Lecturaingles14 1


TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

SOURCES OF INFORMATION
SPRING
2010

Introduction
There is more information available now than in the entire history of humanity and the amount is still growing. The challenge then becomes finding the right information to meet your needs. So, where do you look? This handout discusses the different types of information sources to at least point you in theright direction as you begin your search.

Primary & Secondary Sources
Two main categories of information sources are primary sources and secondary sources.
A primary source is an original work created by a person who was directly involved in the subject of the work. Primary sources give you first-hand information. Your instructors will usually want you to use primary sources for yourassignments.
Primary sources include things like:
• Diaries
• Letters
• Works of fiction
• Autobiographies
• Art objects
• Research articles written by those who performed the research
• Artifacts
• Data
• Interviews
• Blog posts
• Email messages
• Newspaper article written by a reporter who witnessed the event

Secondary sources are works about primary sources. They analyze, critique, report,summarize, interpret or somehow restructure an original work. Secondary sources are useful for getting an overview of a topic. The references found in secondary sources can also help you find primary sources. In many cases, the papers you write will be secondary sources.
Secondary sources can be things like:
• Textbooks
• Book reviews
• Biographies
• Articles about other people's workBooks
Books will be one of the main types of sources you'll use for your research.
Books typically:
Provide in-depth coverage of a topic
Puts topics on context with related topics
Are written by experts in the field
May contain historical information about the topic

Periodicals
Periodicals are another main source of information for your assignments.

What is a periodical?
Periodicals arematerials that are published at regular intervals, such as daily, weekly, monthly or yearly. Because periodicals are published so frequently, they tend to include the most up-to-date information. Examples include newspapers, magazines and journals.

Types of periodicals
The different types of periodicals have different characteristics and are used to find different types of information.Newspapers
Characteristics of newspapers include:
Usually published daily
Good source of local and regional news and current events
Good source of coverage of events as they happen and unfold
Often contain editorials, classified ads, sports scores and entertainment information
Written by journalists
Audience is the general public
Sources rarely documented

Examples include the New York Times,Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle and The Eagle

Popular Magazines
Characteristics of popular magazines include:
Articles about current news, events and popular culture
Written by journalists
Audience is the general public
Sources rarely documented
Examples include Newsweek, Time, Ebony, Good Housekeeping and People

Trade Journals & Magazines
Characteristics of trade journals andmagazines include:
Articles about current trends, news and events in a particular field
•Written by practitioners and experts in the field
Audience is practitioners in the field, uses jargon of the field
Sources are often cited, but may not provide full documentation

Examples include Variety, InfoWorld, Restaurant Report, Chronicle of Higher Education and Health
Facilities Management

ScholarlyJournals
Characteristics of scholarly journals include:
Reports original research and in-depth analysis of issues related to the discipline
Written by scholars and researchers in the discipline
Audience is scholars, researchers and students
Uses scholarly language and jargon of the discipline
Are usually peer-reviewed
Includes full documentation of sources

Examples include the Journal...