Research
Queerying the catalogue
Search symbols
Phrase searching ("...") – put quotation marks around a particular phrase or title to search for those words in the order they appear in quotation marks - e.g. “gender identity”
Truncation (*) – for alternative endings - e.g. LGBT*= LGBT, LGBTI, LGBTIQ, etc.
Note: Trans* will get trans, transgender and transsexual but also transport, translation, transnational
Wildcards (?) – for alternative spellings - e.g. coloni?ation will retrieve results for colonisation and colonization, colo?r will retrieve results for colour and color
Proximity searching (/ or NEAR) - allows you to search based on how closely two or more search terms appear in the search results - e.g., LGBT* /5 inclusion, LGBT* NEAR inclusion
Boolean operators
Use OR to combine synonyms and related terms– e.g. (transgender OR “gender identity” OR nonbinary OR genderqueer)
Use AND to combine different keywords and concepts– e.g. “gender identity” AND discriminat*
Combine and refine
The search process is iterative and there will never be one perfect combination of keywords and phrases for your topic. There are likely to be different strategies for different aspects of your topic. Keep adapting and exploring new combinations as you learn more about your topic from different sources:
(transgender OR “gender identity” OR nonbinary OR genderqueer) AND (discriminat* OR exclusion OR transphobi* OR cissexis*) AND feminis*
Keywords
The language used by LGBTIQA+ communities to describe themselves and their experiences is constantly evolving.
There have also been significant historical changes in the language and the expression of ideas relating to LGBTIQA+ people and their experiences.
These changes in language will be reflected in the research literature which means that some historical terms and ideas about LQBTIQA+ people and issues you come across in older sources by and about LGBTIQA+ people may seem outdated and/or inappropriate. Practice self-care while engaging in research that might involve difficult topics or language.
The following resources will help you identify and understand keywords that you can use to find LGBTIQA+ research and more resources:
Queer research methods
Selected open research and education outputs at La Trobe
- A History of LGBTIQ+ Victoria in 100 Places and ObjectsWritten by Timothy Jones at La Trobe with colleagues from the Australian Queer Archives. Commissioned by Heritage Victoria to highlight the rich, diverse and unique history of queer communities in Victoria and to demonstrate how these communities are reflected in the places, objects and landscapes that surround us. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual, sistergirl and brotherboy (LGBTIQ+) people are, and always have been, an integral part of Victorian social, political and cultural life. However, the experiences and voices of queer communities have not commonly been included in the historical record and, consequently, queer heritage has remained largely invisible.
- Tales from camp wilde: Queer(y)ing environmental education researchThis paper questions the relative silence of queer theory and theorizing in environmental education research. We explore some possibilities for queering environmental education research by fabricating (and inviting colleagues to fabricate) stories of Camp Wilde, a fictional location that helps usto expose the facticity of the field's heteronormative constructedness. These stories suggest alternative ways of (re)presenting and (re)producing both the subjects/objects of our inquiries and our identities as researchers. The contributors draw on a variety of theoretical resources from art history, deconstruction, ecofeminism, literary criticism, popular cultural studies, and feminist poststructuralism to perform an orientation to environmental education research that we hope will never be arrested by its categorization as a "new genre."
- Democracy in difference: Debating key terms of gender, sexuality, race and identityDemocracy in difference: Debating key terms of gender, sexuality, race and identity focuses on concepts and analytical frames we use when discussing how marginalised identities navigate their place in an assumed common culture.
This ebook offers a path for exploring how we might build a shared vocabulary when working through the muddle of public debates like identity politics, political correctness, pronouns and what constitutes racism. Democracy in Difference is an unconventional interdisciplinary guide to key concepts, which borrows from decolonial methodologies, Marxism, feminism, queer theory and deconstruction.
Key terms are illustrated through written text, La Trobe Art Institute artworks (centering Indigenous artists), poetry, comedy and song, and customised animations which make difficult terms accessible. - Research Matters: How many people are LGBTIQ?Accurately estimating the number of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse and intersex (LGBTIQ*) in Australia is a critical gap in research. The lack of current population-level data limits understanding of health and wellbeing needs of LGBTIQ people, and the development of policy and programs for LGBTIQ communities.
- Lean on Me: Exploring Suicide Prevention and Mental Health-Related Peer Support in Melbourne's LGBTQ CommunitiesLean on Me demonstrates that the responsibility for providing suicide prevention in LGBTQ communities in Melbourne, Australia, frequently falls on peers with little or no training in responding to a mental health crisis. This report explores how LGBTQ individuals experiencing mental health concerns turn to their peers. Those being leant on provide crucial support. In some cases, they very likely save the lives of their fellow community members. Providing informal mental health-related support, however, can impact on a peer’s own wellbeing, even leading to burnout. This report highlights a need for strategies to reduce levels of mental ill health in LGBTQ communities and ensure that informal support roles are sustainable.
- Healing Spiritual Harms: Supporting Recovery from LGBTQA+ Change and Suppression PracticesThis research report presents findings from a project conducted in partnership with the Brave Network, the Australian LGBTIQ+ Multicultural Council (AGMC) and the Victorian Government on recovery support needs of survivors of LGBTQA+ change and suppression (conversion) practices.
- Volunteering among older lesbian and gay adults: associations with mental, physical and social well-beingObjectives: Volunteering is associated with positive well-being among older people, providing opportunities to stay active and socially connected. This may be especially relevant for older lesbian and gay people, who are less likely than heterosexual people to have a partner, children or support from their family of origin. Methods: Patterns of volunteering and mental, physical and social well-being were examined in a sample of 754 lesbian and gay adults in Australia aged 60 years and older who completed a nationwide survey. Results: Volunteers reported greater positive mental health than non-volunteers. Among the gay men, volunteers additionally reported higher self-rated health and social support and lower psychological distress. Both the lesbian women and gay men who volunteered for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI) organisations also reported greater LGBTI community connectedness than volunteers for non-LGBTI organisations. Discussion: These findings provide further insight into potential factors associated with the well-being of older lesbian and gay adults.
- Writing Themselves In 4 National Report: Key figures slide setThis slide set provides an accessible means of utilising key figures and data included in the Writing Themselves In 4: The health and wellbeing of LGBTQA+ young people in Australia. National report 2021.
- Writing Themselves In 4: The health and wellbeing of LGBTQA+ young people in Australia. National report.In 2019, the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University, with support from Rainbow Health Victoria and Rainbow Network, asked 6,418 LGBTQA+ people aged 14 to 21 about their experiences with education, homelessness, harassment, assault, mental health, community connections and more. This is the largest ever study on the experiences of LGBTQA+ young people aged 14-21 in Australia.
- The Affective Politics of Queerbaiting: Fandom, Identity and RepresentationA thesis submitted in total fulfilment for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Psychology and Public Health, the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS), College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.
This thesis was a recipient of the Nancy Millis Award for theses of exceptional merit. - Queer Solidarity & Soup Kitchen Stalinists – Politics and Containment in the Solidarity EconomyThesis submitted as total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology, Anthropology and International Development, Department of Social Inquiry, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.
- “A Youth with a Beautiful Face that Delighted the Eyes”: The Function of Antinoan Cults from Ancient to Modern InitiatesThis thesis is submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for a Masters of Arts to the Department of History and Archaeology, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.
- Open at La Trobe (OPaL)Find even more open LGBTIQA+ research and learning material from La Trobe researchers.
Subject-based resources
Journals
Find even more journals to explore by using the Journals tab on Library Search to search for the following:
- Gender, place and culture
- Gender, work and organization
- Gender and development
- Gender and education
- Gender and history
- Gender and society
- Gender and law
- Politics and gender
- Masculinities
- Transgender
- Gender issues or studies
- Feminist studies or theory
- Sexuality or sexualities
- Sexual behaviour
- Sex roles
Articles
Further resources
Journals
Websites
- Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health & Society (ARCSHS)Centre for social research into sexuality, health and social dimensions of human relationships.
- Rainbow Health VictoriaAccess extensive information about GLBTI health and associated subjects.
Browse by subject area and target audience or search with keywords. - Ruth de SouzaA speaker and facilitator with specific professional expertise in cultural safety, migration and health, and social inclusion.
Websites and podcasts
Articles
Archives
- Australian Queer ArchivesExplore the collection before organising to visit.
- Digital Transgender ArchiveThe Digital Transgender Archive (DTA) aims to increase the accessibility of transgender history by providing an online hub for digitized historical materials, born-digital materials, and information on archival holdings throughout the world.
Books
Journals
Popular articles
Journals
Books
Articiles, blog posts and reports
Books
Journals
Books
Organisations & Reports
Journals
Books
Organisations
- IntertwineThis organisation delivers workshops with a focus on the systemic power structures that create marginalisation and oppression.
- PolykalaDeliver Diversity & Inclusion training and workshops.
- Equal Employment Opportunity NetworkCreates opportunities for professionals to learn, network, share their expertise and experiences and showcase examples of best practice in diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including emerging diversity issues.
Articles and blog posts
Podcasts
- Queer View Mirror: Our Members Be Unlimited with Sam WallmanSam Wallman chats about the radical history of the union movement, radical hope, trying to start a union within Amazon's melbourne warehouses and the shared solidarity between the union and queer rights movements.