Not all information is created equal. It is important for you to be able to discern among the various types and qualities of information to encounter in your searching. The purpose of this page in the Research Guide is to give you an overview of the various information resources you will encounter. Some resources may be appropriate for your research paper while other sources, while interesting, may not meet the criteria of quality as outlined by the academic research community.
As you conduct research, you will consult different sources of information. A professor may request primary, secondary, or tertiary sources. What does that mean? This guide explains these terms and gives examples for each category.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
The types of information that can be considered primary sources may vary depending on the subject discipline, and also on how you are using the material.
For example:
Different Types of Information Chart
Borrowed from Virginia Tech
Type
Information
Use
Examples
Magazine
A magazine is a collection of articles and images about diverse topics of popular interest and current events. Usually these articles are written by journalists or scholars and are geared toward the average adult. Magazines may cover very "serious" material, but to find consistent scholarly information, you should use journals.
to find information or opinions about popular culture
to find up-to-date information about current events
to find general articles for people who are not necessarily specialists about the topic
National Geographic
Ebony
Sports Illustrated
People
Academic journal
A journal is a collection of articles usually written by scholars in an academic or professional field. An editorial board reviews articles to decide whether they should be accepted. Articles in journals can cover very specific topics or narrow fields of research.
when doing scholarly research
to find out what has been studied on your topic
to find bibliographies that point to other relevant research
Journal of Communication
The Historian
Journal of the American Medical Association
Lancet
Library Database
A database contains citations of articles in magazines, journals, and newspapers. They may also contain citations to podcasts, blogs, videos, and other media types. Some databases contain abstracts or brief summaries of the articles, while other databases contain complete, full-text articles.
when you want to find articles on your topic in magazines, journals or newspapers
Academic Search Complete (a general database)
Compendex (an engineering database)
ABI/Inform (a business database)
Newspapers
A newspaper is a collection of articles about current events usually published daily. Since there is at least one in every city, it is a great source for local information.
to find current information about international, national and local events
to find editorials, commentaries, expert or popular opinions
Roanoke Times
New York Times
Suddeutsche Zeitung
Books
Books cover virtually any topic, fact or fiction. For research purposes, you will probably be looking for books that synthesize all the information on one topic to support a particular argument or thesis.
Libraries organize and store their book collections on shelves called "stacks."
when looking for lots of information on a topic
to put your topic in context with other important issues
to find historical information
to find summaries of research to support an argument
Nash, Gary B. ed. The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society, 1990.
Silverstone, Roger, ed. Visions of Suburbia, 1997.
Smith, J. T. Roman Villas: A Study in Social Structure, 1997
Encyclopedia
Encyclopedias are collections of short, factual entries often written by different contributors who are knowledgeable about the topic.
There are two types of encyclopedias: general and subject. General encyclopedias provide concise overviews on a wide variety of topics. Subject encyclopedias contain in-depth entries focusing on one field of study.
when looking for background information on a topic
when trying to find key ideas, important dates or concepts
African-American Encyclopedia (subject encyclopedia)
Encyclopedia Americana (general encyclopedia)
World Book (general encyclopedia found online)
Gale encyclopedia of genetic disorders (subject encyclopedia found online)
Web site
The Web allows you to access most types of information on the Internet through a browser. One of the main features of the Web is the ability to quickly link to other related information. The Web contains information beyond plain text, including sounds, images, and video.
The important thing to do when using information on the Internet is to evaluate how accurate it is and how well it serves your information needs.
to find current information
to find information about companies
to find information from all levels of government - federal to local
to find both expert and popular opinions
to find information about hobbies and personal interests
lcweb.loc.gov (The Library of Congress)
wikipedia.org (a wiki)
www.vt.edu (Virginia Tech
