Frequently Asked Questions

To find peer-reviewed articles:

• go to Library Search 
• enter your keywords in the search box. Use parentheses for terms around or . For example (australia or zealand) finds articles mentioning either of these locations. Use speech marks where you are looking for words in a specific order e.g. "access to health", "quality of life", "prostate cancer", etc.
• change "Everything" to "Journal articles"
• click the Search button.
• In the right column tick next to Peer-reviewed journals and Apply filters
• Select the Publication Date if you need up-to-date articles e.g. Select 2015-2025 and Refine.
• To retain the peer-reviewed and date of publication filters for your next search click on Remember all filters.

​Here is an example for a search for peer-reviewed New Zealand or Australia  articles on barriers to access to health which you can modify with your own keywords. Note that this method will search across most of the Ara databases at the same time. Make sure peer-reviewed and the date of publication shown in Years still shows to the right of your results to be sure your results are up-to-date and peer-reviewed. 

See our How do I guides for more tips on using Library resources.

There are two PDF software applications available on Ara computers:

 

Foxit Reader, which allows you to view, print, annotate, or sign PDFs.

 

PDF24, which can organise PDF pages (split, rotate, remove, rearrange pages), convert to different formats, extract images, annotate, perform OCR, redact / blacken parts for privacy and many others.

 

Both applications are free, so you can also download and install them on your personal device if you wish.

Go to https://printfunds.ara.ac.nz and follow the prompts or click on this TechAssist link about Ara Printing Online Top-Up for the full instructions.

 

On City campus, Madras Street on the ground floor of the Rakaia Centre, you can also pay cash at the Student Finance Office to top up your print credit.

The following books are useful to find about the theories of Maslow, Piaget, Erikson and others in relation to human lifespan and development.

Berk, L. E. (2023). Development through the lifespan (7th ed.). Sage Publications. [In High Use collection, 3 day loan]

Claiborne, L. B., et aL. (2014). Human development : family, place, culture (2e.). McGraw-Hill Education, Higher Education. [In High Use Collection, 3 day loan; also Ebook option]

Hoffnung, M. (2023). Lifespan development (5th Australasian ed.). John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. [In High Use Collection, 3 day loan; also Ebook option]

 

 

Go to Combine PDF – Online PDF Combiner and combine your PDFs there. This is a free service and requires no registering or logins.

Find the Learning Services Study Smart resources in My Ara.  Some of the popular ones are also linked below:

• How to analyse assignment instructions
• Formatting your assignment
• Linking words and phrases - To help you polish and clarify your academic writing.
• Instructional words - Meanings of terms used in assignment instructions.
• Paragraphs - Applying the TEEL method to formulate your sentences in a paragraph.
• Yearly planner - Use this planner to keep track of all your due dates for assignments.

Click on https://mobileprint.ara.ac.nz and follow the online prompts or click on our guide to Mobile Printing at Ara for the full instructions.

If you have already registered at Ara and set up your Ara Clinical Key password then you can access Clinical Key at the link in our Databases A-Z  Before you click this link make sure you have cleared your browsing data (Ctrl, Shift Delete keys on your keyboard are the shortcut to clear your browsing data on a PC, Cmd, Shift, Delete keys on an Apple computer).

If you are still not successful then try

• accessing Clinical Key from Databases A-Z  in a different browser e.g Chrome, Edge, Firefox. 
• accessing Clinical Key on an Ara computer via  MyAra / Library Search / Databases A-Z  / Clinical Key for Students. If that is successful on an Ara computer, then restart your personal device and do the same i.e. go to My Ara / Library Search / Databases A-Z / Clinical Key for Students.
• If you are still not successful email tina.verschoor@ara.ac.nz

Click this link to the latest APA 7th Referencing Guide. If you just need a few examples of APA then see the Quick APA 7th Referencing Guide and the Quick APA 7th Referencing Guide For Nursing.

When considering using AI to help you with your assignment always check with your tutor first. If using AI is approved for use in your assignment see the AI for Research tab of the Academic Integrity and AI subject guide to find about some  AI research tools commonly used in education today.

Find the Techassist guide  to installing Microsoft Office 365 on your own device.

Find here the timetable for Learning Services Quick Questions at Christchurch City campus.

Click this link to Library Search to find library books, journals and journal articles on your topic.

Find out the difference between primary and secondary sources in Types of Research page of the Research Subject guide.

Read this guide on paragraphs which covers how to write a topic sentence by apply the TEEL model - Topic sentence, Explain ideas, Examples.

See the section in the APA 7th guide on Book Chapters. Here is a summary of the layout.

And here is an example:

Gordon, C. J. (2017). Fostering sleep. In J. Crisp, C. Douglas, G. Rebeiro, & D. Waters (Eds.), Potter and Perry’s fundamentals of nursing (5th ed., pp. 988-1015). Elsevier Australia.

 

The intext citation could look like:

Narrative style within the sentence:    Gordon (2017) stated ...

or

Parenthetical style at the end of the sentence: (Gordon, 2017).

Read this guide to access an OReilly ebook.

Read this guide which explains what a peer-reviewed article is.

You can ring ICT Service Desk for free from 0800 24 24 76 and ask to be put through to the ICT Service Desk.

Click on this link to the Contact Us page for the Library