Informit launches ‘Explore’ Platform Pilot

Press release, 27/08/2023

Informit, Australia’s largest source for authoritative humanities and social sciences content, is thrilled to announce the upcoming pilot of its Informit Explore platform. Developed in partnership with the Australia Council for Educational Research (ACER), and launching in September 2023, Informit Explore is poised to transform educational and research experiences across Australian secondary schools and public libraries. The platform grants access to an unparalleled selection of Australasian content, including journals, magazines, books, reports, and, by January 2024, an expanding video collection. 

This ambitious project is a testament to Informit’s commitment to advancing education and research in Australia. Part library database, part educational encyclopedia, Informit Explore caters to student research, casual inquiry and classroom activities. Curated subject and issue categories arm teachers and librarians with essential educational resources that enable an active learning experience and encourage critical thinking.

Key features of Informit Explore

• Access to 1 million+ articles and videos from Informit’s core collection of humanities and social sciences content.
• 100 issue pages cover the latest content on Australia’s biggest issues, from climate change to body image, artificial intelligence, the Voice to Parliament and more. Written by teachers, issue pages explore different perspectives on an issue and include both comprehension and discussion questions designed to encourage deeper learning.
• Informit articles and issue pages are grouped by subject area, allowing users to effortlessly discover a wealth of humanities and social sciences content at their fingertips.
• Curated feature articles are selected from Informit’s vast collection and graded by reading level, from year 7 to 12, ensuring inclusivity and relevance for diverse audiences and age ranges. 
• Pre-programmed search queries guide users through selected issues, helping novice researchers build confidence and navigate content with ease. 
• A sleek, mobile-friendly design that is intuitive and colourful, enables users to engage seamlessly across devices. 
• Built-in tools for saving, sharing, and citing allow for efficient collaboration and research.

Why Informit Explore matters

• Australian-centric: A focus on Australian issues, fostering a sense of connection and relevance within a local educational context. 
• Empowering educators and learners: Giving access to content that is aligned with the national curriculum, honing in on key learning areas, curriculum topics, and peer-reviewed standards. 
• Peer-reviewed and trusted: Content is sourced from a wide array of societies, research groups, and reputable publishers, ensuring the highest level of credibility. 
• Enriching learning: Designed to serve both schools and public libraries, and make academic exploration an engaging, yet accessible experience. 

Coming soon

• Curated video collections: Access a substantial collection of free-to-air media, including Australian news programs and curated selections from television and film programs that are educational and age-appropriate. 
• Key terms: A selection of additional terms for every subject area with custom search queries designed to help novice researchers start their search.
• Context one-liners: Concise and contextualised descriptions of featured articles written by Australian teachers that help users quickly understand if an article is relevant to them. 
• Tutorial videos: A selection of support videos developed throughout the pilot in response to customer feedback. 
• Trending issues and articles: Popular articles and issue pages will be visible on the home page, so that users can see what is trending on the platform.
• Expert videos: Interviews with scholars and publishers on key issues, available as a supporting resource on select issue pages. 

Join the pilot

If you’re a representative of a school or public library, you can register to join this exclusive pilot and explore the platform free of charge from September to November 2023, contributing invaluable feedback to Informit’s dedicated product team. This collaborative effort will facilitate continuous improvement of the search experience. 

Confirm your interest before Thursday 31 August to ensure you do not miss out on one of our informative webinars.

Informit Explore pilot participants can provide feedback in 1 of 3 ways – via surveys, one-on-one feedback sessions, or focus groups with fellow participants.

Sign-up offer

All participants who invoice this year will be eligible for a 10% discount when Informit Explore is officially launched in December 2023. All confirmed orders for 2024 will yield a 5% discount.

For over 30 years Informit has been an essential resource for the higher education sector, with every university in Australia and New Zealand subscribing to the platform. With Informit Explore a new era of academic exploration is dawning. 

Join us in shaping this transformative platform and empowering a new generation of scholars, researchers, and learners. 

Contact

For media inquiries, please contact:
Ally Scale, ally.scale2@rmit.edu.au (Communications and Marketing Manager)
For focus group participation, please contact:
Jessica Darnell, jessica.darnell@rmit.edu.au (Product Manager)