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Types of Information Sources

References Resources | Book s | Journals & Magazines | Newspapers | Web sites

Reference Sources [find them]

The purpose of reference sources is to help researchers quickly find a piece of information or to lead the researcher to other sources that will answer their question. Examples include dictionaries, almanacs, general and special encyclopedias, bibliographies, atlases, and journal indexes.

Potential Uses:

using the Encyclopedia of the American Presidency to get a better understanding of the Kennedy administration's policy towards Vietnam
using the Statistical Abstract of the United States to get a definition of poverty and the estimated number of people in the United States living in poverty for a persuasive speech
learning more about a particular author by using the Dictionary of Literary Biography, which prepares lengthy articles about authors lives and careers and gives you a bibliography of other critical writings about the author or their work.

Books [find them]

Books often give more in-depth and varied coverage of a subject as more time is (generally) given to research and writing. As a resources, books incorporate theoretical notions of a topic and provide an authoritative and detailed source of information. Depending upon the publishing time frame, the material may be dated.

Potential Uses:

Find an in-depth perspective on a topic for a large research paper/project.
Provide bibliographies or references that point to further sources of information

Journal or Magazine Articles [find them]

You will probably write at least one paper at KU that involves using articles, either of a scholarly or popular nature.

Scholarly journals: Articles in are written by scholars for the purpose of sharing new research within a particular discipline. Because of this, specialized terminology or a style particular to the discipline in question may be used. These articles include reference lists (works referred to in the paper) or bibliographies (material used in the research for the paper), which may be of help to your research. Other terms used to refer to scholarly journals by databases are "peer reviewed" or "refereed" journals. Examples of scholarly journals are titles like Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Journal of Southern History, or Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems.
Potential Uses:

getting an in-depth look at a specific subject, such as "ethical implications of implanting life on other planets;" or "the fuming image: cartoons and public opinion in late republican China."
You may also find the bibliographies/references helpful in leading you to additional materials.

Popular magazines: written, often by journalists, with a more general, non-specialist audience in mind. You might think of titles such as Business Week, Rolling Stone, or Time as examples of this type of publication. These sources generally do not include references.
Potential Uses:

Finding information on current topics or breaking stories
getting the "big picture" about a topic (looking at news magazine articles to get an idea of the debate about congressional term limits)
studying how an issue is presented to the general public (looking at magazines targeted at teenage girls to see how the topic of eating disorders is handled).

Newspapers

Newspapers provide information about current events. They may also be excellent places to look for editorial/opinion writing on a recent question or issue, or, for feature stories about a community that is of interest to you. The audience for newspapers varies widely. Think, for example, of who reads the Wall Street Journal and who reads the University Daily Kansan and the types of information that these different papers contain.

Potential Uses:

getting editorial analysis of current issues
updating your information on an ongoing topic (for example, the war in Bosnia)
examining firsthand how the press treats a particular issue, such as a political figure or social topic.

Web Sites

Using the World Wide Web to find information on a topic can be both rewarding and frustrating. It can be very useful for researching certain topics, but almost useless for others. The Internet is a self-publishing medium. This means that anyone with little or now technical skills and access to a host computer can publish on the Internet. It is important to remember this when you locate sites in the course of your research. Internet sites change over time according to the commitment and inclination of the creator. Some sites demonstrate an expert's knowledge, while others are amateur efforts. Some may be updated daily, while others may be outdated. As with any information resource, it is important to evaluate what you find on the Internet.

Potential Uses:

to find current news information
to link to information provided by the library over the Internet
to find information about companies, schools, and organizations
to find information from all levels of government
to find popular opinions
information including sounds, images and video.

There are multiple formats and types of sources that you will discover as you begin your research. Knowing the characteristics, intended audiences, and weaknesses inherent in each of these can help you make informed decisions in your selections. The chart below provides you with more specific information about the variety of sources you will encounter during your research process.