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Selecting the best information source

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.

Information
Source

Characteristics

Publication Frequency

Intended Audience

Weaknesses

Books

Comprehensive information about your topic
Background information.
Historical information.
Bibliography of other sources.

Varies.
Books may take
up to 2 years to come to press.

Dependent on
individual title.
General public to
experts.

Information may be dated.

Popular/Special
Interest Magazines

Current information.
Short articles, easy to understand.
Photographs and illustrations.

Weekly,
biweekly,
monthly

Gene5ral public

Authors are usually not experts
on the topic.
Lack of depth.
Sources not cited.

 

Professional/Trade
Publications

Specialized information related
to a particular discipline or profession.
Articles of varying lengths.
Some bibliographies

Weekly,
biweekly,
monthly

Professionals and those
with specific knowledge
of a particular field.

Characteristics similar to both
popular and scholarly sources
sometimes make it difficult to
recognize source type.

Scholarly/Academic
Journals

In depth information, written by experts.
Charts and graphs.
Recent research on a topic.
Bibliographies of other sources

Quarterly,
monthly,
biannually

Professionals and researchers
in a field.

Terminology and depth of
articles may be difficult to
understand by novices.

Newspapers

Current information.
Events of the day.

Daily,
weekly.

General public.

Authors usually not experts.

Internet

Government information.
Varied points of view on a topic.
Statistics.
Company information.

Varies. Each site
must be checked
for dates/updates.

General public.

Credibility and accuracy
cannot be assured.
May be highly biased.