Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives

Over time, the language and terminology used to describe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has changed. When searching for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources and materials, researchers may have to use language that is now considered outdated or even offensive.

The following list includes some of the keywords researchers may use when searching for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content.

• Australia* AND Indigenous
• Australia* AND Aborigin*
• Australia* AND Native
• Australia* AND “First Nations”
• Australia* AND Blacks
• Torres Strait Islander

Subject headings are specific words or phrases that are used to catalogue and find material. UQ Library uses subject headings from:

• The AIATSIS Pathways Thesauri: two thesauri on headings for subjects/topics (the Topical thesaurus) and places (the Place Thesaurus) relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies. 
• The AIATSIS AustLang database: a thesaurus on headings and synonyms for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language and people groups.

Researchers can use these thesauri to find the terms and synonyms preferred at UQ Library.

Like many academic libraries in Australia, UQ Library also uses the Library of Congress Classification System as our primary thesaurus. The following list includes some of the commonly-used subject headings for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content.

• Aboriginal Australians
• Torres Strait Islanders
• Art, Aboriginal Australian
• Art, Torres Strait Islander
• Aboriginal Australian authors
• Native title (Australia)
• Stolen generations (Australia)

Researchers may find other relevant subject headings are used in conjunction or in addition to the subject headings listed.

You may enjoy finding further resources by browsing the Library’s physical collection. The following list includes some of the call numbers where you may find Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content.

A reverse citation search is when you search for resources by looking through the reference lists of published material such as books, articles and theses. This is incredibly useful in the case of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources because Indigenous researchers are likely to cite other Indigenous peoples. If researchers are struggling for a place to start, they should search for an Indigenous researcher or academic in their faculty and select relevant publications to conduct a reverse citation search