Reports
- Magazine articles
- Newspaper articles
- Book chapters
- News and current affair programs
- Movies
- Television programs
- Documentaries
What citation options are offered?
Informit’s default citation option is APA 7 Chicago, Harvard and MLA are also available on our citation generator tool.
Does it include read aloud and translate features?
Informit does not currently include read aloud or translate options. Most articles are available as a downloadable pdf. It is easy to use third party tools to achieve the same effect as text can be copied and pasted elsewhere.
Are there any features for students with visual disabilities?
Informit does not currently cater to users with visual disabilities, but it is possible to enlarge the size of an article pdf for easier reading.
Are there recommended reading ages for articles?
Featured articles are graded by reading level, but not by age. Informit’s wider catalogue is not graded by reading level.
Are there any ratings on the videos?
All TVNews are videos are unrated, while EduTV content is rated. Only G or PG EduTV content will be featured on Explore.
Can we track stats on trial / as subscribers?
All Informit subscribers receive access to usage statistics. For a full guide, please look at this article.
Who do customers contact for troubleshooting and any issues encountered with the site?
If you encounter any issues or need any help, please reach out to our friendly support team: support.informit@rmit.edu.au. From there, your query may be directed to our Product, Platform or Sales teams, depending on who is best placed to support you.
Who do customers contact for tutorials?
To access training and tutorial material, please reach out to rick.susman@booklegger.com.au
Where can I access more detailed training materials and videos?
The Informit Knowledge base is accessible from the home page on Explore.
You can also contact your sales representative for bespoke training.
Schools: rick.susman@booklegger.com.au
Public libraries and other sectors: Jodie.fitz@rmit.edu.au
What do the recommended reading ages mean?
The articles that are featured on Informit are categorised based on their reading level, rather than the age group they are intended for.
This includes the following levels:
- Basic - recommended for a year 7 reading level and up
- Intermediate - recommended for a year 9 reading level and up
- Advanced - recommended for a year 10 reading level and up, with stronger application among senior students and adults
However, it is important to note that Informit's wider catalogue is not categorised by reading level.
What citation options are available?
Informit currently offers APA 6 as its default citation option, with additional options of Chicago, Harvard, and MLA available on our citation tool.
We are in the process of transitioning to APA 7 as our default citation offering.
Informit does not currently have in-built read aloud or translation options, however, it is possible to use third-party tools that do this by downloading Informit articles in PDF format. By employing these third-party tools, users can enhance their reading experience and overcome any language barriers that may exist.
While Informit does not currently have specific features for users with visual disabilities, you always have the option to enlarge the size of the article PDF, which can improve readability.
What is the difference between Explore & “academic Informit” (Informit Search)?
Explore has been specifically designed for the needs of an early research who may be unfamiliar with Informit and research databases more broadly. Explore provides a curated and contextualised gateway into the larger Informit catalogue that is currently available on Search.
Our content has been categorised into subject and issue categories that make it easier for students and teachers to find what they’re looking for, and immediately understand the breadth of what is available on Informit. These pages feature a selection of curated articles from our catalogue and custom content developed in partnership with Australian teachers and ACER.
Other differences include the type of content you can find on Explore. While Search provides access to a wide variety of index databases, Explore’s content has been limited to our full text collections. This is because secondary students and teachers are unlikely to use indexes and can become confused by the appearance of index items in search results. All Explore customers receive access to content that is current available on Search, including:
- AGIS Plus Text
- Australian Public Affairs Text
- Business
- Families and Society
- Health
- Humanities and Social Sciences
- Indigenous
- Literature and Culture
Some customers may choose to subscribe to Informit’s video content as part of a full text and video package. These customers will receive access to:
- TVNews
As a Search customer with a media subscription, you would receive access to all of EduTV. Explore customers only have access to a select number of titles as the full EduTV collection may not be suitable for children. As such, we’ve picked out some educational highlights that are suitable for schools and are featured on Explore.
Still need help? Reach out to support.informit@rmit.edu.au