Library Research: An Introduction

Information can come from virtually anywhere — social media, blogs, personal experiences, books, journal and magazine articles, expert opinions, newspapers, and websites — and the type of information you need will change depending on the question you are trying to answer. Different assignments require information from a variety of sources; therefore, you need to understand where to go to find certain types of information.

After reviewing the material in this section, students will be able to:

• Differentiate different types of information sources
• Select a type of source needed for a specific information need based on appropriateness
• Explain the difference between scholarly and popular articles

Reference Books

• Include facts, figures, addresses, statistics, definitions, dates, etc.
• Useful for finding factual or statistical information or for a brief overview of a particular topic.
• Examples: dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories

Newspapers (News sources)

• Provides very current information about events, people, or places at the time they are published
• Useful for information on current events or to track the development of a story as it unfolds
• Examples: The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN

Magazines

• Include articles on diverse topics of popular interest and current events
• Articles typically written by journalists or professional writers
• Geared toward the general public
• Examples: Time, Newsweek, National Geographic

Academic Journals (Peer-reviewed or scholarly journals)

• Include articles written by and for specialists/experts in a particular field
• Articles must go through a peer review process before they're accepted for publication
• Articles tend to have a narrower focus and more analysis of the topic than those in other types of publications
• Include cited references or footnotes at the end of research articles
• Examples: Journal of Communication, The Historian, Journal of the American Medical Association

Books

• Cover virtually any topic, fact or fiction 
• Useful for the complete background on an issue or an in-depth analysis of a theory or person
• Can take years to publish, so may not always include the most current information
• Examples: The Politics of Gun Control, To Kill a Mockingbird, Hemingway and Faulkner in their Time