RILM Abstracts is global in scope, with the aim to foster collaborations and connections between music researchers and their various approaches to the study of music. It is scholarly and can provide key information for critical assignments.

• Go to LibrarySearch 
• Log in using your CCCU username and password. If you are away from campus, or connecting with your own device over Wi-Fi, you will need to include @canterbury.ac.uk after your CCCU username.
• Select Find Databases A-Z, then click on R, finally click on the link to RILM to open it in a new tab.

• Type your keywords into the search box. You can use the basic or advanced search. Remember to vary your keywords and try several searches to ensure that you find all the relevant material you need.
• The advanced search gives you more options. You can search for more than one keyword at a time.
• Refine your results by source type, publication date, subject and more on the left hand side.
• You can also browse by names, subjects, instrument families and countries in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
• Look for Full Text Finder for linked full-text articles. Use Google Scholar or the document delivery service to locate articles which are not available as full-text via the database.
• Save your results to a folder and export them in to a reference management tool such as RefWorks or Mendeley to create instant bibliographies at the end of your assignment.

After you have accessed RILM Abstracts go to Help and search for accessibility to find tips on navigating the site using a screen reader or go directly to the publisher’s site EBSCO for information on text-to-speech, access keys and alternate text.

Try searching RILM by following the steps outlined below. You’ll practice using some of the most common functions and be ready to search for information for your assignments.

1. Search for the topic vocal pedagogy. How many results do you find?
2. Using the left-hand panel, limit your search results to Linked Full Text. How many results do you find now?
3. Look at the source types listed in the left-hand pane and decide which material is suitable for you. Choose one and limit your results further.
4. Apply more limits to make your search meaningful. This can either be by adding more keywords in the search box or by choosing the ones available in the Subject box in the left-hand pane. e.g. choruses and choirs.
5. Find an interesting article from your results list and see if you can access the full-text of the the article.
6. Reflect on the type of information appearing in your search. The results are organised by relevance, but do they seem relevant? If not, then try synonyms of your search terms. Are there other ways you can describe vocal pedagogy e.g. vocal training?

Your Learning and Research Librarian will be able to help you make the best use of online resources. For detailed guidance, book a tutorial via the Learning Skills Hub.