Issue 135

Did you know that you can now download SCIS catalogue records for each of the topic-based briefs in the new Informit Explore platform. This is good news for secondary schools that subscribe to Informit Explore, as well as for those who are budgeting for a subscription in 2026 or considering a trial subscription.

School library staff help teachers save time by providing easy access to credible, curriculum-aligned resources. Just as you incorporate digital content in the school’s collection to provide a richer experience for staff and students, you can include metadata records for this content in your library catalogue to provide a consistent “one-stop” searching experience across all your curated resources.

What is Informit Explore?

Informit Explore is a research platform built on a rich archive of authentic Australasian content. Explore’s topic briefs are written by Australian teachers in a style readily accessible for secondary students, and there are currently more than 130 topics representing key issues shaping our region. Each topic is supported by recent Australasian magazine articles and news items.

Why are schools subscribing to Informit Explore?

Developed in partnership with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and aligned with the Australian Curriculum, Informit Explore provides access to a diverse range of Australian and New Zealand publications and original sources, kick-starting research and sparking critical thinking on issues in areas such as health, Indigenous studies, psychology, arts, literature, technology, media and popular culture, society, history, sustainability, business and economics, law and politics. Unlike broad academic databases, Informit Explore is built specifically for schools. The content is curated from Australian magazines, media, policy reports and video sources, and organised into curriculum-aligned topic pages.'

Informit is also the premier Australasian database used in university libraries, and using Explore gives senior secondary students a head start to tertiary studies through gaining familiarity with this content and interface.

Informit Explore collections can be downloaded from the Collections tab in your SCIS account

How are schools using Explore?

School library staff use Informit Explore to scaffold the development of research skills. It is not enough to be able to find information through a web search or chatbot prompt; the important skill is to determine the level of confidence you have in that information. What sources have contributed to this content?

Another critical element of trusted content is context.

Local content is scarce in most databases, but Explore is focused on Australasian-centric resources, including an extensive collection of First Nations publications and articles.

Schools can start a free trial of Informit Explore to give teachers and students a preview of the authentic Australasian digital journal content available. Sign up at: https://about.informit.org/explore-trial

SCIS Collections makes it easy for library staff to lead students and staff from the catalogue to trusted, curated resources.

Why SCIS Collections?

The SCIS Collections page is a fast way to identify and download catalogue records for popular education content platforms and providers. SCIS Collections makes it easy for library staff to lead students and staff from the catalogue to trusted, curated resources.

How do I download SCIS Collections records?

SCIS subscribers who are logged in can navigate to Download – Collections and select from the list of options in the left-hand menu. The Informit Explore topics are split into batches to make it easier to manage your downloaded batch of SCIS records. Full instructions for selecting subsets of records are available at: https://help.scisdata.com/hc/en-us/articles/115006380187-How-do-I-download-SCIS-digital-collections

References

Sideris, L. (2025, July 17). Using Informit Explore in the classroom: Teaching students to recognise evidence. Informit. https://about.informit.org/news/using-informit-explore-in-the-classroom-teaching-students-to-recognise-evidence